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John Carver doesn't know if Mike Ashley will appear at St James' Park on Sunday

Lee Smith / Reuters

Nobody seems to know whether owner Mike Ashley, the scorn of Newcastle United, will show up at St James' Park for the club's do-or-die fixture versus West Ham United on Sunday.

Not even manager John Carver.

Newcastle are entering the final matchday of the season sitting 17th in the Premier League, having failed to win a match since February. They're two points above the relegation zone, which 18th-placed Hull City are looking to escape.

It's a dire situation for a club as prestigious as Newcastle, and supporters haven't hesitated in directing the blame at Ashley, who, as a result of the criticism, has stayed away from St James' Park in recent weeks.

Related: PHOTOS: Newcastle supporters stage protest aimed at owner Mike Ashley

Protests have become a regular sight at the ground after the club's full accounts for the end of the last financial year revealed more than £34 million sitting in the bank. Newcastle only announced profits of £18.7 million, angering supporters and leaving them wondering why the money wasn't used to strengthen their squad.

It's yet another instance of an owner running a wonderful club into the depths of hell, but Carver, whose devotion to Newcastle is undoubted despite his poor string of results, insists that he'll be unfazed if Ashley makes an appearance for his side's season finale.

"I don't really know whether Mike will be there or not," Carver said, according to the Guardian.

"He wasn't at QPR (Queens Park Rangers) last weekend and he still got some stick, didn't he? It wouldn't bother me at all if he came, but if he doesn't come I'm sure he'll phone me beforehand. If he does come, I'm sure he'll come and see me before the game. But I can't decide what Mike's going to do."

Should Hull emerge with a win versus Manchester United at KC Stadium, Newcastle will essentially need to defeat West Ham to avoid an unimaginable return to the Championship.

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