After avoiding the drop from the Premier League, a sympathetic Daryl Janmaat said Newcastle United boss John Carver deserved better than to oversee a nail-biting relegation fight.
Newcastle, who went into the final round of fixtures one point above the relegation zone, defeated West Ham 2-0 on Sunday to preserve their top-flight status.
With the dust now settled after a dramatic weekend, Netherlands international full-back Janmaat admitted his Newcastle team-mates failed Carver.
"John deserved the win against West Ham because he has worked really hard with the team," said Janmaat.
"He tried everything. I feel sorry for him – we let him down in games and it can’t happen again."
Newcastle found themselves entrenched in a relegation battle following a run of 10 league matches without a victory, which included nine defeats.
"That can't happen again either. The eight-game losing run can't happen at a club as big as Newcastle United," Janmaat added.
"If you see the fans here you can see how big it is."
