With Eddie stepping back to focus on his recovery, it’s Jason Tindall who’s taken the reins at Newcastle – though, not much has changed in terms of how the duo operate.
Football's tightest partnership? 🤝
After 17 years side by side, Howe and Tindall have built one of the tightest partnerships in football. That connection’s made this transition feel seamless, with Tindall keeping things steady while Howe watches on from a distance.
Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports, Tindall admitted the pressure’s there — but so is the belief. He praised the club’s culture of hard work, unity, and character for keeping them moving forward.
Murphy magic ✨
He also singled out our midfield trio for their consistency and impact - and highlighted the brilliant form of Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy.
Tindall reckons if Murphy were a new foreign signing, the media wouldn’t stop talking about him. And it's hard to argue, only Mo Salah has more assists.
With five games remaining the team has, for the most part, looked like a group determined to finish what they started.
Villa defeat a reality check...
However, our 4-1 defeat at Aston Villa was a reminder of the challenges that come with a relentless fixture schedule. Newcastle’s third game in just six days with the same starting XI, proved a game too far.
Tindall was honest in his post-match reflections, admitting that Villa were deserved winners and that the schedule had taken its toll.
“Three games in six days, maybe caught up with us, certainly probably around the hour mark”.
He praised the squad’s character for rallying after the early setback but acknowledged that the team simply ran out of steam as the match wore on.
Still in the race 📈
Despite the setback, we remain third in the table, but Villa’s victory has narrowed the gap to just two points with five matches left to play.
The defeat at Villa Park was poor, but our ambitions for Champions League football are still very much alive, with the focus now on resting, recovering, and finishing the season strongly.
Tindall remains in daily contact with Howe, confident the boss will be proud of the team’s resilience, and that the focus now is simple: rest, recover, and finish strong.
You can watch the full interview here 👇
