What Eddie Howe cheekily told Nick Pope to do vs Brighton as Newcastle’s dark arts are exposed

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Newcastle United certainly missed Jason Tindall against Brighton on Sunday.

The Newcastle United assistant manager had recently been taking centre stage during Eddie Howe’s absence, but was forced to sit in the stands for Newcastle’s draw with Brighton.

After being booked against Ipswich Town, Jason Tindall was suspended for the game at the Amex Stadium.

While he was at the match, he was not allowed to be involved at all. Jason Tindall was not on the touchline, where he is usually seen barking orders and getting in the ear of the fourth official.

In his absence, Graeme Jones had to help Eddie Howe, while the Newcastle United manager also took on extra responsibility.

Eddie Howe’s cheeky Nick Pope instruction

Newcastle United are no strangers to the dark arts of football. It is something they were accused of a lot during the 2022/23 season.

Those dark arts briefly returned on Sunday, as Nick Pope went down injured in the second half to allow Howe to speak to his players. It was clear to most Newcastle United fans that Pope was not injured, and it was merely a ploy for Howe to be able to address his team.

However, Howe was not subtle when it came to getting Pope to go down. That is according to the Athletic’s Chris Waugh, who had to laugh at Howe’s lack of subtlety in the absence of Tindall.

“I think his [Jason Tindall] presence was missed to a certain degree on the touchline,” he said on the latest episode of Pod On The Tyne.

“Graeme Jones was getting up and every now and then would have a word with the fourth official.

“Eddie Howe was having a word with the fourth official more often than normal.

“There was a moment in the second half where, I think it’s after the second penalty is overturned, where Eddie Howe immediately and quite obviously gestures to Nick Pope three times that he needs to basically go down injured and then he does go down injured.

“Newcastle have done this before, but usually there is a slight more subtlety to it, and I think Jason Tindall brings that.”

Whether Jason Tindall will be back for Newcastle United vs Chelsea

Fortunately for Howe, Tindall will be back for Newcastle United vs Chelsea.

It was only a one-match ban, meaning he will be patrolling the St James’ Park touchline on Sunday.

That is a boost, as this is the Magpies’ biggest game since the Carabao Cup final. It could be argued that it is like a final, as the winner will have one foot in next season’s Champions League.

Newcastle are predicted to qualify for the Champions League, and know that a win over Chelsea on Sunday will put them on the brink of returning to Europe’s elite competition.