JASON Tindall told Newcastle United players to “go out and deliver a performance the manager would be proud of”.
They did exactly that.
And with it came one of the results of the season, even if shambolic Manchester United did make life easy for the Magpies in the second half on Sunday.
Four goals to move to fourth in the Premier League table and Newcastle will climb again to third above Nottingham Forest if they beat Crystal Palace in their game in hand on Wednesday night.
Whether Howe will be back in the dugout in midweek is unclear but Newcastle showed they are in safe hands with Tindall and Graeme Jones on Sunday, overpowering and outplaying Manchester United.
The away fans mocked the St James’ Park atmosphere in the first half. Plenty had headed for the exits long before the end of the second.
There was brief joy for the visitors after Alejandro Garnacho had cancelled out Sandro Tonali’s sublime opener in the first half, but Newcastle were relentless after the break. A double from Harvey Barnes and a fourth from Bruno secured a fifth straight win for Newcastle.
A place in next season’s Champions League is starting to look not just possible but probable.
Both Barnes and Murphy should perhaps be primed for late night phone calls in early June. For Thomas Tuchel, in attendance at St James’ Park on Sunday, must have put a big tick next to both winger’s names after this.
Dan Burn revealed last month that Tuchel called him late at night to reveal he’d been selected in his first England squad. Anthony Gordon suffered an injury during that international stoppage but returned from the bench late on against Sunday to cap off a fine afternoon.
The question is, though, how does he get back into the team? Barnes is impossible to drop after his brace and Murphy now has 10 Premier League assists this season.
After his high-profile exchange of verbal blows with Nemanja Matic and subsequent errors in the midweek European draw at Lyon, Andre Onana was dropped by Ruben Amorim and replaced by debutant goalkeeper Altay Bayindir. Onana will soon be restored, for Bayindir was unconvincing and his mistake gifted Bruno the fourth goal.
Bayindir had picked the ball out of the net after just 46 seconds but was relief to see the sight of the raised offside flag.
The visitors took the early sting out of the home players and fans. “Where’s your famous atmosphere,” chanted those in red up high.
Those same fans were silenced soon after by Newcastle’s fine opening goal. Manuel Ugarte conceded possession and Alexander Isak teed up Tonali with a stunning lofted assist, the quality of which was matched by the Italian’s volleyed finish.
Joelinton powered through the midfield and brushed off opponents with ease as though he was a boxer competing against those in weight-classes below. Manchester United were certainly on the ropes. Newcastle missed a string of chances.
The game’s second goal felt inevitable and it did indeed arrive – but at the other end. Against the run of play, Manchester United countered and levelled. Ugarte made up for his error for the opener and won possession, allowing Diogo Dalot to charge forward and tee up Garnacho, whose low finish off the far post was calm and clinical.
Tonali was as effective in his own box early in the second half as he had been in the opposition area in the first half, charging back to stop Dalot in his tracks after a swift United counter. And soon after, Newcastle were back in front.
Barnes was on hand to score the tap-in after Murphy’s cut-back but both had Tino Livramento to thank, the full-back rampaging forward down the left in the build-up.
Barnes made his second and Newcastle’s third by himself, pressing Noussair Mazraoui into a mistake and pouncing on it, scything through the Manchester United defence and finding the top corner. Bruno scored the fourth and plenty of away fans headed for home.
