- Tindall previously shut down ex-Liverpool Jurgen Klopp during the last campaign
- The outspoken vice principal watched the rest from the stands.
- LISTEN NOW: It's all starting! Are Tottenham managers treated differently to other managers?
Eddie Howe defended his Newcastle players after they were involved in what he confirmed was a 20-man melee during half-time of their 3-0 win over Aston Villa.
Newcastle assistant manager Jason Tindall and Villa analyst Victor Manas were sent off by referee Anthony Taylor after tempers flared in the St James' Park tunnel.
Tindall was previously involved in a heated exchange with visiting manager Unai Emery during a contentious first half which included a straight red card for Villa striker Jhon Durán.
But the Football Association will surely examine the tunnel break-in incident, in which Howe admitted more could have been fired.
The Newcastle boss was asked if it was fair to describe the fight as a “20-man melee”, and said: “I don't think that's too far off.” These things always start without the intention of them happening the way they did.
“There were probably 17 or 18 people trying to calm him down, so what it looks like is there are more people involved.” Nobody wants to see that. It's not at all how I want my players or my staff to be, but sometimes you have to stand up for what you believe is right and protect each other. We all defend ourselves at that moment, we protect ourselves.
Newcastle assistant coach Jason Tindall (right) had earlier stoked tensions by shushing Aston Villa manager Unai Emery (foreground) before the melee in the tunnel at half-time on Boxing Day.
The Villa boss had snubbed Eddie Howe's assistant in an earlier meeting and was growing increasingly incensed in the dugout as his team lost 3-0 at St James' Park.
Aston Villa's Jhon Durán received a red card in the first half after a challenge on Fabián Schar
'I'm not 100 per cent sure what caused it all because everything becomes blurry. It was right at the top. I think the frustration is spilling over (from the Villa camp) because of what happened in the first half.
“I saw a lot of things, but I don't know the actual details of why (Tindall) was kicked out. That would need some clarification for me because I think if you're going to send one, you could probably send 10 to 15 people. So, I'm not very sure of what he is accused of (doing).'
Meanwhile, Emery was furious with the referees for Durán's 31st-minute sending off for violent conduct after his studs landed on Fabián Schar's back during a tangle.
“VAR is supposed to clearly observe every action,” he said. “I agree with the VAR but today, whether fair or unfair, the VAR should be there to make the best decision. It is not a clear red card, that is a very big punishment for the player.
'It was not intentional to do it (the seal). I could accept it if the VAR said he deserved a red card, but it was the referee, the person who has time to make the decision, the right decision, who decided it. Maybe I thought it was a red card, but I should have asked the VAR to confirm it, please.
'Maybe it's because it's Jhon Durán. We have to try to work with him to try to teach him to behave and he is doing that. The referee has to be fair with the decision and take his time. I think Jhon has a reputation. It is clear, it is because of his reputation (that he was expelled). He didn't mean to kick him.