Jason Tindall is convinced bottom of the table Newcastle United can stay up after the Magpies made 'big strides forward' in the 3-3 draw against Brentford.
Newcastle twice came from behind to claim a point in a thrilling encounter at St James' Park as Tindall, the club's newly-appointed assistant, led the team in Eddie Howe's absence.
Howe may have had to watch his first game in charge from afar, after testing positive for COVID on Friday, but the Newcastle head coach's influence was keenly felt following a productive week-and-a-half working with the players on the training pitches.
READ MORE: Newcastle have 'woah' lifeline to turn to
However, Newcastle's longstanding defensive frailties were again evident against newly-promoted Brentford and the Magpies ultimately slipped to 20th place on a day when rivals Norwich City, Aston Villa and Watford all triumphed.
Winless Newcastle remain five points from safety, but Tindall has already seen enough to believe his side can defy the odds and get out of trouble.
"Of course we feel we can," the number two told reporters on Zoom. "We've got to believe we can. There's so many positives to take from the performance we delivered. I think there's been big strides forward.
"You've seen the intensity that we've played with and the chances we created. That gives the team and everyone hope.
"We need to take that now into every game moving forward and play with confidence. We know how important the fans are going to be for us to get right behind us and help us achieve that, but that's what we certainly believe."
We want to hear your thoughts, so LOG IN and leave your comment below
