Newcastle United’s defeat to Sunderland is the lowest point of the Eddie Howe era.

The Newcastle United manager has provided so many unforgettable moments, and the Tyne-Wear derby on Sunday is now one of them for all the wrong reasons.

Alan Shearer said Newcastle United were awful against Sunderland. They truly were, barely laying a glove on their biggest rivals. There was a distinct lack of intensity and fight, while Regis Le Bris’ side got the temperament of the game spot on.

Howe disagrees with Bruno 👀 whose side are you on?

After beating the Magpies at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland players and fans celebrated wildly. They even took a team photo on the pitch, as Sunderland mocked Newcastle United for what they did to them two years ago.

That photo must now be used by Eddie Howe as motivation.

Newcastle United players should be constantly reminded of Sunderland disaster

Every time the Newcastle United squad walk into the training ground between now and the reverse fixture in March, they should be reminded of their disgraceful performance on Wearside.

It would be a bold decision, but the Sunderland team photo from Sunday should be pinned to a wall inside the training ground for all the players to see. It should serve as a reminder of how badly they played, letting down the entire region in the process.

Newcastle approached the Tyne-Wear derby all wrong. It was not the blood and thunder affair it should have been, with Sunderland the only team to show heart and passion.

That cannot happen again when the two sides face off in March, and Eddie Howe should take this drastic step to ensure there is not another humiliation next time against Sunderland.

Simple question, has Eddie Howe taken Newcastle United as far as he can? 👀

Why Sunderland took a celebratory photo on the pitch after beating Newcastle United

Every time Newcastle United win a game, they take a team photo. It is something that Eddie Howe implemented after his appointment at St James’ Park.

When Newcastle beat Sunderland in the FA Cup in January 2024, Jason Tindall had the idea of taking the celebratory picture on the Stadium of Light pitch in front of the travelling Toon Army. The photo was heavily criticised, as the Magpies toasted a comfortable 3-0 win over their rivals.

Sunderland got their revenge on Sunday, and Black Cats defender Dan Ballard admitted after the game that the reason for their on-pitch photo was to get their own back on Newcastle for what they did almost two years ago.

“Yeah we decided to have that photo at the end,” he told journalist Andy Sixsmith on X.

“That hurt last time when we saw Newcastle do that so we thought we’d do it this time.”

Sign up to TalkingPoints for free to join the conversation about all things Newcastle United with Geordie Boot Boys!