Sir Alex Ferguson was pitchside again at kick-off and had he returned at the death no amount of injury time could have elicited a winner from Manchester United.
One fan trundled down the gangways in the 77th minute and muttered bitterly at the Newcastle analysts. Newcastle's obdurate approach had got to United supporters, as well as the players, three of whom were cautioned.
The unreliable referee Craig Pawson irked the crowd almost as much as some of United's underperformers. There were boos at the final shrill, the loudest reserved for Pawson, though he was not the cause of another blunt United performance. They were lifeless.
