Bleeding black and white

For the purposes of this report the team referred to as "United" will not be from Manchester. Those who wish to argue should consult their history books. In 1902 Newton Heath changed their name to Manchester United; 10 years earlier a club called Newcastle East End changed theirs to Newcastle United. Newcastle were first.

Pedantic? Maybe. Yet given Manchester United's financial, media and silverware domination the exercise feels like a necessary cultural and journalistic challenge. The relevance of that to Saturday's result is that when Bobby Robson arrived at the club he had supported as a boy, his chief task was similar. What was required was little less than a cultural revolution because his club, the one he "bleeds black and white" for, was far from united.

Shredded from top to bottom, Newcastle were a splintered collection of split personalities. Ultimately, this poisonous culture expunged one of its central characters, Ruud Gullit. Five games into the season, Newcastle had amassed one whole point. They also lost at home to Sunderland. Gullit dropped Alan Shearer for that game and the thought of him doing the same next time around was too much for the directors. Newcastle's next fixture was at Old Trafford.

It came two days after Gullit went. Newcastle were a disgrace to English football, never mind their own history. They were battered 5-1.

Thankfully for Newcastle, Robson was installed a week later. United lost their first game under him, 1-0 at Chelsea. Their first game at home, though, they won 8-0 against Sheffield Wednesday. Shearer scored five. It was the start of a beautiful relationship. Newcastle have not lost at home since. They have scored 42 times, three a game. It could be said then that this score-line was just an average one.

Except, of course, that it was exceptional. United had beaten Manchester only once since the Premiership's inception - the famous 5-0 in October 1996 - and had suffered at the hands of Alex Ferguson's teams frequently, not least at Wembley last May. United also began the day four points ahead of Bradford City in the relegation zone. Their agenda was lengthy.

It could have been altered severely, however, when the visitors played the opening 20 minutes imperiously. David Beckham and Roy Keane were prominent and dominant. Teddy Sheringham went close in the fifth minute. Newcastle were anonymous.

Duncan Ferguson then embarked on a lost cause of a chase with Jaap Stam and suddenly St James' Park's passion was roused. Immediately, Kevin Gallacher and Kieron Dyer were transformed, in midfield Gary Speed and Robert Lee began to bite. Even Shearer started to show - and in the 28th minute to some effect, his flicked header landing in Ferguson's path.

Unpromisingly, Ferguson had his back to goal and Stam in attendance. Neither mattered. Ferguson let the ball bounce once before hooking a sweet volley around Stam and beyond the grasp of Mark Bosnich. "It was good enough to win any game," said Ferguson's namesake.

Even without a contribution of such skill, Ferguson deserved praise simply for adding colour.

An hour had gone and the play was busy. Moments before, Andy Cole felt his lob over Steve Harper had crossed the line. Television offered Cole a degree of support. Two minutes later, Keane lunged into a high challenge with Harper but did not connect. Fortunately. Another two frantic minutes and Keane then caught Lee. The crowd roared its disapproval. Keane had to be booked for a combination of the incidents.

That meant he had to go. In the first half he had been shown a yellow for bawling out a linesman.

The champions were set to record their third defeat of the season after that. With 15 minutes to go, Shearer beat Bosnich from 20 yards and then registered his 16th Premiership goal with a fitting clean-cut finish to an incisive, united, Newcastle move. The opposition was in bits. It's Elland Road on Sunday for them. And another United.

Newcastle: Harper, Barton, Helder, Dabizas, Hughes, Lee, Dyer (Gavilan 83), Speed, Gallacher (Domi 83), Shearer, Ferguson (Ketsbaia 61). Subs Not Used: Given, Fumaca. Booked: Shearer. Goals: Ferguson 26, Shearer 76, 86.

Man Utd: Bosnich, G Neville, Silvestre, Stam, Irwin (Butt 69), Keane, Beckham, Scholes, Giggs, Sheringham (Solskjaer 74), Cole. Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, P Neville, Berg. Sent Off: Keane (64). Booked: Keane, Cole, Scholes, Stam. Att: 36,470.

Referee: S Lodge (Barnsley).