Despite the lack of a real shot on target and a goal, there was enough about the performance from an admittedly weak team to see that there are much brighter times ahead for us under Special K and that with a few more names, we should have a squad worthy of the weight of this club’s name. Despite missing practically an entire team through whatever reason, we still managed to pass the ball around and probe Bolton, but again the cutting edge was missing.

It’s hard to be negative at the minute, and I do realise that the lad hasn’t played for a long time, but can anyone tell me, genuinely, that Shola Ameobi still has a real role to play at this football club? It looks like Keegan is going to give the lad a chance (yes, another one) and he’ll build him up to the sky, but his incredibly daft handball towards the death here summed him up. It was one of the few times that we looked likely to put something apart, and he completely killed the move. I think he’s burned his bridges with the fans here, and I’ll be amazed if even KK can sort him out.

Congratulations also to Bolton, and in particular Jussi Jaaskelainen, for one of the most adept displays of spoiling I’ve ever had the misfortune to witness at St. James’. This is more than a little tongue-in-cheek of course, because they came and took two points off us here and could have snatched it through Samuel at the end, but it’s bloody dour to watch. I didn’t hear the Trotters’ fans until near the very end, and I suppose they’ll be happy enough with a point. This is what Kevin Keegan is going to face these days though, teams of spoilers, big lads, time-wasters and hard men who come up here looking to strangle the game and the crowd.

What a shame his first game wasn’t against a Tottenham or an Arsenal, two teams who would come up here and have a go, whatever the weather. Such is life, though, and I suppose the game can serve as a bit of an awakening for some. Things won’t change overnight, but they will get better soon enough, we are still crying out for some searing pace on the right-flank and an injection of attacking impetus in the centre of the park, but we probably only are about two or three players away from seeing better days here. Roll on the good times.

However, the reaction from the fans when the full time whistle was blown seemed to be a calm acceptance. No need to panic or to be too disappointed, and quite rightly. Keegan had only had a couple of training sessions with the players.

Bolton came to spoil the party , and flew out of the traps too try and get an early goal and upset Newcastle’s fragile morale. However the defence held strong - only just on some occassions - and Bolton were unable to break the deadlock. In the previous Keegan era, when facing ‘physical’ sides such as Bolton, the opposition would face an onslaught of chances, until eventially they would crumble. To do that, the momentum had to be there right from the start. Last night, we struggled to get going during the first half, although things improved after the interval.

Although it wasn’t a Keeganesque display, the football was an improvement, with the ball played mainly on the floor and the players making use of the full pitch. However, every now and then it seemed as though the players had forgotten, and reverted to the Allardyce type. Bolton were typically physical, booting the ball about with all finesse of a bunch of drunken Rugby League players. They were only too happy to bundle players over. Joey O’Brien wrestling Jose Enrique, looked like an infactuated teenage girl trying to grab a piece of clothing from her favourite pop star (I can’t be arsed to decide which talentless dickhead that might be, as I can’t stand pop music - perhaps that crooning fool who won X-Factor or something).

Referee Alan Wylie was atrocious, frequently stopping the game for often inexplicable reasons, and neither side could have been happy with his performance as he struggled to keep up with the game.

Although it could also been seen as a stepping stone in the right direction; the start of the next Kevin Keegan era and a chance to finally end the success drought.

Yes we only had one shot on target and yes we didn’t attack that much but some of the football that was played by United and some of the movement was a small beacon of hope and a chance to build for the future.

Slick passing and playing the ball on the floor was something we did very little of under Allardyce and less so under Souness and Roeder. We looked organised and we looked like a team; something we’ve severely lacked in the past few years.

Once Keegan can build a bigger team and bring back players from International duty and suspension, who knows what he can do with his Newcastle team? If they can play like we know they can, like they’ve shown over the past couple of games, then we could see Newcastle back to the way they should be.

Playing against a better team with more open-styled football and who knows? It could have been a fantastic performance. Bolton came and did their job while the referee did not. Negative football and terrible refereeing meant we never lifted off.

One things for sure, I’m still excited about the times ahead.