It is to be hoped that whoever is named Newcastle manager has the capacity to differentiate between a spot of local difficulty and a burgeoning crisis.
Forty-eight hours after Ruud Gullit packed up his ego and scurried off, the team he claimed had been suffering from nothing more than ill-fortune so far this season were routed by Manchester United.
It was embarrassing, even more so as four of United's goals came from the boot of Andy Cole, the former Toon Army hero who controversially moved between the two clubs four years ago.
Strange, then, that Cole's most vociferous supporter, Kevin Keegan, can find no room for him in the current England squad while he continues to toss rose petals in the path of Alan Shearer.
This mauling leaves Newcastle in the Premiership's basement with the grand total of one point from six games. Meanwhile United's defence of their title is gathering impressive momentum, five wins from six and already a three-point advantage over the most likely pretenders.
The Newcastle team sheet held no surprises and consequently much joy for the supporters - there were recalls for Shearer, Duncan Ferguson and Robert Lee - but not enough to effect any meaningful change in Geordie fortunes.
Of course, the very last item on the wish-list of a caretaker manager is a day trip to Old Trafford, and though Steve Clarke's tenure is unlikely to embrace a second senior fixture, he will no doubt take some comfort from the fact that he did at least select a team that won the approval of the man on the terrace.
Newcastle's football was initially tidy but too often enthusiasm was proffered as an unreasonable substitute for precision, particularly in central midfield where Manchester United made light of the absence of Roy Keane who, along with Denis Irwin, was on international duty for the Republic of Ireland.
Despite giving the impression they could lift their game at any given moment, much of the champions' first-half football was sloppy. Tellingly, in the second half it was magnificent. With the centre of the Newcastle defence as resilient as damp tissue paper, United had only to be patient to prosper. They finally plotted a route through after 13 minutes when Cole steered just inside a post after being released through the middle by Paul Scholes.
Although Newcastle drew level after 32 minutes when Henning Berg sliced a Kieron Dyer cross into the roof of his own goal, it was a respite, not salvation.
Newcastle's fate was all but sealed within seconds of the start of the second half. Cole sprinted clear to dispatch another Scholes pass and Nikolaos Dabizas was dismissed for a long, loud and futile protest.
Cole added a third on 65 minutes, after Ryan Giggs's deft pass had undone what remained of the Newcastle defence, and he claimed a fourth 11 minutes later after neat work by Gary Neville. Giggs penned the final chapter with nine minutes remaining.
Manchester United's manager Sir Alex Ferguson is attempting to bolster his squad before today's Champions League registration deadline. Barring late wrangles over personal terms, Ferguson will invest about £6 million on Deportivo la Coruna's Moroccan international centre-back Nourredine Naybet and £4 million on Venetia goalkeeper Massimo Taibi.
Man Utd: Van Der Gouw, G. Neville (Clegg 81), Stam, Berg, P. Neville, Beckham (Sheringham 75), Butt, Scholes (Fortune 70), Giggs, Cole, Yorke. Subs Not Used: Culkin, Cruyff. Goals: Cole 14, 46, 65, 71, Giggs 80.
Newcastle: Wright, Barton, Goma, Dabizas, Hughes, Dyer, Lee (McClen 70), Speed, Solano (Beharall 75), Shearer, Ferguson (Robinson 79). Subs Not Used: Harper, Maric. Sent Off: Dabizas (47). Booked: Barton, Solano. Goals: Berg 31 og.
Referee: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees).
