Yes, the Geordies started well enough. But towards the end of the first half the familiar defensive frailties and unforced errors we remember so well from two seasons ago resurfaced.

First, Jonas Gutierrez lost the ball unnecessarily as he broke from defence in the 33rd minute.

Within seconds, it had been returned to the back of the Newcastle net after Paul Scholes played in Dimitar Berbatov to shoot across Steve Harper.

Just before half-time, it was the whole of the Toon defence failing to react sharper than Darren Fletcher as he rolled a challenge from Fabricio Coloccini to convert a loose ball after a low cross from Nani.

And so United were on their way. Yes, they can play better, especially misfiring Wayne Rooney who was replaced by Javier Hernandez in the 63rd minute.

Nor was the result quite on the scale of Chelsea's six-goal annihilation of West Brom on Saturday.

But it was three points - and the bonus of a Ryan Giggs volley near the end after another heat-seeking missile from Scholes.

In 2008-2009, Newcastle returned home pleased after holding United to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on opening day.

But that launched a season to end all seasons. Kevin Keegan had done a runner within weeks, Joe Kinnear came in for a riotous few months before heart problems and Alan Shearer was appointed on April Fool's Day to replace stand-in Chris Hughton.

Not even the latest in a line of Geordie Messiahs could prevent Newcastle going down.

It had always looked an uphill task for the Toon last night - as steep as the haul back up to the Bigg Market after a heavy night down on the Quayside. Though they had bounced back to the top flight after winning the Championship with 102 points, they fielded eight of the team that had been involved in relegation the season before.

And they had spent just £1.5million in the close season on Nottingham Forest full-back James Perch.

Of the other "big" signings - both on frees - neither Sol Campbell nor Dan Gosling were available.

History was also stacked against them. Alex Ferguson had never lost a season opener at Old Trafford while Newcastle's last win there was in 1972. Hughton, who had taken Newcastle back up, was able to field a formidable-looking midfield with three keen to make an impact.

There was Alan Smith returning to Old Trafford, Kevin Nolan back on the stage where he had twice scored winners for Bolton and Barton, no longer with Manchester City but still very much the Infidel.

In fact, they might even have taken a 10th minute lead when Andy Carroll headed wide.

There has been much talk up on Tyneside of Carroll one day turning into a scorer to be mentioned in the same breath as Malcolm Macdonald, Andy Cole and Alan Shearer. Yet none of that trio would have spurned the same sort of opportunity.

Ten minutes later, Carroll DID get a good connection only to shoot straight at Ed van der Sar.

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Meanwhile, Rooney was struggling much to the amusement of the Toon Army keen to know: Where were you in Africa?

But once United scored their first it was all over.

Long before the end, though, the only real contest was between the rival fans.

"He turned you down, he turned you down, Alan Shearer turned you down," crowed the Toon Army (who have a long memory).

To which United fans responded: "He took you down, he took you down, Alan Shearer took you down."

Game, set and match to the boys in red, then.