Lost in a maze with no way out

The final humiliation came when their former error-prone centre- back Titus Bramble was allowed to rise like a bird unmarked on a corner kick to head home Wigan's deserved equaliser,

Because, let us not kid ourselves for a solitary moment, Wigan would have beaten a dreadfully inept United but for Emmerson Boyce being harshly sent off in the 54th minute.

Wigan had been more athletic, possessed more movement, and had more ideas than their opponents locked on the same points tally.

The fog on the Tyne is all mine! And yours! And yours! We are blundering around, unable to see a way out of our personal maze.

Maybe Newcastle's laboured point squeezed them out of the relegation dungeon on goal difference, but let's not get complacent. It's far from over.

Three of United's next four Premier League matches are away which means, unless a trend of never winning outside of St James's Park is immediately reversed, the bottom three beckons us again as an early Christmas present.

First, it's championship favourites Chelsea away, followed by a derby at Middlesbrough, then Stoke and their irritating long throws up here, and finally Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

No direction on the field, Newcastle have none off it either.

Wigan's millionaire sportswear owner Dave Whelan presented himself in the Press room within minutes of the final whistle when a national newspaper requested a personal interview. In stark comparison, United's owner Mike Ashley was more than 300 miles away, and Derek Llambias, instructed to look after the shop, remains as silent as his lambs on the park.

As always of course. Even his programme notes are long gone.

The biggest single mistake made by Ashley and his cohorts is the presumption that wealth and privilege means you never ever need to explain your actions to your customers.

It smacks of arrogance, indifference, and a belief that you can fool all of the people all of the time if they happen to be Geordies.

Riding roughshod over those who pay to care, while still trying to be one of them and sit in their midst, is a recipe for total and utter disaster.

Newcastle were a goal down inside three minutes when Ryan Taylor was presented with the freedom to take his time and right- foot a shot high across Shay Given and into the far top corner.

Wigan were cruising until referee Andre Marriner dismissed Boyce for his second yellow card. In fact, TV replays showed that Boyce got the ball before his impetus caught Shola Ameobi.

Henri Camara ought to have killed United and the match stone dead with quarter of an hour to go when he outstripped Fabricio Coloccini as if the Argentine was wearing diver's boots to draw Given and then roll the ball against the base of the far post.

Thus let off, United equalised four minutes later through a Michael Owen tap-in.

With four minutes to go Oba Martins lashed home a great cross shot for what ought to have been the winner, deserved or not, but alas two minutes later careless marking saw Bramble rifle a header which struck Damien Duff by the left-hand post to ricochet into the net.

You can look at the following set of figures either way you wish - it's still only two defeats out of seven matches, but it's also only two victories out of the same seven.

A glance at the league table and the fixture list may be a better guide!