Shay Given said after the match, "our squad is far too small", and the goalkeeper is only repeating what he said back in the summer.
Although Shepherd said he was knocked back with three offers on the final day of the transfer, fans questioned why he waited until the last minute and also questioned what the chairman had been doing for the FOUR MONTHS the window was open.
United are on the verge of being sucked into the relegation dog-fight and the team's recent performances don't suggest they will be fighting for a European place come May. Yet United supporters cannot be blamed for staying away. 48,145 were at St James's Park on Sunday - a remarkable crowd considering the position Newcastle are in.
BUT ... that is more than 4,000 under the current ground capacity of 52,387. No longer is St James' Park a sell out every league game. A far cry from the days when Sir John Hall (pictured) was chairman and every seat in the ground was taken ... AND we had an incredible waiting list of 10,000.
The warning signs are there. I'm not saying fans will walk away, because they have paid for their season tickets and WILL turn up. But ... Shepherd take note ... in days gone by disgruntled fans simply stayed away, now disgruntled fans will turn up and voice an opinion inside the ground! And that could have a worrying effect on the players.