Without Alan Shearer, Michael Owen and Kieron Dyer, United's makeshift, powder-puff attack was woeful in front of goal against a Charlton side that had managed to secure just one point from their previous seven away games.
Shola Ameobi should have won it in the latter stages of the game only to woefully head over the bar from point-blank range after finding himself unchallenged at the back post.
These are the first points dropped by Glenn Roeder as United secured their third clean sheet during his brief four-game reign as caretaker boss.
This was the third goalless draw of the season for United, the second at home - the first also against a team from the capital, West Ham, last August.
In the end a draw was a fair result as the Addicks prevented Newcastle overhauling them while United jumped one place into 13th position.
Worryingly for Newcastle they lost Titus Bramble during the second half with a hamstring problem and he will probably be sidelined for a month.
Ameobi made an impressive start and was denied in the tenth minute by Thomas Myhre after latching onto a delightful Nobby Solano flick.
United then went close when Emre's inswinging right-wing corner landed on top of the net.
The nearest Charlton came to scoring was just after the quarter-hour mark when Darren Ambrose drove in a 30-yard free-kick that was comfortably handled by Shay Given.
Jean-Alain Boumsong was presented with a great opportunity on the half-hour mark when he was picked out by an Emre free-kick but headed feebly at Myhre.
Ameobi did have the ball in the net soon afterwards but was marginally offside.
The second half was abysmal, although Charlton had a golden opportunity to seal it when they had a 4-2 advantage on the counter-attack but Darren Bent was frozen out by Boumsong.