Crisis what crisis?A much-awaited first win of the season and pre-match standing ovation for manager Sir Bobby Robson was just the tonic for Newcastle as they finally grabbed these much-needed three points.
It was captain fantastic Alan Shearer who came to the rescue with the only goal of the game just before the break, condemning his former side to their second successive league defeat after previously being unbeaten.
Defeat and United would have hit rock-bottom - but that never looked on the cards.
Shearer's 250th League goal was as special as ever and at the same time recorded Newcastle's 4,000th league strike.
But it had been a long wait for a League goal at St James' Park - 288 minutes all told since Shearer had netted against Manchester United back in late August.
Lee Bowyer enjoyed his best game in a black and white shirt with a tireless performance as Newcastle opened positively and dictated the game.
But anxious for that first goal the pressure began to tell on Bobby's boys though Bowyer looked to have eased that pressure with a clinical strike after 16 minutes only for the referee to rule he handled the ball first.
Kieron Dyer then put a Bowyer corner wide and Antti Niemi made a magnificent finger-tip save to deny Shearer after he cleverly evaded Michael Svensson inside the box, having been set up by Craig Bellamy.
But former Rangers keeper Niemi could do nothing in the 44th minute as Shearer reached another landmark with that 250th goal.
A slide-rule pass from Jermaine Jenas saw him atone for his Highbury blunders by playing in Shearer who whipped a right-foot shot across the Finnish keeper.
Andy O'Brien had two stitches in a cut eyelid during the break before the second half saw an early penalty shout from Dyer brushed aside by the over-fussy referee Phil Dowd.
Paul Telfer had a 30-yarder tipped over by the under-worked Shay Given on 66 minutes before Dyer volleyed wide and Niemi got down well to save from Shearer in a goalmouth scramble.
In a bid for an equaliser Gordon Strachan played three up front for the last ten minutes and Given was relieved when Kevin Phillips turned on the penalty spot and shot straight at him.
Bellamy then broke free on two occasions, but each time was crowded out asNewcastle gained the win that they so desperately needed.