United Manager Chris Hughton said:

"Frustrated is probably the word that comes to mind because overall, was it a game we deserved to lose? I would say categorically no, it wasn't. We added to our own downfall with the goals that we conceded but I can't fault the endeavour of the players. If there was a side that were going to win in that second half then it was us. We need to pick ourselves up again now.

"Sam came with a side that played five at the back, four in midfield and one up front to make life difficult for us. That being the case, you have got to be a good enough side in possession and you have got to create enough chances.

"The game hinged on not the opportunities that they created, it was more our own downfall, two errors that we made which they capitalised on. We knew it was going to be very much an up and down season and we're going to have periods when we're losing games and it's about bouncing back from that.

"Tonight's not been a good night for us in front of goal and it was certainly a game that we didn't deserve to lose, but we have done. We have to make sure that we learn from that."

The next Real Madrid/Inter Milan manager said:

"You always have to have that mental element and that desire before the ability comes out, it is very important and right from the very start we showed our intention.

"I think Newcastle thought we would drop off and play in our half but we were on the front foot right from the very start, we closed them all down and played as high up the pitch as we could, and with that we forced an error and Morten's finish was outstanding.

"After that in the first half it was a question of if we would get another chance to score, Newcastle didn't really find a way through our defensive unit of a back three.

"The defence did a fantastic job until about two minutes into the second half when we've switched off for a free-kick and allowed Andy Carroll a free header. Life was a little more difficult after that as you'd expect but there wasn't a clear cut chance created by them, and that gave us the opportunity to win the game.

"Our match-winner at the moment is Jason Roberts. He was nearly our match-winner against Chelsea, he was our match-winner against Wigan and he made the goal for himself again today, and he won us the game.

"It was a fantastic victory for us, a really pleasing one for us all and one I think in the end, we deserved. 

"We changed the system to cope with the attack of Newcastle United. The very potent front two and the delivery from the wide men has been an outstanding force for them in the last three games, and we felt we had to stop that."

On the Barton incident:

"I'm not really going to talk about that because I don't want to detract from our victory. Whoever will see it will see it and do whatever needs to be done."

Owner Mike Ashley welcomed Sam Allardyce back to St. James' Park with a handshake on Wednesday, and then watched as his side handed out gift-wrapped scoring opportunities in each half to their former manager.

Despite Andy Carroll netting his seventh goal of the season to give United some hope, Blackburn extended their incredible winning sequence at this ground to five games - having never played a game at Gallowgate while the big fat headed one was in home dugout. 

And after a week topped and tailed by memorable results, Chris Hughton has some headaches ahead of Saturday's home meeting with Fulham. The hamstring injury that forced Shola Ameobi off on Sunday at The Emirates looked to have affected his mobility and caused his replacement at half time tonight. 

And more seriously, referee Mike Jones missed an incident in the second half when Joey Barton struck Morten Gamst Pedersen in the chest - the United midfielder then seemingly claiming that he'd used the flat of his hand. Unfortunately for him, TV cameras clearly picked up his clenched fist and a retrospective FA charge saw him landed with a three match ban 24 hours later.

Aside from those issues however, a lack of guile and an inability to fashion shots and crosses will be of deep concern to Hughton - United going from feast to famine once again after the mackem win, in much the same manner as home games following the 6-0 Villa victory. 

Some post-Gunners lethargy was perhaps to be expected, given the energy expended at The Emirates. Despite that though, the United boss named an unchanged side and kept the same bench - meaning that Danny Guthrie and Ryan Taylor were again nowhere to be seen. 

His opposite number meanwhile left having successfully managed to frustrate his old side, throwing a blanket over midfield and breaking forward to good effect (tactics that had The Guardian's correspondent so worked up she claimed Rovers were playing 5-5-1...)

United hadn't been out of their own half when Rovers scored after barely two minutes and the rest of the half saw Blackburn more than hold their own without looking like scoring again, a deflected Jose Enrique shot and a blocked Carroll effort the meagre sum total of our efforts.

An equaliser came two minutes after the break and was strongly reminiscent of Sunday's winner, but that didn't provide the springboard for a home win, with crosses of variable quality from the left and absolutely nothing down the right giving Carroll and substitute Nile Ranger little to work with, Barton habitually sitting in the centre, as Rovers pushed wing backs forward and deployed three central defenders.

Ranger may supply energy and some unpredictability, but his rawness and lack of experience was evident - no more so than when he chased forward balls down the channels but conceded fouls after clipping the heels of Rovers players, who of course took full advantage. The feeling persists that the 19 year-old would benefit from playing week in, week out in the Football League and finding his feet (quite literally).  

Pushing forward inevitably left United vulnerable at the back and with eight minutes of normal time remaining they were punished, veteran Jason Roberts left with a routine finish to register his third goal in his last two outings against United.

Some desperate late pressure from Newcastle forced two corners and two hopeful spot kick appeals for handball, but 'keeper Robinson never got his gloves dirty on a night when we barely mustered a shot on goal in the whole 94 minutes.

There's hardly time to draw breath though before another chance comes along to pick up home points - and reach the halfway (20 point) mark that usually means survival. 

As we wrote in our Arsenal report, "With injuries and suspensions now inevitably set to disrupt what is becoming a settled lineup it'll be interesting to see how those who get pulled into the side cope with playing specific, defined role."

The focus now moves from changing lineups and tactics mid-game to shuffling our pack per-match. The loss of wild card Ben Arfa hasn't been felt as keenly as first thought - partly as a result of multiple assists from the boot of Barton. After his fist of fury stupidity though, he's out of the running. Time for Jonas to earn his wedge again methinks.

Biffa