After a week in which on-field action became almost secondary amid all the excitement generated by Mike Ashley’s decision to officially put Newcastle United up for sale, a large proportion of Magpies supporters would surely rather forget the on-field action they witnessed at St James’ Park.
They will - and should - celebrate the result, but this is unlikely to be one of the matches they reminisce about in years to come. It is certainly not be one they will rush to re-watch, unless they require a cure for insomnia.
Yet the new pre-match banner display in the Gallowgate End perfectly described the characteristics this Newcastle side showed in a dour 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace.
Quality, invention and ingenuity may have been in short supply - but fight, desire and hunger were most certainly not. Those are the attributes which Rafa Benitez has instilled into this side - and that’s what makes them United.
The banners actually appeared to be a pointed reply to the ludicrous criticism the likes of ex-Newcastle midfielder Kieron Dyer and former Palace chairman Simon Jordan had directed at fans this week. They both suggested there were unrealistic expectations among the Newcastle fanbase who yearn for a new owner.
But that is certainly not the case. They just do not want Ashley’s loveless regime to continue any longer.
In order to lay to bed these ludicrous myths which are peddled by the ill-informed and by those who should know better like Dyer, the words ‘lazy’, ‘greedy’, ‘deluded’ and ‘crisis’ were displayed on huge flags and then crossed out in red - and replaced with ‘desire’, ‘fight’, ‘hunger’ and ‘United’.
These are also the traits of this Magpies side.
Newcastle are devoid of superstars, but what they do have is a world-class manager - and he has this team drilled to within an inch of their lives.
In attack, things are still nowhere near as slick as Rafa Benitez would like. Their retention of possession and the accuracy of passing still needs a lot of improvement too.
But, uncharacteristically for a Newcastle side, you never worry about this team defensively.
Even when the Eagles were in the ascendancy, as they were for large spells at St James’ Park, United rarely looked like conceding.
Andros Townsend and Wilfried Zaha probed with their pace and direct running, yet they could not find a way to break down an extremely-organised Newcastle side.
Jamaal Lascelles was once again defensively sound in front of England manager Gareth Southgate - who must lament his decision to choose this weekend to visit St James’ Park given the turgid game he witnessed - while Florian Lejeune adds a touch of class to the Newcastle defence.
It is also encouraging that, even when the first XI have been unable to deliver, Benitez can turn to alternative options on his bench.
Substitute Mikel Merino, who has been excellent ever since he first arrived on Tyneside, celebrated his permanent deal with his first Newcastle goal - and that came from a corner.
Newcastle 1-0 Crystal Palace
The Magpies are becoming set-piece specialists, just as they were in the Championship. Palace conjured up 10 efforts on goal to Newcastle’s seven, yet it was the home side who were the more clinical.
This may not have been a game that will live long in the memory, yet fans will not care given that it propelled Newcastle into the top six.
United supporters demand nothing more than desire, fight and hunger from a team in black and white - and those are the three characteristics this current side has in abundance.
