Keegan's Toon tonic: Blunt United are held by a show of attacking courage

Kevin Keegan has been lampooned in Manchester for many years, since his neurotic TV outburst during the heat of the 1996 Premier League title race.

However, English football owes the Newcastle manager a debt after his team came to Old Trafford with rare courage and ambition to deprive Manchester United of a winning start to their season.

Ask any of the few managers who have enjoyed success against United over the years and they will tell you that half of the battle is in the mind.

In short, it's about attitude.

Ball-watching: United's defence can only stare as Obafemi Martins puts Newcastle ahead

Yesterday Keegan brought his team to the north-west and instructed them to try to beat Sir Alex Ferguson's formidable side.

Newcastle played with two banks of four and deployed Damien Duff as a slightly deeper foil to goalscorer Obafemi Martins.

It made quite a difference to the negative 4-5-1 used by so many visiting managers at this stadium.

Newcastle were not reckless or cavalier in the way they went about their work, but they were ambitious.

As such, a draw was the very least they deserved. For Ferguson and his depleted ranks, this was a dispiriting day. The afternoon began with home fans holding up coloured paper spelling out the missive: 'More Goals Please'.

Howay the lads: Kevin Keegan salutes the travelling Toon fans

It was a little rich in some ways, given the number of goals United plundered on the way to securing a league and Champions League double last season.

And, in truth, it was unlikely to happen yesterday. With Cristiano Ronaldo — scorer of 42 goals last season — sitting in the stand injured and other attacking players such as Louis Saha, Nani, Ji-Sung Park and Anderson similarly unavailable, United look a little blunt on paper and that was very much the case on the field.

The Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov would enhance any team in Europe and he would certainly be useful at the moment.

Ferguson's team looked a little one-dimensional, especially when injuries deprived them of the sprightly Ryan Giggs and their best passer, Michael Carrick.

Wayne Rooney was on tenacious form but — as is often the case when United are not on song — he did much of his most noticeable work in the wrong areas.

Berbatov would bring United some much-needed shape and structure. The Old Trafford board are intensifying their efforts to sign the Bulgarian and quite right too. If they need to pay over the odds for this one, then they should.

Ferguson continues to insist that United will be okay if they don't add to their squad in the next two weeks. On this one he may be wrong.

There is no guarantee that Ronaldo will be as influential when he returns from injury in October. Both his physical and mental condition remain difficult to predict.

'We are working on bringing in another top striker and having added strength up front is a situation I really enjoy,' said Ferguson in his programme notes.

Leveller: Rooney celebrates with Fletcher, who scored United's equaliser

'But if our plans don't come to fruition then it's hardly the end of the road, because we certainly won't be going backwards with the players we have.'

Ferguson's faith in his young players is well-placed. The jury is out on young Fraizer Campbell but the Brazilian trio of Rodrigo Possebon and Rafael and Fabio Da Silva appear to have an immediate comfort when in possession that characterises players of real quality.

Players like this will be part of United's future, however, and the present merely sees Ferguson's team two league points behind Chelsea already.

Plenty to ponder: United's lack of firepower is a cause for concern for Sir Alex Ferguson

The home team certainly started brightly and would have taken an early lead had Campbell's diving header from a Rooney cross not struck Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given square on the forehead.

Given also saved well from Rooney — low to his right — and then when Paul Scholes tried to follow up, but Newcastle were always in the game.

Their goal came in the 24th minute after defender Steven Taylor's volley was deflected over for a corner.

Danny Guthrie delivered a routine corner and when Martin's escaped the attention of the dithering Darren Fletcher his powerful header proved too much for Scholes, guarding the far post.

Briefly, Newcastle sensed something really special. But United are expert at trampling on people's dreams and back they came within a minute.

With Taylor off the pitch injured, Newcastle were short of numbers as United attacked down the left.

Patrice Evra fed Giggs and in turn the Welshman's low cross was adroitly turned past Given by the outside of Fletcher's right boot.

From then on, the game was an even contest. United perhaps enjoyed the greater possession but Newcastle attacked vibrantly on the counter.

Nemanja Vidic headed another corner down and on to the cross bar while Campbell saw a fierce low shot turned aside.

But Newcastle did not deserve to lose. New signings Fabricio Coloccini and Jonas Gutierrez both enjoyed terrific debuts as Newcastle's season began with unexpected promise.

Perhaps there is hope, after all. For Newcastle and the rest of the Premier League.