English FA Premiership/Newcastle - 3 Blackburn Rovers - 0: "Here we go again," said the Newcastle United official as he re-entered St James' Park via the Milburn entrance.

It was approaching seven on Saturday night and the official had just escorted Graeme Souness and his family to their car. It had taken about 15 minutes for the former Blackburn manager to walk the two yards such was the black-and-white throng around him.

Some chanted his name, others wanted his autograph. Souness, clutching his five-year-old son James, must have felt welcome.

It may all be different one day, of course. Unless Souness achieves greatness by winning Newcastle a first title since 1927 he will depart via the Milburn entrance just as Robson, Gullit, Dalglish and Keegan did before him.

How long Souness has before that moment arrives is an interesting question because, although it was reported that he signed a five-year contract, that is yet to be confirmed. It should be today when Souness takes over officially at St James'.

For now, though, there is a sense of muted optimism. There was sadness that Bobby Robson was dismissed but also relief.

The new-era feel was enhanced yesterday when Saturday's stand-in manager John Carver had his contract terminated, as did other backroom staff, and Souness oversaw his first session at a Newcastle training ground that is expected soon to sport early-morning breathalyser tests.

There is also a sense that the season has a transitional feel to it. That is likely to mean another year passes without a trophy: 2005 marks the 50th anniversary of Newcastle's last domestic triumph.

But Souness may escape blame. He should be judged once he has made signings and that cannot happen until January, unless someone without a contract is available. Ronny Johnsen is one such player and he claims to have had an initial discussion with Souness.

Newcastle have 15 league games until the January window, when Souness will take a substantial kitty to market. The period will give supporters and directors an impression of where Souness is taking a talented but flawed side.

The run starts at Southampton on Sunday and three of Souness's first four Premiership matches are away. Significantly, Newcastle have not won on opposition territory since October 21st, 2003.

At Blackburn, Souness found it easier to win away than at Ewood Park but, had he still been in charge of Rovers on Saturday, there would have been calls for his head. One wonders what Souness and those who chose him - from both clubs - made of this.

Here was a Newcastle team that started with six players signed by Robson comfortably defeating a Blackburn team that started with nine players signed by Souness.

Robson, wherever he was, no doubt was of the thinking that, were he 10 years younger, it would be him threatening a manager like Souness. Souness, who watched from an executive box, probably thought it was a unique occasion into which too much should not be read.

But managers like to talk about legacies, especially Robson. On Saturday his looked more agreeable than the one Souness has left Blackburn.

Souness' Blackburn should have been four down by half- time. Worse, they seemed content that it was only two.

There are, as the caretaker manager Tony Parkes said, "good players here, it's a good job here". But no matter how cutely Barry Ferguson squares the ball or how nimble Brett Emerton occasionally is, there has to be collective drive. That was missing; Emerton looked unperturbed to be substituted.

So Newcastle, playing decently in the first half, rolled Blackburn over. Garry Flitcroft scored an eighth-minute own-goal and Alan Shearer doubled that with a header from Craig Bellamy's cross. The two embraced like Donny and Marie. Lee Bowyer had two clear penalties denied him by the referee Dermot Gallagher.

Had Jon Stead or Emerton taken their early chances, then the atmosphere would have been different.

But Blackburn offered no more and the second half was forgettable until Andy O'Brien showed skill to beat Brad Friedel shortly before the end.

Assuming there is a successor to Souness appointed this week, Blackburn's new manager will have three home games in the next four, beginning with Portsmouth. At least two of those need to be won if Blackburn are not to sink into an early relegation struggle.

That is no longer the concern of Graeme Souness.