There were no demonstrations outside St James' Park yesterday. No effigies of Mike Ashley were being torched, no banners being held aloft, no barricades being manned. Television crews outnumbered supporters. Anger has buried its way far beneath the skin on Gallowgate; relegation may have been confirmed on Sunday afternoon, but resignation is deep-rooted and longstanding.

This has been a season of 1,000 tiny deaths, a compendium of idiocy and mismanagement within the context of an era of decline. No rational fan would argue that Newcastle United have been the victims of injustice. Disillusion is entrenched, which is what makes the near future so important.

There is something more vital at stake than Newcastle's league status, because the club have become untethered from their soul. Whether through Ashley's haplessness, the underachievement of bloated players, or the damage done by Kevin Keegan's departure, even those who love Newcastle find them impossible to like.

Alan Shearer must stay. He provides a link between club and fans, the promise of something to build upon. But for Shearer to stay, Ashley must recognise the position that Newcastle are in. Technically, Joe Kinnear, who is recovering from heart surgery, still has the offer of a long-term contract to manage the club. It is worth repeating: Joe Kinnear!

Players said their goodbyes for the summer yesterday. For the good men among them - and there are some - shaking hands felt an affront. “There are too many people here who don't give a f***,” one said. “Too many wasters, too many chancers. There needs to be a clearout, from top to bottom.”

As Steven Taylor, the defender, put it: “The dressing room is like a funeral - it is absolutely dead. This has devastated everybody.”

Some more than others. Newcastle, the city, was many things yesterday, but shocked was not one of them. The fans have been in mourning for months.