FOR ONCE, Stephen Harmison was reduced to watching the ashes, although the change cannot have been satisfying. The England fast bowler, an avid Newcastle United supporter, was present at St James’ Park on Saturday to witness a compelling piece of evidence that suggests another season is disintegrating into dust. There was fierce swing, too, as fans turned against their hapless club.

This being late summer on Tyneside, traditional reports surfaced yesterday morning that Newcastle’s manager is on the brink of dismissal and that David O’Leary has been identified as an attainable successor to Graeme Souness. Freddy Shepherd denounced the rumours as “absolutely ridiculous”, which would be definitive if the chairman had not proved himself so adept at undermining his employees.

It is eight months since Craig Bellamy’s position at the club became untenable and that Patrick Kluivert gave up impersonating an interested footballer. It is even longer since Souness handed Shepherd a list of targets in the transfer market, yet in spite of all the recent, relentless controversies, which have engendered a craving for stability, Alan Shearer was the only available centre forward against West Ham United.

Souness’s appreciation of Nicolas Anelka, Mark Viduka and Luis Boa Morte has not, to date, resulted in a vigorous pursuit for any from his boardroom, while Shepherd’s interest in Robbie Keane and Roudolphe Douala is not shared by the Scot and, in the latter case, angered Middlesbrough. Both men would love to sign Michael Owen, but relying on the arrival of an ambivalent striker would be dangerous.

Shola Ameobi will return from suspension for the testing fixture away to Bolton Wanderers on Wednesday, while the arrival of Alberto Luque from Deportivo La Coruña now appears likely — the Spain international has been omitted from the squad for tomorrow’s second leg of the Intertoto Cup final against Marseilles — but the delays have ensured that pressure and bad-feeling still shroud Newcastle. At the end of this vapid 0-0 draw, a thick knot of protesters demanded Shepherd’s departure. Souness is optimistic that Emre Belozöglu and Kieron Dyer will be fit for the game at home to Manchester United on Sunday and his description of the West Ham match as “understandable” was the closest he came to expressing frustration about his threadbare squad. “We are thin on the ground and it does not take a genius to work that out,” Shearer said. “The players know it, the manager, the chairman and the fans do.”

It is also obvious that the carpet has been whipped from beneath Souness’s feet. “I’m well aware that if you do not get off to a good start it is very difficult, but I’m not saying anything everyone does not know,” Shearer, treading a tightrope of diplomacy, said. “I don’t want to pile pressure on by saying Wednesday is a must-win game, because they all are. It is difficult, but we have to keep going and hope fully turn the corner.”

Even after Paul Konchesky was dismissed in the 55th minute for a foul on Jermaine Jenas — the left back’s claim to have won the ball was supported widely — Newcastle created nothing of substance. West Ham, full of sweet touches from Teddy Sheringham and Yossi Benayoun, deserved the point that maintained momentum on their return to the Premiership. Newcastle, caught out and stumped, left the field to jeers.