The Lib Dems may have been in conference nearby, but there was no Green Party in Boscombe on Sunday, as a Magpies side clad in their change kit laboured to a point at the Vitality Stadium.

The exertions of Thursday's Champions League opener saw Eddie Howe retain just four of the side who had started against Barcelona: Malick Thiaw making his full debut while Lewis Hall, Lewis Miley and Joe Willock were all handed their first Premier League starts of the season.

Without Fabian Schar due to concussion protocols, a five man defence featuring a central trio of Thiaw, Sven Botman and Dan Burn lined up in an attempt to contain a Cherries side who had scored at least once against Newcastle in each of their previous 13 league meetings.

The Magpies would succeed in that objective, making it three 0-0 draws in a row on the road this season after similar stalemates at Aston Villa and Leeds United. Like those games, this was a tough watch, with the bare minimum of action to exert the Match of the Day footage editor.

Bournemouth began the afternoon looking to extend their best-ever start to a top flight season and win a fourth successive game; aided in their endeavours by a blank week to prepare for today.

The opening exchanges were fairly equal: Nick Pope using his feet to save from Alejandro Jimenez early on and Jacob Murphy seeing his effort at the near post smothered by Djordje Petrovic.

David Brooks then looked to have put the home side ahead on the quarter hour but a hasty raised offside flag was eventually confirmed by VAR; a similar call 15 minutes later rightly deciding that Sandro Tonali wasn't guilty of a handball in his own box following Bournemouth's corner kick. 

The Italian then fired an effort that flew over the bar at the other end, but as the half wore on there were less and less threats on goal from either side, Nick Woltemade's smart return ball to Murphy a rare moment of incisiveness from the Tynesiders.

The main talking point for United came when Woltemade clearly had his shirt pulled by Bafode Diakite in the box but after referee Rob Jones didn't give the decision, VAR didn't overturn it.

That at least raised temperatures on and off the field for a time, Newcastle then seeking to improve their prospects by introducing Anthony Elanga and Harvey Barnes at the expense of Murphy and Joe Willock - the latter who was noticably unable to unleash his trademark burst of pace.

Thiaw was booked for a deliberate handball and minutes later was lucky not to get a second yellow when he upended Ryan Christie. Thankfully the home side made a mess of the free-kick and the defender was quickly withdrawn.

Scoreless and into time added on, a logic-defying decision by referee Robert Jones penalised Harvey Barnes for handball when the ball was blasted at him from point-blank range by Ryan Christie.

Thankfully thought Pope was able to prevent Justin Kluivert making it four goals against United in his last two games, shovelling a low effort round the post to maintain his clean sheet.

This performance may have lacked ambition, but United made an in-form Bournemouth side look very ordinary to an extent that a less placid home crowd would have been agitating for improvements.

Three goals scored in five Premier League games during which efforts on goal and chances created have been at a premium tells a story of a Newcastle side lacking a cutting edge and yet to gel.

Equally though, three goals conceded in five Premier League games - all to the reigning champions and only one of which came with eleven men on the pitch - shows some welcome solidity. Less expansive but less expensive in terms of conceding. 

There's frustration that a more adept display here could have harvested three points but we remain a work in progress, albeit with some welcome defensive solidity. 

The frequency of matches this season leaves the minimum of time for developing the team on the training ground, making the establishment of partnerships and on-field understandings more complex when a larger pool of players is available.

Criticism in some quarters for relying on the same core of players was replaced by talk of too many changes today, but rotation is something that has to become the norm given our workload, if we're not to run players into the ground. Having viable choices in positions is both desirable and vital; Howe's reluctance to do so previously excusable by a shortage of options and numbers.

The "catch 22" issue of keeping players at a level to instantly contribute when called up still needs to be solved, but having already seen his pool of players reduced and a lack of current form from those involved up top, our current mindset is of sympathy for rather than anger at the manager. 

Biffa