Aaron Hughes gets to grips with De Jong (Photo: Stephen Dobson)

Newcastle began their pre-season fixture programme in Edinburgh on Friday with victory over their Scottish Premier League hosts at Tynecastle. However that success was achieved against a backdrop of what may justifiably called apprehension as to the upcoming season holds for us.

It's tempting to use this three-sided venue as a metaphor for the task of rebuilding that Rafa Benitez faces, but while Tynecastle is a work in progress and proceeding according to plan, it's less certain whether such a black and white blueprint exists - or now resides in a Shirebrook litter bin.

Frustrations in the transfer market and financial concerns have rapidly eroded the feelgood factor that promotion and over 40,000 season tickets sold had generated just a matter of weeks ago - with speculation as to whether our Spanish architect will even remain on the job spreading.

We've been here before of course, with pre-season games habitually accompanied by malcontents off the field expressing their exasperation at seeing the same old faces. From the comparatively polite "give us some dosh" directed at Gordon McKeag (Yeovil away in 1990) to the rather more direct "spend some f*cking money" or "stand up if you hate Kinnear" in more recent years.  

While there was nothing in the way of negative chanting from the away section tonight, something verging on bewilderment was evident from conversations with fellow travellers - Rafa's declared intent to act early in the current window a particular source of concern (subsequent confirmation that the manager failed to do any post-match press doing nothing to improve matters). 

Sadly, the mood music has echoes of the 2008/09 season that began with Kevin Keegan at the helm before degenerating into open warfare between club and fans. The evidence of 12 months ago proves that there's still time work effectively in this window, but the sheer volume of transfers in both directions means that it's an increasingly forlorn task. 

For what it's worth, goalkeeper changes aren't currently top of our agenda.     

On the field, both sides contributed to what was an entertaining opening 45 minutes before the threatened rainfall - and a flood of substitutions - inevitably reduced this to a fitness exercise. 

Dwight Gayle notched a brace either side of a Jamie Walker strike, while Jambos also missed a spot kick at 1-0 when Esmael Goncalves blasted wildly over. A humdrum second half then almost ended on a high note, with United's only debutant Florian Lejeune heading narrowly wide from a corner.

Clad in their new home kit complete with red numbers (that weren't quite as distinctive as hoped from the back of the stand but better than the previous gold effort), just four of the side that began our title-winning victory over Barnsley were in tonight's starting XI.

Of that quartet, Rob Elliot continued following the continued exclusion of Karl Darlow (who didn't travel as his sale looks inevitable), Chancel Mbemba occupied an unfamiliar right back slot and Christian Atsu played for the first time since signing a permanent deal and having knee surgery.

That left a trim-looking Jonjo Shelvey, who had evidently benefited from his own early pre-season programme and has graduated to a shirt number in the first XI - trading in 12 for the vacant 8. 

Games of this nature often see forgotten figures return to action and tonight's notable revivalists were Siem De Jong (exiled in Eindhoven last season) and Rolando Aarons, sidelined since breaking his foot against Cheltenham Town in August - a third successive season decimated by injury.

Shelvey / Aarons  (Photos: Stephen Dobson)

Dutchman De Jong meanwhile completed 75 minutes and contributed an astute assist for the opener, but we'll hang back on the "like a new signing" cliche for now if that's OK with you.... 

Sporting shortish dreadlocks meanwhile, Aarons found acres of space down the left. Rattling the goal frame within two minutes of the first whistle, the winger later struck the crossbar with an ambitious effort reminiscent of his pre-season goal against German side Schalke back in 2014.

The visitors went ahead on four minutes when Gayle shot home in front of the Gorgie Stand, Hearts missing a chance to equalise when Goncalves blazed over from the spot after Massadio Haidara had upended Walker in the box.

Within a minute though Walker had beaten Elliot with a low strike, after Goncalves and Stockton exchanged passes on the edge of the United area. Gayle netted again with a header from Shelvey's corner soon after; a delivery from the same source moments earlier seeing De Jong come close.

Aarons' spectacular dipper came on 32 minutes and Hearts also hit the goal frame when a snapshot from Goncalves cannoned off the base of the post just 90 seconds later. Rafa's side reached the interval ahead thanks to the double intervention of Elliot on 42 minutes, denying Walker at his near post then getting across goal to fist away a Goncalves header from point-blank range.

United made six changes at the interval and a host of subsequent replacements for the home team inevitably disrupted the flow, with little genuine goalmouth action to rouse either set of fans.

Aleksandar Mitrovic contributed one header just over and an inept attempt at a free kick, while a corner that whistled past the post via a home defender's deflection was as close as United came to extending their margin of victory - not that winning any friendly is particularly meaningful.

PS: Rafa chose not to do a post-match press conference tonight, comments emerging via the club website that talked "only about the game" to use one of his phrases. 

It's too early to panic, but we'll admit to a level of concern about the direction in which we currently appear to be heading - and whether the manager has plotted a similar course.