‘He came roaring back into his penalty area, gesticulating at his team-mates, scowling at the culpable back four. “What is going on here?” Roy Keane might have been yelling, or words to that effect. “Two-nil up a minute before half-time and we’re letting them have a sniff of a way back into this?” If it were not for all that Keane has done for Manchester United over the past decade, some young upstart might have retorted that with a little defensive cover from the midfield players, such a reprimand would not have been necessary.
‘The older they get, the louder they yell. Trouble is, the legs do not always give them the right to rant. Keane has earned the privilege to have a go at whomsoever he likes at United. He will come good again before his time is up — and he is only just back from illness. Yet it seemed a good job that Ruud van Nistelrooy was in such devastating form because behind him was a midfield that lacked authority.
‘United may have won the European Cup without Keane and Paul Scholes six seasons ago when they were suspended in the final against Bayern Munich, but the treble triumph of 1999 was built upon the energy and ingenuity of a midfield quartet that has, slowly but surely, slipped away with the sands of time.
‘The Stretford End chorused their appreciation of Scholes after Van Nistelrooy had completed his hat-trick. “He scores goals, m’lord,” they sang, “he scores goals.”
‘Only Scholes doesn’t, not these days. He played excellently in almost all other respects last night, surging forward on to a wayward clearance midway through the first half to win the penalty that assured United of a commanding half-time lead. Yet repeatedly he and Keane allowed the Sparta Prague midfield runners to scamper beyond them and it was no surprise when United were undone for Lukas Zelenka’s goal shortly after half-time.
‘Oh yes, and Liam Miller was on the pitch. It is early days for the former Celtic player but he has yet to impose himself, although he can claim an assist for Van Nistelrooy’s fourth goal. With two terriers in the centre of the field, could Ferguson not have unleashed two whippets on the flanks? Perhaps he dare not; perhaps he does not want to place undue defensive duties on Keane, 33, and Scholes, 30 later this month. The midfield four that started last night have scored one goal between them this season, and that was against Crewe Alexandra in the League Cup.’