FOOTBALL: If we had a ref on the training pitch, Keano would be sent

ROY Keane epitomises the spirit that drives Manchester United on to greater levels of success and nobody in their right mind at this club would want to change him - or try to.

Keane is not a dirty player. Fundamentally he's a winner and anything else is a secondary consideration.

Inevitably that ever-demanding will to win comes at a cost. Last weekend our captain was sent off at Newcastle and, not for the first time, the critics predictably had a field day.

Players react differently to certain situations. Those with a composed nature can count to 10 and walk away from trouble. Others, like Keane, will react instantaneously and ultimately face the consequences for their actions if deemed over the top.

Hindsight is a great thing but players like Keane will never be tamed. Fundamentally he is what he is and that is a committed and unrivalled competitor on the field.

It was poignant to read Alan Shearer's comments on the incident. For all the fuss over Keane's desperation to retrieve the ball with time running out the former England captain, a fearless competitor himself, admits Roy's reaction is the very reason our rivals deem him a priceless commodity.

Keane cannot differentiate between situations when it comes to winning. If you think it's limited to competitive games, you should see him in practice matches.

If a referee took control of our training-ground games, Keane would be sent off every day. It doesn't matter who the opposition is, if he doesn't finish up on the winning side there is hell to pay.

I've even heard he falls out with his kids if they beat him at a computer game. Rumour has it that he's had to replace a few game consoles after he's been beaten. But that's what makes him unique.

He is a demanding player and as the captain of the side he commands respect. But he's just as critical of his own game as he is of others. He expects players to show the same determination to win as he does and if they fall below those standards, he's the first to let them know.

On the field he's the manager's right-hand man and we know if we don't play well we're going to get it from him and the boss in the changing-room afterwards.

Speaking of the changing-room, Jaap Stam's move to Lazio caught everyone by surprise - particularly the speed with which the deal was done.

The manager has gone public to play down talk of rows and I can only say I was never aware of any problem with Jaap. He was extremely popular with the players and never lacked commitment on the field.

Nothing in football shocks me any more. Nobody, including me, is indispensable. You could sign a 10-year contract and it would make no difference. There is no room for complacency, least of all at Old Trafford.

Stam's replacement, Laurent Blanc, has adjusted very quickly, though naturally it's going to take time. People have been over- critical about some of his performances but you should see the effect he's having on Wes Brown. In my mind Brown has been nothing short of outstanding since Blanc arrived.

Naturally people will point to our indifferent start in the League and start asking questions. But aside from last season, when we made an explosive start, we have always been slow starters. I think players need at least seven or eight games before they find the consistency needed to win honours.

League form is reflected in European games at this stage. Of course we need to play better if we are to maintain a successful campaign but in the early stages of the Champions League, qualifying is more important than the football you play. The real business doesn't start until the knock-out stages.

That's not to say you can have a cavalier approach. Keano said sometimes the need to be boring is more important than entertaining. I think he's right, particularly in Europe. European sides are generally better organised, as we've found to our cost in recent seasons.

Naturally there is speculation in the media about who will replace the manager at the end of the season. I would be a liar if I said that the players don't react to the speculation.

Generally it doesn't go any further than a changing-room debate about whether we would fancy working with the individuals being linked with the job.

The ways things are in football these days, the first we will know about who is coming in is when we read it in the papers.

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