Roy Keane is wrong, Sir Alex Ferguson is not a problem at Manchester United

Naturally, his opinion is occasionally sought by the club, especially at times such as these when most of the interim contenders are men he knows well, but he is not making the decisions. Generally speaking, he is not at Carrington. Gill is never at the training ground, but does attend games.

One day there will be a new manager at United who makes the pressure of the Ferguson legacy look as incidental as Ferguson eventually made the Busby legacy. It will no doubt be a relief for Ferguson, although at his age he may well be worrying about the time it might take. Ruben Amorim’s appointment did not seem such a bad idea at the time. Borne of a power struggle between chief executive Omar Berrada – who won – and the defeated Dan Ashworth, latterly sporting director, it was allowed to continue much longer than it should have done because Ineos felt it could not afford another false start.

When Ferguson took over United he faced many deep-rooted problems, not least the Liverpool hegemony. On the surface the modern era looks much more complicated with the regulatory and global influences that shape the English game, but essentially United still have the same advantages they always did in terms of wealth and prestige. It is not an impossible job.

As for Ferguson, reappointing him is the one option post-Ferguson United have never tried. Failing that maybe he should get the home podcast studio installed, with boom mic, branded mugs, and his 13 Premier League winners’ medals on display. He could rediscover his taste for score-settling. Everyone else he ever managed or employed seems to be at it.