Result a building block for title success, says Keane

MANCHESTER UNITED skipper Roy Keane reckons the Red Devils might look back on Sunday’s ‘average’ display against Newcastle and feel it was the one which won them another Premiership title.

The Old Trafford outfit were unable to break down a Magpies defence marshalled superbly by Jonathan Woodgate and appeared to run out of ideas long before the game ended in a goalless stalemate.

While some believe United’s lack of cutting edge emphasises why is Alex Ferguson is poised to swoop in the January transfer window and recruit a new striker as back-up to van Nistelrooy, Keane adopted a more philosophical stance.

Rather than beat himself up over two home points dropped and the end of an eight-match winning streak, the Irishman preferred to look upon the result as an example of United’s capacity to collect points without getting anywhere near their best form.

“It was a pretty average performance and though we improved in the second half, it wasn’t too difficult considering the way we played in the first,” said Keane.

“The supporters will be disappointed because our home form has been brilliant over the last year or two but if we won every game, nobody would come to watch.”

After storming to the Premiership summit over the festive period, the result was a gentle reminder to all at Old Trafford that a ninth championship in 12 years cannot be taken for granted.

Ferguson’s team will head to bottom club Wolves on Saturday with a one-point lead over main rivals Arsenal and Chelsea a further four adrift.

United will be missing Ryan Giggs, who pulled a back muscle during the first half of Sunday’s encounter, but will fancy their chances of turning over Dave Jones’ side, who have won just three league games this season.

By then, it is expected that Rio Ferdinand will have announced whether he intends to appeal his eight-month ban for a missed drugs test.

The £29.1m defender has a further seven days to determine his next course of action but, after being stung by previous accusations of delaying tactics, Ferdinand wants to make an announcement well ahead of the deadline so he is not criticised for dragging out a disciplinary process now approaching its fourth month.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s comeback from knee surgery has been delayed.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had pencilled the Norwegian striker in for a reserve-team outing at Birmingham on Wednesday.

However, the 30-year-old, whose recovery has taken longer than originally anticipated, has instead been given a week off before beginning the final stages of his return to action.

He has not played since the Champions League match against Panathinaikos on September 16, when he scored in a 5-0 win at Old Trafford.

It is thought Solskjaer will instead turn out for the United second string at Altrincham’s Moss Lane ground on January 22.

The news comes as Ferguson continues his search for a new striker to ease the burden on prolific Dutchman Ruud van Nistelrooy.

The United manager has still not given up hope of landing disgruntled Frenchman Louis Saha from Fulham, although the chances of signing his other option, Mark Viduka, appear diminished as the Leeds striker has returned to Australia for an unspecified period as his father is seriously ill.