Ruud promises United revival

RUUD van Nistelrooy has vowed to hoist Manchester United from their pit of despair back to the pinnacle of the English game, but ominously warned it’s going to take considerable time.

Three days after Roy Keane launched a scathing attack on the current Red Devils, so vicious it was deemed totally unsuitable for transmission on MUTV, Van Nistelrooy in the week he wore the captain's armband for the first time offered his own, more measured assessment.

"When I came to Manchester United four-and-a-half years ago, we were unbeatable," he said. "I remember games when I had four or five opportunities, constant service and we attacked. It was great and I enjoyed it. We all want those days to come back. The question is how do we do it?

"We need to look at the squad; look at everything. Each of us knows within themselves what is going to happen. Without doubt, this is the most difficult time I've had since I came to United. But I'm not going anywhere.

"I am committed to this club and now, in the bad times, I just want to give it my all. Over the coming years, it is personal to me to get United back to where I, and everyone associated with the club, wants to see them."

The frank assessment is an indication of the frustrations inside a dressing room seemingly immune from Ferguson's promptings and in danger of being driven apart by Keane's damnation.

In his usual manner, Ferguson will attempt to keep any disciplinary action for his skipper firmly in-house, although if the Cork man's outburst was deemed too destructive to hit the airwaves, it is difficult to see him avoiding an obligatory hefty fine.

Such a move would only widen the split between captain and club and heighten the likelihood of Keane choosing a more accommodating source to get his opinions into the public domain.

Van Nistelrooy appears to be standing on much safer territory in delivering his bleak sermon. "We are not playing well," he said.

"We have difficulty keeping the ball. We cannot get any fluency into our passing, we don't have a flow of attacks, don't have crosses coming in, don't win the second balls. As a consequence we can't maintain any pressure."

Van Nistelrooy refuses to blame the massive injury list as a reason for United's present failings.

The absence of Keane, Gary Neville, Heinze, Giggs and Saha for long periods has been damaging. But in these days of massive squads, the Dutchman thinks a club of United's stature should be able to cope.

Where they cannot compete, he acknowledges, is in the depth of quality, especially compared to Chelsea.

"When you compare our squad with Chelsea, it tells you everything you need to know," he said. "Look at the size of their squad. They can play team one or team two and both of them are full of internationals who will be going to the World Cup. We do not have that strength in depth here and nobody else does either."

Van Nistelrooy has often been viewed in United circles as something of a loner and frequent suggestions of a move to Real Madrid have brought his desire to stay at Old Trafford into question on more than one occasion.

But from the mess of a week which has catapulted the Old Trafford outfit to within two defeats Chelsea on Sunday and Villarreal on November 22 of catastrophe and raised serious concerns about Ferguson's long-term job prospects, Van Nistelrooy has stepped forward to guide United out of the darkness enveloping them.

"We are all still together," he insisted, before turning his attentions not just to Keane's rant, but also the abuse being levelled at the club from media, supporters and opponents.

"When you get criticised, you can get angry but you can also think about it, hold it before yourself, look at it and see if it is true. You cannot do anything about the things which are said and written. But it is good to have people who say what they feel because they care about the club.

"It is always important we keep doing that. You have to take something good out of any criticism and that will only help us."

Leeds boss Kevin Blackwell has confirmed his interest in bringing Liam Miller to Elland Road on loan.

"There's been no further developments," Blackwell said. "We're working on a couple of areas but there's nothing further to say at this stage."