Soccer: Royle reprieve for United

Joe Royle claims Manchester United are still one of the best sides in Europe despite their Champions League failure.

United have lost none of their appeal in Royle’s eyes despite being dumped out of Europe by Bayern Munich and Roy Keane’s claims that perhaps the team has reached the end of the road.

Royle’s Manchester City side face United next at Old Trafford in Saturday’s derby and he feels they are still a formidable outfit.

Royle claims bad teams do not win seven Premier League titles in nine years.

"I think they are a terrific side and they have had a fantastic season despite what happened last night," said the City manager.

"You don’t win the league by a country mile in April if you are not a very, very good side and that’s what they are.

"Week in, week out they have been the most successful and consistent side in the country and we will pay them all due respect for that.

"They are a fantastic team and I’m not going to talk about chinks in their armour or anything like that.

"I’m not going to say anything daft and you’ve got to accept the facts about where they are.

"I'm sure their defeat won’t change their attitude to the weekend.

"We need to have an exceptional day and they need to have an off day for us to get a result."

Royle joked that the champions’ most dangerous players would probably be on the bench.

"You look at their bench and they will be pretty dangerous even though they are on the bench,’’ he said.

"They will have £25m minimum sitting on the bench and that says it all.

"But we’re not going there to make up the numbers.

"Recently West Ham were 14-1 to win there in the FA Cup and they did it so you never say never."

Despite being overwhelming underdogs, City must take at least a point at Old Trafford, where they have not won since Denis Law’s infamous backheeled goal in 1974, to keep alive their slim hopes of staying in the Premiership.

City are five points from safety with just four games left and Royle feels they need a minimum of 38 points to have any chance of surviving.

"I think the minimum we need is two wins and two draws," he said.

"That’s the bare minimum and go from there. Anything past that gives us a better chance.

"Thirty-eight points is the minimum and I think you start to get safer the nearer you get to 39 and 40."

Paul Dickov has been cleared to play after his three-match ban was quashed by the Football Association, but Danny Tiatto misses out through suspension.

Gerard Wiekens is expected to shrug off a sore foot to be available.