Keane’s advisers have found him unwilling to budge on his resolve never to play against United at Old Trafford and that could yet see him go abroad.He has until 1 January, when he would be able to sign for a new team, to make up his mind and, as he is still recovering from a broken toe, will be in no rush to make a quick decision.Gordon Strachan told reporters at Parkhead on Saturday “not to bother” asking about Keane while Wigan chairman Dave Whelan was more open he said he would not “interfere in management decisions”. Roma’s manager Luciano Spalletti has been told by his club’s board that they will make an effort to sign the player.
Celtic’s chief executive Brian Quinn said this weekend that the club would gladly take Keane but not on the wages of around £90,000 a week he commanded at Old Trafford, a bargaining tactic that is unlikely to impress the Irishman. There has also been a public expression of interest from Wigan Athletic and Manchester City while Everton are also known to be considering a bid.While Celtic’s chances of signing Keane would appear to rely heavily on him settling for the emotional lure of the club rather than the financial package they can offer the problem is even more significant for those south of the border. Roma, eighth in Serie A after 12 games, will sell their wayward young talent Antonio Cassano in January, with no shortage of takers for the precocious striker.
With the money expected from his sale – to Juventus or Milan – they would be able to put together a package that Keane would find attractive. His response to whether it ushered in a new era would have been less easy for Ferguson to accept: “It’s difficult to say,” Van Nistelrooy said. As captain for the day, Van Nistelrooy was the only player permitted by United to discuss Keane and his openness about his feelings surrounding the departure of his former team-mate will have struck a chord with the Irishman himself. “It’s just a shame that his time has stopped now,” Van Nistelrooy said.
The rest of his team-mates were told by Ferguson that their own thoughts on the matter should not be made public. Post-Keane, United look very much like they have for the last two months, a team that relies upon the brilliance of Wayne Rooney rather than the drive that their former captain once provided them from midfield. The 20-year-old’s run past two Charlton defenders, and flick to Van Nistelrooy for the second United goal, was the game’s outstanding moment – closely followed by the striker’s swivel and finish that restored the lead on 70 minutes. Unlike when United beat Chelsea two weeks’ earlier there was no Keane glowering in the stands to remind his side of what the team is missing.
The prospect of replacing him is no longer an unknown menace that waits to ambush them at some point in the future but a reality that must be dealt with every matchday. Alan Smith’s 36th -minute goal, driven in from Darren Fletcher’s pass, was the best moment of a first half in which United looked liberated and fearless in their attacking football. Charlton managed an equaliser on 65 minutes when Darren Ambrose was allowed to run unchallenged in front of the United area and, after exchanging passes with Darren Bent, struck a shot that drifted sweetly into Edwin Van der Sar’s top right corner. Rooney’s run and pass to Van Nistelrooy changed the game again within four minutes and the Dutch striker sealed the win on 85 minutes with a goal that was his first in 138 for United to be hit from outside the box. While Charlton fall to ninth, 10 points, and two places now separate United, who have a game in hand, from Chelsea. Ferguson has spoken of late of the young players in his team thriving and taking responsibility and on Saturday they did that -with a certain man now gone for good they had little choice.