LONDON -- In August, you would probably have been able to name your own odds against both Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and captain Roy Keane seeking new employment midseason. One half of any such bet has already come up trumps, and unless United beat Benfica in Lisbon on Wednesday week, which it must to guarantee progress to the knockout stages of the Champions League, the unlikely double departure could become reality.
It was said Keane left by mutual consent, and while the former Republic of Ireland midfielder is probably relieved to leave a club whose players and coaching staff he had criticized so openly, United left him no alternative. His bags had to be packed, perhaps stuffed with the almost £3 million he was reported to have collected when the remainder of his contract was "mutually" paid up.