The match long done, Sir Alex Ferguson stood in the middle of a deserted Old Trafford leaning on a pitchfork and sniffing sods of earth.
Concerned by the state of the turf, he was not searching for excuses as to why Manchester United had again failed to perform to their potential against another limited side. That Roy Keane was that evening recovering from a hip operation which will keep him out for six weeks was reason enough. Those who wondered what United might be like in his absence were yesterday given a glimpse of an answer. Last night, they were something Keane has never been; dull, blunt and uninspired.
Old Trafford's support for their captain has never been in question. Many commented on the banner: "Roy Keane Adored in Manchester" which hung from the Stretford End but it has been there since the start of the season, displayed in response to his self-imposed exile from Ireland. Although they exerted a mechanical control over a defensive and unambitious Middlesbrough side, Ferguson acknowledged there was no sign of the "killer instinct" he had called for and without Keane, there was nobody to sting United into action. But for a penalty, awarded for what seemed the slightest of tugs on Ruud van Nistelrooy's arm, United may even have dropped further points.’