Manchester United legend Roy Keane has jumped to the defence of manager David Moyes.
Keane, speaking to students at University College Cork on Wednesday night, insisted that the former Everton manager must be allowed to rebuild Sir Alex Ferguson's ageing squad.
"I don't know where you start," Keane said. "They need a number of players. Defensively, there are players leaving and I don't think it helps Nemanja Vidic is going, people are talking about Patrice Evra and obviously Rio and Giggsy are coming to an end. They are lacking a few leaders at the moment and I don't think they have that type of player in the group. But I think United will be all right and David Moyes will get plenty of time.
"The man deserves it. He's got vast experience, but his staff - Steve Round and Phil Neville - and a couple of senior players, Rio and Giggsy, they have to step up to the plate. One or two of the new players are getting criticism, but it's up to the players who have been there a few years who know what United are about.
"We [Keane's team] had tough days. We ground out results, we survived a few times, we got lucky breaks. When we won the league [in 1996], at Newcastle we could have been five nil down at half-time, yet we ended up winning with Eric Cantona nicking a goal. You need defining moments, but this team will not find it because they don't have it in the group."
