Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson admits he was sorry to see Sam Allardyce leave Newcastle.

Ferguson at least believes that Kevin Keegan will benefit from having the support of Mike Ashley, the club's owner, unlike Allardyce, who was appointed by Freddy Shepherd, Ashley's predecessor.

He said: "Certainly Kevin's way of management and Sam's way of management are completely different," Ferguson said. "Sam was meticulous in his detail and organisation. He left nothing to chance, but his problem was that he wasn't employed by Mike Ashley."