But we have always been a team that scores plenty of goals and that will come back.”Keane did not disagree when asked if this was the most talented collection of individuals he had worked with in his 11 years at Old Trafford before adding darkly: “Individual talent counts for nothing; it’s what you do as a team that’s important.”Europe, in contrast to the Premiership, offers more reassuring horizons. You can analyse the game all you like but, if you keep missing chances the way we’ve been missing them, then you suffer. “The combination of missing chances and giving bad goals away is a recipe for disaster.” However, he added: “I look around, see the manager, the staff and the players we have and I know we will be OK. I have every confidence that come the end of the season we will be there or thereabouts. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not ideal but I’d rather be this far behind now than in February or March.”A combination of cracked ribs, squad rotation and flu has meant Keane has not played since the goalless draw at Birmingham in mid-October and he was scathing about his team’s display at Portsmouth on Saturday.

What did Roy Keane make of a season that has seen Manchester United drift into seventh place in the Premiership, nine points behind Arsenal and Chelsea?
The Manchester United captain, whose searing honesty even in good times is notorious, smiled: “Believe it or not, I’m quite relaxed about it. Souness has been linked with Chelsea’s German centre-half Robert Huth, as well as the Red Devils’ trio Wes Brown, Phil Neville and John O’Shea.. The question was asked and you sat back and waited for the explosion. Dyer was once regarded among the most exciting prospects in Britain and has, when fit, been a regular in Sven Goran Eriksson’s England squads.

But the former Ipswich prospect has struggled to fulfil his potential on Tyneside and has attracted criticism for his behaviour off the pitch.Graeme Souness, who saw his side surrender a nine-match unbeaten run since he took over at Newcastle against Bolton Wanderers at the weekend, has been told by the club’s chairman, Freddie Shepherd, he will have to trim his squad when the transfer window reopens in January. But he could yet decide to keep hold of Dyer until the summer.Neither Chelsea nor Manchester United have made a firm offer, but Newcastle would be keen on a swap deal. Both clubs are understood to have contacted the player’s representatives.The 25-year-old, who has just 18 months left on his contract, is likely to be available for just a snippet of the £25m they were quoted 18 months ago following his fall from grace with the club’s supporters. But that has not perturbed Chelsea or Manchester United, who were also linked with a multimillion pound move for the talented, but controversial midfielder last summer. The Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has surprisingly joined his Manchester United counterpart Sir Alex Ferguson in expressing an interest in signing Newcastle United’s troubled England international Kieron Dyer.

The club’s caretaker-manager Frank Burrows is likely to remain in charge for Saturday’s trip to Hoddle’s former club Southampton.An Albion statement read: “The board is in the process of forming a short list of candidates for the vacant job of team manager and this will be finalised shortly. Following interviews with these candidates, an appointment will be made. It is most important that the right individual with the right desire and motivation is appointed to continue the long-term building process at this football club.”Hoddle is believed to be favoured by the Albion chairman Jeremy Peace, who wants to shed the club’s dour and stubborn image. G?rd Houllier and Gordon Strachan are also high up the Hawthorns wanted list for the same reason. Former Baggies players Bryan Robson and Sir Bobby Robson have expressed their interest while the ex-Leicester manager Micky Adams is also in the running.. The club said yesterday that they are still drawing up a short list of names to replace Gary Megson. Beattie, whose contract does not run out until the summer of 2006, did not fall into that category, but Villa insist that they did not contravene regulations at any time.Glenn Hoddle remains favourite to become West Bromwich Albion’s new manager, but the appointment is no done deal.