Fergie: Keane has right stuff to be top boss

Sir Alex Ferguson has given his backing to Roy Keane's ambition of becoming a manager by insisting that the Irishman would make an 'absolutely brilliant' boss.

Manchester United captain Keane, 31, has said he would like to move into management when he retires.

Ferguson told leaguemanagers.com: 'If he wants to do it he'll be an absolutely brilliant manager. No doubt about that.' Keane, who only recently made his comeback after a lay-off following a hip injury, is sidelined for tomorrow's home Champions League match against Basle after picking up a hamstring strain against Leeds. But Ferguson expects him back to face Liverpool next month. Keane has had to temper his customary box-to-box style following his injury problems, although Ferguson has not noticed a significant change.

He said: 'If you look at his performance in the second half of the Worthington Cup final, you couldn't say he's changed much really. The way he took the game by the scruff of the neck was fantastic.' Certainly, Keane's continuing on-pitch presence would be a bonus for Ferguson, who has been told his transfer activity will again be governed by the financial prudence of chief executive Peter Kenyon and his plc board at Old Trafford.

Ferguson continues to check on transfer targets such as Spurs midfielder Simon Davies and Auxerre striker Djibril Cisse, while Sunderland's out-of-contract winger David Bellion and Rennes defender Julien Escude will almost certainly sign.

But, in the wake of previous deals, such as the £30million spent on Rio Ferdinand and £28m on Juan Sebastian Veron, Ferguson will find that United are beginning to cut their cloth to suit their means.

Kenyon said: 'We believe you can't just buy success. There are enough clubs and chairmen who have tried to go down that route and shown that it will fail.' Ferguson has been dealt a snub by United fans after a staggering 87.1 per cent of voters on the club's offical website claimed the team have gone backwards since winning the Treble in 1999. In that time, United have lifted the Premiership twice but failed to repeat their European glory.

* United centre half Rio Ferdinand is facing a six-month driving ban after he was convicted in Leeds yesterday of speeding on the M1 last year.