Sing when you're winning

They might not admit it, but I think most Manchester United fans will be delighted that their Maine Road neighbours are back in the Premiership. Derby day in Manchester is absolutely brilliant because young, old, middle-aged, everybody has an opinion and cares about the result. There’s a Cup Final feel to the games which, no matter how many you play in, makes your heart beat that bit faster.

People say he bottled it when he was in charge of England and Newcastle, but I actually think that Kevin Keegan is one of the best man managers in the business. Richard Dunne and Mark Kennedy aside, he’s shown that he’s able to get the best out of wayward lads. It’s a simple quality to have, but he’s a really nice fellow who inspires loyalty among his players.

He’s certainly scored a major coup – and stuck it to Alex! – by signing Peter Schmeichel from Villa. As great a keeper as I think Fabien Barthez is, you could argue that if Peter was still at Old Trafford, the title would be a done deal again for United. I wouldn’t fancy one of his earbendings myself, but the way he motivates the people around him will be a huge plus for Kevin as he sets about keeping City in the Premiership. Even if he gets the £20 or £30 million that’s been mooted, next season is going to be all about survival.

He’ll hate doing it, but his first priority will be telling quite a few of the existing side that they’re not good enough for the top flight. Instrumental as he was in winning them promotion, I don’t think Shaun Goater has what it takes to score week in, week out in the top flight. One of the reasons for Leicester going down is that they brought in Nationwide League strikers who weren’t able to make the step-up. It won’t be much fun saying, “Thanks for getting us up and, oh yeah, good-bye!”, but that’s what managers have to do.

Whatever about Man City, West Brom are really going to have their work cut out next season. They’ve got one of the best young managers around in Gary Megson, but unless they find a big bag of cash they’re going to struggle. Not that expensive signings are automatically going to keep you up. Derby and Ipswich broke the bank to bring in Fabrizio Ravanelli and Finidi George, and look where they are in the table. If I was Gary, I’d take a long, hard look at the leagues in Eastern Europe and see what he can pick up for a few hundred thousand pounds here, and a couple of million there.

If they’re lucky, they might find the Latvian or Georgian version of Ruud Van Nistelroy who was rightly named as the PFA’s Player of the Year. When you bear in mind the knee injury he had and the weight of expectation on his shoulders, his first season at Old Trafford has been nothing short of sensational. I wouldn’t have wanted it to be at our expense, but it’s a huge pity he won’t be going to Japan and Korea. At least it looks like we’ll have a fit Ronaldo to drool over. Judging from the bits of the Brazil/Portugal game I saw, he’s sharper and fitter than he’s been in an age. I also noticed that he had a big smile on his face, which definitely wasn’t there when he played against France in the last World Cup final. I just hope he has a sustained run and doesn’t slip back into this thing of playing one game and then being out for the next six.

I haven’t seen it myself, but everybody I know in Ireland has been raving about the Carlsberg World Cup ad. It’s things like that starting to appear which make players think, “My God, it’s just around the corner!” I’m not as convinced as Jason MacAteer that we’re going to win it, but I’ll be hugely disappointed if we don’t reach the Quarter-Finals.

I hear that the lads were in Dublin last week recording the new World Cup song. I went into the studio half-a-dozen times with Ireland and Manchester United and, once I’d gotten over my nerves, really enjoyed it. Which is more than can be said for the poor people who had to put up with my singing! Frank Sinatra I definitely am not! ‘Put ‘Em Under Pressure’ was particularly good crack ‘cause we had Larry Mullen helping out.

They used to play it while we were warming up at Aston Villa, which was very embarrassing when it got to the “Oooooh aaaaah, Paul McGrath!” bit! They tend to feign indifference but, believe me, players love it when fans make songs up about them. Well, the ones that aren’t rude! I remember some very choice things being chanted at Old Trafford when word got out that I was going to Aston Villa. The gist of it was that I was being selfish and moving for purely financial reasons, which wasn’t the case. When your own supporters turn on you, it’s a bit hard to cope with.

Talking of which, I was disappointed to hear a section of the Lansdowne crowd booing Claudio Reyna last week because he used to be at Rangers. There’s no room for sectarianism in sport, even if it’s meant as a bit of a joke.

I’m sorry to disappoint Man U fans but

after Arsenal not playing particularly well and still beating Ipswich, I think the title’s on its way to Highbury. It won’t be the only piece of

silverware they lift this season – well, not unless Chelsea show more backbone in the Cup Final than they did last Saturday at Stamford Bridge. After that horrendous display, you can bet on Claudio Ranieri making wholesale changes this summer.

It also sounds like Liverpool will be getting the cheque-book out soon for Damien Duff and

possibly Robbie Keane. I’ve said it before, but Duff’s performances this season have got better and better. The way he helped Blackburn tear Middlesborough apart was sensational. If they get him for under £15 million, it’ll be a bargain. Gerard Houlier should buy now because, if he performs as well as we know he can, his value is going to spiral after the World Cup.