‘Fergie not the most powerful man at United’

Manchester United manager David Moyes has rebuffed Roy Keane’s claims that retired boss Sir Alex Ferguson was still the most powerful man at Old Trafford.

Former captain Keane claimed in an ITV documentary that it was difficult for Ferguson to give up his influence at the club due to his inflated ego.

“I’ve only found Sir Alex very helpful to me, I can only say that, he’s been great,” Moyes said.

“If I’ve needed any advice, I can pick up the phone to him. He’s been very good.

“He’s not about the place, I don’t see him out there.

“He comes to the games, but he’s a director now, so he’s entitled to do that.

“I’ve had no problem with Sir Alex, I can pick up the phone to him when I need to, which I do now and again.

“Obviously, we bump into each other, because he’s a director.

“We say hello after the games, but he doesn’t come into the dressing room.

“A lot of the directors do, but Alex keeps away from it.

Need points

United are currently reeling in ninth place in the Premier League, 13 points behind leaders Arsenal ahead of the weekend fixtures.

The champions were dealt a further blow when striker Robin van Persie was ruled out for a month with a thigh strain.

While Moyes accepted that his side could not afford to drop any more points, he backed his under-fire players.

“I can only tell you that every time we’ve played a game we haven’t won, the players have been distraught by it.

“There’s been a real toughness in them to try to put it right, I see that in them.

“There’s a toughness in the players here to put things right, they know their standards, the ones they have set over the years, so they’re all keen to get back to that.”