A fan's viewpoint: Lifelong United fan Mary Hannigan says Roy Keane is better off out of it

"Describe your feelings when you heard Roy was gone," said Joe Duffy.

"Devastated," said the man from Cork.

"Are there people in tears down there?"

"There are," he said.

If anyone had just woken from a particularly lengthy slumber, they might have assumed the worst, that Roy Keane hadn't just left Manchester United, he'd departed this earth. Their fears might have been "confirmed" if they'd had a look at the internet messageboard where one supporter was suggesting that all those attending today's game at Charlton should wear black armbands. "The Keane is Gone, Long Live the Keane," came the reply.

But, sure, you know yourself, most football supporters have a shaky sense of perspective, hence the liberal and regrettable use of words like "tragedy", "disaster" and "it's like a death in the family" to describe yesterday's news.

"Get a grip, lads," you'd assume would be Keane's response to this outpouring of grief. Time and again, after all, he laughed at the notion of any United player being regarded as indispensable.

Keane is many things, but a fool is not one of them. He knew Ferguson would be content enough for his captain to criticise individual players following the team's pitiful display against Middlesbrough, but when, by inference, his MUTV comments questioned his manager's judgment, that was the end of the "special relationship". Ferguson had been undermined and, as Brian Kidd would attest, Ferguson doesn't forgive being undermined easily.

Not since the "Fergie Must Go" banners appeared at Old Trafford a couple of years into his reign has the manager been so doubted by the supporters, still reeling from 11 attempts to find a successor to Peter Schmeichel, still wondering what he ever saw in Juan Sebastian Veron, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Kleberson, still trying to figure out why Rio Ferdinand cost £30 million, still wondering why Kieran Richardson and Darren Fletcher are deemed good enough to make the United first team.

When Fletcher scored what proved to be the winning goal against Chelsea at Old Trafford a fortnight ago, the crowd responded by repeatedly chanting "Keano", the implication being that they credited Keane, not Ferguson or the players, for getting a bit of passion back into the team.

The truth is he's better off out of it. Ronaldo, Ferdinand, Fletcher and Co will carry on rising to the occasion when it's a glamour game, then losing to West Brom or Fulham when there's nothing but a dreary three points at stake.

And consistent passion, performance and pride was what Roy Keane gave Manchester United over the last 12 years.

It was a thrill to watch him play and lead his team. As of yesterday he has "unattached" beside his name, but many United supporters who will hope that, soon, he will be reattached to the club, as manager. Perhaps even as the immediate successor to Alex Ferguson, whose day, as of yesterday, is gone.