Keane was easily the best captain in my time watching United. The difference in winning mentality of the side when Keane was on the pitch vs when he wasn't was stark. He was Fergie's mouthpiece on the pitch. There was such a good relationship there that it's a shame how things have soured since.
I don't know how anyone who watched United through the rivalry with Arsenal could doubt Keane's ability as a leader. His battles with Vieira generally decided the games and often the title. After the Highbury tunnel incident I also don't know how anyone could rate Gary Neville a better leader than Keane.
As for Evra, I agree with you in a way that United has older players but they are not leaders who are representative of the club. Rooney and Schweinsteiger would be out if the club could get someone to take them. Carrick, Smalling and Valencia are very quiet passive characters. Ibra just joined in the summer. The squad management post Fergie has been dreadful and Evra was one that should never have been allowed to leave. Losing Vidic and Evra in the same summer left a huge leadership gap.
We won't agree on this. Football is all about opinions so fair play. Yours are as valid as anyone else's even if they are wrong!
Keane was a terribly effective captain not a great one which are two different things altogether. Good leadership doesn't entail doing what the captain says else you risk being injured during training. That is called bullying. There again bullying was terribly effective because there's nothing the typical spoiled young millionaire fears more than losing everything because of some nasty tackle.
SAF-Keane relationship was bound to turn sour. SAF closed an eye (Id say encouraged but I am politically correct) Keane's behaviour that was terribly effective on the team but which blurred the clear boundaries between the manager and the captain. Keane was allowed to physically bully people around something no player, let alone, captain would or should ever be allowed to do. Under such circumstances its no wonder why Keane started thinking that maybe he's more then a player or even so more than just a captain, which justified him going toe to toe with his direct superior (the assistant manager) and even question the big man himself.
A great captain doesn't need to bully people around. I've got mates who are very close mates to Gaz, Becks, Giggs and co and the way he kept players in line was very professional indeed. A magnificent captain goes beyond that. Cantona was the first person for training, the last person to leave (he would stay behind to train with the kids), he made sure to give his autobiography to anybody that asks him and he pulled the plug out of his career when it was evident that his too old to lead the team. Gaz overstayed for a year or two. Keane had to be pushed out
