Ferguson's about-turn on Keane red card

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, who defended Roy Keane immediately after his sending-off in Saturday's match at Sunderland, has now changed his mind and says the referee was right to dismiss his captain.

"We won't be appealing against the decision," Ferguson was quoted as saying in the Daily Mirror newspaper on Monday. "The referee had no choice but to send off Roy."

Keane, the former Ireland skipper, engaged in a running feud with compatriot Jason McAteer during the 1-1 premier league draw and, in injury time, appeared to elbow the Sunderland player.

"The replay I was shown immediately after the match was misleading. When I saw the television pictures on Saturday night from a different angle, I saw the ref had no choice," said Ferguson.

"It was clear Roy caught him, though I still say it was petty rather than grievous. Roy is the first United player to be sent off for this offence and I have recently said the use of the elbow is a growing problem in our game.

"We have never before had a player sent off for doing that. I would say Roy did not swing his elbow at McAteer, but I can now see he definitely caught him with it," added Ferguson.

"Therefore (referee) Uriah Rennie had no choice but to show Roy the red card."

Keane risks the wrath of the Football Association on two counts this week, with Saturday's red card to be considered along with his controversial autobiography in which he said he deliberately set out to foul Manchester City's Alf Inge Haaland in a derby match in April 2001.

The controversial midfielder's red card at Sunderland was the ninth of his United career.