Bryan Robson vs Roy Keane – Who was Manchester United greatest midfield enforcer?

FFC columnist Stephen Darwin starts the first of a three part "Who's the greatest" series between two Manchester United legends either past or present.

It is rare these days to find players that match the unprecedented devotion of Manchester United legends Bryan Robson and Roy Keane. Their desire to succeed was extraordinary, captaining their respective teams to many years of unrivalled success and achievement. Both enjoyed twelve year stints at Old Trafford, winning no less than 19 major trophies between them.  So which of these two midfield generals can be considered the greatest?

Bryan Robson

Despite only being a nipper when Bryan Robson emerged as one of the greatest players to represent both Manchester United and England, I can appreciate exactly what Robbo brought to the table. A tough-tackling and determined midfielder, Robson possessed leadership qualities of the highest order and would often carry United with his committed performances. Robbo would cease to shirk his defensive duties, although one cannot ignore his ability in more advanced attacking positions as well. With 74 league goals for the Red Devils, Robson proved he wasn't shy in front of goal and he often scored some considerably decisive goals. Trailing 2-0 to Barcelona in the first leg of the 1984 Cup Winners Cup quarter-final, Robson personified his importance to United by grabbing a crucial brace in a 3-0 second leg victory.

Robson joined Manchester United from West Brom in 1981, for what at the time was a British record transfer fee of £1.5 million. Robbo more than justified Ron Atkinson's decision to sign him and proved to be a valuable asset in United's quest for honours. The League Championship title had eluded United for 26 long years until a rejuvenated side, inspired by Robson and including the likes of Cantona, Bruce and a relentless Ryan Giggs, ended the drought in 1993. Despite being plagued with injury throughout his career, Robson claimed a remarkable 90 caps for his country scoring an impressive 26 goals.

Bryan Robson was often dubbed 'Captain Marvel' during a fantastic tenure with Manchester United where he still boasts the record of being the longest serving captain at Old Trafford.  Robbo was a truly wonderful skipper and will always be labelled a legend by supporters up and down the country.

Roy Keane

Roy Keane was undoubtedly the heart and soul of Manchester United's drive for success during the 90's.  Keane would often strike fear into his opponents which was ultimately one of the primary weapons in his arsenal. Speaking of Arsenal, Keane's playing career will always be remembered for his frequent spats with former Gunners star Patrick Vieira. The notorious battles between the pair were not only fierce and intense but a joy to behold for the average supporter (and who can forget the infamous tunnel incident at Highbury!)

It is fair to say that Keane's aggressive nature would occasionally get the better of him, particularly when the Irishman was provoked into a reaction. Towards the end of his illustrious United career, Keane appeared to have curbed the aggressive streak yet continued to admirably demonstrate his ability to perform at the highest level. His influential personality made Keane a natural leader on and off the pitch and his competitive style of play earned many plaudits and accolades including the PFA Players Player of the Year award in 2000.

Keane was earmarked as a potential heir to Bryan Robson when he joined United from Nottingham Forest for a British record transfer fee of £3.75 million in 1993. The Cork born midfielder certainly lived up to these high expectations, guiding United to 7 Premier League titles, 4 FA Cups, an Intercontinental Cup and a European Champions League triumph in 1999. Despite never really being considered a threat going forward, Keane managed to claim 33 league goals during his time with the Red Devils. The passion and never say die attitude of the Irishman was demonstrated by his inspirational performance against Juventus in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final of the 1998/99 season. Keane was simply remarkable and stole the show by scoring a goal and generally acting as the driving force that would spur the team on to victory. All this after United were staring defeat square in the face having gone 2-0 down and Keane himself had already received the yellow card that would rule him out of the final.

The Result

The similarities between Robson and Keane are endless and choosing between the two is a significantly difficult task. It is clear that Robson posed more of a threat going forward and would have undoubtedly won more honours had it not been for persistent injuries. Keane's temperament may have got him into trouble at times but opponents knew they were in for an extremely tough encounter whenever they faced him. If I was pushed to choose between the two I would opt for Roy Keane. The way he would dominate in that central midfield position on a regular basis symbolises how much of an asset he was to Sir Alex Ferguson in a period of notable prosperity for Manchester United during the 90's.