Sir Alex Ferguson sensationally accused of 'hanging on like a bad smell' by Roy Keane as Man Utd leadership turn to legendary manager again

Another change in the dugout was made on January 5, with Fletcher becoming the 11th man to take charge of United - either permanently on in a caretaker post - since Ferguson brought his 27-year reign to a close.

It has been suggested that the Red Devils will look to make another appointment through to the end of the 2025-26 campaign - with former fan favourites Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Michael Carrick and Ruud van Nistelrooy in the mix there - but Keane claims a lack of decisive leadership from the top is holding the club back.

The outspoken ex-United captain has told Sky Sports of the Red Devils’ inability to find the right candidate to take them forward and recapture former glories: "What happens in these job interviews? I'm intrigued. Why do they keep giving certain people a job? What happens in the interview that they sit there and go, and 12, 14 months later, ‘he's not the guy for us’. Do you not suss that out when you speak to them? You look somebody in the eye and go…

"You see who's making the decisions at Manchester United... you still have Ferguson and David Gill [former chief executive] hanging on like a bad smell. Who's making the decisions? [Sir Jim] Ratcliffe, [Jason] Wilcox? Who's coming into this interview process, you're speaking to a manager, you get a feel for somebody and go ‘he's the guy for us?’

"Almost forget the CV. You need something on your CV, of course, that you've won a trophy or managed a long time. But you've got to look somebody in the eye and go ‘are you the man to get us places?’

"What happens when somebody walks in your dressing room, the top players sit and go, ‘what have you got for us?’ That's what the top lads do. And if you haven't got the answers, the players are going to eat you alive."

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Keane went on to say, with Fletcher’s first game at the helm delivering an uninspiring 2-2 draw away at relegation-threatened Burnley: "United-Burnley, the standard of the game was a joke. Everyone after the game was like, 'It wasn't bad, we did well' – nonsense! Absolute rubbish. We're going around in circles. Any ex-United player has got a chance."

Former Scotland international Fletcher is a product of United’s fabled academy system and made his breakthrough at the age of 19 under Ferguson in 2003. He has said of continuing to seek the advice of an iconic mentor: "I don’t like to make any major decisions or things without speaking to Sir Alex and that’s something I’ve done since I’ve been at the club and since I’ve left the club in everything I do.

"I’ve got a really good relationship with Sir Alex, so he’s probably the first person on the phone actually, so I wanted to speak to him first. And, ultimately, to get his blessing, to be perfectly honest with you."

Fletcher may not be in charge of first-team affairs for long, with it being reported that 1999 Treble winner Solskjaer - who stepped in as cover for Jose Mourinho in 2018 before going on to spend almost three years at the helm - is being lined up for an emotional return.

Whoever gets the nod will be given the chance to stake their claim for a long-term stay, but Keane is among those to have suggested that the Red Devils need to make a play for Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, while Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner - who will be out of contract in the summer - is also said to be figuring prominently on the Old Trafford recruitment radar.