With Paul Scholes and Darren Fletcher, who deserved to share man-of-the-match honours with their captain, he gave Manchester United control. He might, indeed, have given them a two-goal lead within half an hour, a crafty lob dipping on to the crossbar. It was, all in all, a wonderfully sharp and intelligent display by the 33-year-old Irishman, one that mocked suggestions he might be eclipsed by his counterpart and junior by nine years; although Steven Gerrard strove, as ever, to lead by example, he will take a long time to acquire Keane's nous.
In this context, Liverpool badly missed the injured Xabi Alonso, who allows Gerrard to get forward and hurt defences. They also suffered for a shortage of resources that prevented Rafa Benitez from matching Sir Alex Ferguson's 4-5-1; there was always a marked imbalance in the midfield, at least until the dismissal of Wes Brown for a second cautionable offence midway through the second half encouraged Liverpool to attack with some conviction, to which United responded with a mixture of ever greater effort and tactical fouling (if I were allowed to speak to referees, I'd have asked Steve Bennett why he tolerated Gabriel Heinze's scissor-style tackling). But the most obvious contributor to Liverpool's downfall was their own goalkeeper.
To hand United victory here once might be described as misfortune. To do it twice might smack of carelessness. To blunder on a third occasion is practically a transfer request and Jerzy Dudek, though the unfitness of Chris Kirkland left Benitez with little choice but to take a forgiving posture, cannot be long for this club after adding Wayne Rooney to a list of beneficiaries previously comprised of Diego Forlan, who scored two seasons ago, and Ryan Giggs, the match-winner last season. Dudek's distinguished career has taken a sad turn. What the Pole would have given for a touch of the luck the watching Roy Carroll enjoyed at Old Trafford the other day.
The goal went in at Dudek's near post, Rooney's shot skidding over his outstretched arms after the 19-year-old, constantly taunted about his build and readiness to transfer allegiance from Merseyside, had taken a return pass from Cristiano Ronaldo and let fly from 25 yards. Ferguson was asked why Rooney had celebrated in the faces of Liverpool diehards (staring and puffing out his cheeks). "Well,'' Ferguson said, "the goal was at that end.'' The FA may not accept such an explanation and are also likely to be informed, along with the police, that a mobile phone was hurled from the Kop.
Naturally, United's fans were in good humour. Thanks to Keane and company, they felt able to exude a relaxed air throughout. "City of Culture - you're having a laugh'' was one chant and the withdrawal after 74 minutes of Fernando Morientes, the £6.3 million recruit from Real Madrid, prompted a reference to the statistic with which he had furnished his inaugural press conference: "You always score on your debut.'' He was short of match fitness, his display summarised by the neat chest nudge that took a cross away from Brown shortly before half-time and the wildly sliced shot that ensued.
There was already an atmosphere of fatalism about the place and it was hardly disturbed by Brown's departure; he had seen a yellow card for persistent fouling and was shown a second for a nasty lunge at John Arne Riise. Rooney was another cautioned; he had a dig at Luis Garcia. It was all a bit unnecessary, for Liverpool had little to offer but persistence in attack, where Milan Baros was the pick.