Roy Keane was right. The words might have been formed of molten lava, issuing from the mouth of the Irishman like an eruption of Mount Vesuvius, but they were apposite and overdue.

At a live event in Dublin last week, the former Manchester United captain criticised Sir Alex Ferguson. The 48-year-old pointed out that the Scot had seemingly used United to further his own ends. He argued that Ferguson’s success as a manager shouldn’t shield him from legitimate rebuke. He wasn’t wrong.

There is a curious but recognisable process where certain people become immune to criticism. High-profile cases include Mother Teresa, whose work in India turned her into a living saint. It took too long for journalists, such as the great Christopher Hitchens, to point