Souness and Ferguson try to control passions

Blackburn Rovers' manager, Graeme Souness, has appealed to match officials for more understanding after his passion for the game again landed him in trouble with the authorities this week.

Souness is facing a five-match touchline ban after being banished from the bench during the Worthington Cup tie against Wigan Athletic in midweek, the second time this season he has got himself into trouble. He was also suspended last season after an outburst against officials during a match at Middlesbrough.

The Scot said: "People on the touchline, the referees and fourth officials, have to understand that I have been doing this for 35 years, I'm passionate about football and nobody and nothing will change that. Sometimes we get excited; I would ask referees, fourth officials and linesmen to understand that, and I'm not alone."

Souness will need to keep his passions in check when Manchester United visit today. Sir Alex Ferguson's side are seeking their ninth consecutive win having settled on a formation that involves Ruud van Nistelrooy playing as a single striker in front of three attacking midfielders.

Souness has drawn up plans to deal with Ferguson's system. "Whoever we play we always look at the way they play, but against top teams it's like the boy who put his finger in the dyke to stop the leak – suddenly another hole appears and then another," the Scot said. "That's what it's like playing against a top team. You stop one player and then someone else hurts you. Against Manchester United you might do something to stop their one striker but then you have to worry about Ryan Giggs, David Beckham or Paul Scholes. I always concentrate more on what we will do ourselves, that's the way I was educated. We will do that first and then try to nullify what the other team are going to try to do."

Ferguson has his passion problems, too, with Roy Keane raring to go after his lengthy lay-off. He believes that Keane would still be a vital player for United even if he toned down his on-field aggression.

Keane has been ruled out since August with a hip injury and has also served bans for a red card against Sunderland this season and a retrospective suspension as a result of comments he made about his tackle on the Manchester City defender Alf Inge Haaland in April 2001.

Ferguson, who has named the Irishman in his squad for today's match against Blackburn, said: "It remains to be seen whether Roy's aggression has gone away. But if he does not tackle, he still provides a great contribution to the team. I think, maybe, he should be using his experience in a different way. Any side would miss Roy Keane no matter what. He has got great awareness."

Keane has been vocal about United's shortcomings in Europe in the last two seasons, but Ferguson believes his return to fitness is just the spark the club need for their continuing Champions' League campaign, which resumes in February. "I think Roy knows that we can do well in Europe. We will be playing Juventus twice and he will definitely make a contribution."

But possibly not today. Ferguson will be loath to change a successful team and that could mean another start on the substitutes' bench for Keane, David Beckham and Rio Ferdinand.