I very much doubt this column has ever made it to the corridors of power at Manchester United.

But on the off chance it has, perhaps I may be so bold as to offer Sir Alex Ferguson a short English lesson on word meanings.

Indefensible, Sir Alex, means not defensible. Lesson over and quite a simple word to understand.

The actions of Roy Keane at the Irish World Cup training camp are indefensible.

But I would suggest Sir Alex Ferguson's defence of Keane's recent behaviour could probably provide a question for students of 'A' Level psychology.

There is no defence. Keane should be a role model for youngsters the length and breadth of this country. But he has behaved in the most unprofessional manner ever associated with international football, barring specific cases of drug- taking.

Mick McCarthy was right to send him home after his eight-minute tirade in a team meeting, although I'm surprised Keane could actually string enough words together to last eight minutes.

The Football Association of Ireland must resist all attempts by Keane and related parties to get the Manchester United captain back into the World Cup fold, although I think any attempts are dead in the water on account of the admirable attitude and general stance of McCarthy, who like Mrs Thatcher many years before him, is certainly not for turning.

Perhaps Ireland could get a doctor to class Keane as brain dead so they can get Celtic's Colin Healy out to make the squad up to 23 again?

How ironic, with Keane allegedly one of domestic football's top professionals behaving like that, here in Sussex last week we have an Albion player, who has been maligned from several quarters on numerous occasions, proving once again he is a superb ambassador for both his club and football in general.

I refer to Charlie Oatway, who on hearing that former Albion boss Peter Taylor had pulled out of the Worthing Dynamos FC presentation night, stepped in at the eleventh hour.

When at the proverbial 59th minute of the eleventh hour Charlie realised he was without a babysitter for the evening, rather than let down the 180 youngsters, he took three of his children along to the Pier Pavilion, including his four-week-old son.

Forgetting Keane, Beckham's metatarsal and even Ulrika and Sven's bedroom Olympics, the real stuff gets underway on Friday.

I am genuinely excited. People raised eyebrows when the tournament was awarded to the Far East and even though there were probably more FIFA backhanders than Wimbledon fortnight, the timings of matches has worked out well for the next generation of football fans, ie the youngsters who won't have to worry about staying up late to watch games.

But who will lift the trophy four weeks from Sunday?

That great national trait of writing off England's chances before a ball has even been kicked is already well underway. But I believe we have the strength in depth in our squad to win our group, which would put us in the easier half of the draw, and after that, well, anything is possible.

A number of people rate the absent Roy Keane as a world-class player. If that's the case how many do England have?

I think it is as many as five. Beckham, Owen and Campbell definitely, but what about Ferdinand and Scholes? With the possible emergence of Dyer, Hargreaves and Joe Cole on the world stage, the nation could be in for an exciting few weeks.

Prediction? If not England, then I hope Brazil as I've drawn them in a sweepstake.

What about those gross underachievers Spain? Anybody but the French or the Argies.