Keegan faces fans to play down City rift

Kevin Keegan is anxious to play down talk of a rift with some of his Manchester City players. The former England coach said arguments are common in the workplace - and in football.

Keegan expressed his views last night when he made a surprise appearance at a meeting of the Prestwich and

Whitefield supporters' branch. Fans' chairman Don Price said: "Kevin said in any industry you have differences of opinion. Some people are not going to be happy with certain things but what you do is sit down and discuss it."

City are only two points clear of the Premiership drop zone with four games to go. But Keegan decided to join club chairman John Wardle, major shareholder David Makin and midfielder Trevor Sinclair at the meeting - and vowed to see the job through.

More than 300 people turned up and, according to Price, Keegan gave straight answers to some difficult questions.

Price said: "The manager said he had no intention of leaving the job that he came to do.

"He is as disappointed as anybody that it has not happened for the team and that certain players have not performed as well as he knows they can.

"It was a case of the manager, the chairman and the fans all agreeing that we have four games to do the business." City are away to Leicester on Saturday.