Emmet Malone Soccer Correspondent

If Liam Miller is the sort to take a sudden drop in his popularity rating to heart he would be well advised to find some way of abandoning Glasgow now rather than sitting out what promises to be, if the last day or so is anything to go by, a difficult second half to the season with Celtic.

The backlash to his decision to quit the Scottish league leaders in the summer was swift indeed with supporters dividing their anger equally between the player and his employers, who appear to have embarked on a campaign of black propaganda aimed at ensuring they are not blamed for the loss of such an outstanding young talent.

Commenting on Miller's move yesterday Martin O'Neill suggested he felt the player was making a mistake by moving so early in his career. Though his tone was understanding enough things may be just a little frosty between the two Irishmen during the six months that remain of the midfielder's time at Parkhead.

Those who know Miller, though, insist he will cope well with the stresses to which he will be subjected during the months ahead. It will be a while before we see whether his first-team opportunities dry up as a result of his decision to leave for he is suffering from a groin strain that needs rest and may keep him out for a month or so.

But if the pressure does take its toll, then the words of Alex Ferguson yesterday will have helped with the Scot hailing his latest signing as one of the club's next generation of stars, and another key part of the team he is building for the future.

"We've been watching him for a while now," said the United boss, "and identified him as falling into that category that we have been trying to bring here for a while now to build a young squad that can serve us for a few years.

"He joins a group that includes the likes of Ronaldo, Kleberson, Djemba Djemba, Darren Fletcher, John O'Shea and one or two young players that are coming through the system at the moment. Players who we intend will safeguard the future.

"We are trying to build a new team here and these are lads that can integrate with the players that we have here at the moment."

Asked if he felt the often-made comparisons with Roy Keane were valid, Ferguson acknowledged there are some similarities but added, "I see more of the Brian McClair in him, to be honest. He has a fantastic engine, he sees the space in front of him very well.

"He has a great ability to run past opponents from deep positions. He's a good finisher and for a small lad he's very good in the air. I think we're seeing a potentially very good player and in terms of the future of the club I think we're doing the right thing."

O'Neill, on the other hand, maintains Miller has been hasty in seeking to move on so quickly and the Celtic manager insisted the mixture of challenge and opportunity on offer to the young midfielder with the Scottish outfit over the next couple of seasons would have been ideal in terms of his development as a player.

"I would say this," he remarked, "we are not talking about a man of 30 years' experience and I think at least for another 18 months he should have been looking to play at Celtic.

"We could offer him all the things absolutely ideal for a young man in terms of playing football and enjoying everything he wanted at the football club. That would be my view."

O'Neill, however, said he recognised Miller was entirely within his rights to move on and he accepted the decision.

"We made Liam and his agent an excellent offer and they didn't take it," he said. "But it is their prerogative to do that. He was starting to really progress and push on, like in the European matches against Anderlecht. Alex Ferguson happened to be at that particular game too.

"We all knew he had the ability and until things are signed and sealed you can always be hopeful, but I am disappointed, no doubt about it."

The actual scale of Celtic's offer was a point of contention in Scotland yesterday with one newspaper quoting an unnamed club source as claiming Miller's representatives had sought £50,000 a week for the player. The more likely figure is closer to £600,000 a year, roughly half of what he will be paid at Old Trafford.

While laughing off the media reports of his client's demands as ludicrous, Miller's agent, Fintan Drury, merely conceded that both offers involved, "a great deal of money".

"The fact is, though, that it wasn't money that decided this. Everything was done properly and above board. Celtic knew all along that there was interest from other clubs and that we were talking with United. And there were several who made good offers that we didn't even get off first base with.

"In the end, though, it came down to choosing between one of the biggest clubs in Britain and one of the biggest in the world."

Miller himself observed that, "as a young boy I only supported two clubs, Glasgow Celtic and Manchester United. I'm honoured to have played for Celtic for six years and now I look forward to joining Manchester United. It's very exciting and it is going to be a challenge to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world."

The signs so far are that it's a challenge which he'll cope with rather well.