After their titanic and entertaining Premiership curtain-raiser to the season, Fulham and Manchester United meet again on Sunday, in one of the most eagerly-awaited games at Craven Cottage for years.

It will be an interesting second encounter for the sides, as Fulham with nearly four months of the season gone are now a lot wiser to life in the top division.

Perhaps their naivety about Premiership football was a factor in helping them to run the current champions so close at Old Trafford, where they narrowly lost 3-2.

Until recently, United had shown plenty of defensive weaknesses but their clean sheet at Everton on Boxing Day helped the champions to a fourth successive Premiership win.

In what will undoubtedly be a tough game for the forwards, Fulham's management team are hoping their strikers will, at the very least, be afforded a fair crack of the whip by the match officials.

Urged

Luis Boa Morte got yet another yellow card for diving in Boxing Day's 0-0 draw with Fulham.

And the club are urging referees to stop victimising their players. Only last week, the FA overturned a red card given to Boa Morte for allegedly biting Everton defender David Weir.

Assistant manager Christian Damiano said: "All we ask is for protection for our players.

"The video made it clear Boa Morte was not guilty.

"He was the victim in the Ipswich game, when he was also sent off, and also against Everton. Against Tottenham last week, he was booked for diving. But the defender didn't play the ball he played the player.

"Against Charlton he did not dive. I have seen the tape and once again he is the victim."

Refereeing decisions aside, the pace of Louis Saha and the power of Barry Hayles may be instrumental in unlocking United's back four, which is likely to include French World Cup veteran Laurent Blanc.

Blanc's lack of speed has been heavily criticised this season, as has the form of his goalkeeping compatriot Fab-ian Barthez.

Barthez's blunders have gifted goals to United's opposition on more than one occasion this season and Fulham must be ready to fully exploit any lap-ses in concentration.

Of course, to reach United's penalty area, Fulham must first negotiate their way round a midfield which is likely to include such illustrious names as Juan Sebastian Veron and Paul Scholes.

Whether Manchester's most famous adopted son, David Beckham, will play is anyone's guess.

The villain-turned-hero England captain has been rested in recent weeks with Sir Alex Ferguson claiming his midfielder is feeling the effects of his World Cup qualifying exploits.

However, he emerged from the substitute's bench for the last 20 minutes at Goodison Park on Wednesday, and his cameo role inspired United's late match-winning double.

Finally, Fulham's backline will have to work out how to tame a United front line which could include any one of a number of world class strikers.

Just how do you set about stopping the combined talents of Ruud van Nistelroy, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke?

December 28, 2001 11:00