Football: McAllister tackles Roses' thorny issue: Phil Shaw assesses the weekend's Premiership and Endsleigh fixtures

UNTIL recently, the prospect of a Roses battle without Leeds fans taunting Manchester United's about the Munich air crash or the sound of Everton followers eulogising an African seemed about as plausible as the headline: 'Cascarino scores again for Marseille'.

All that could change this weekend. The Leeds captain, Gary McAllister, is hopeful his call for an end to the 'runway' song will lead to a better atmosphere at Elland Road tomorrow. And at Blackburn today, Nigeria's Daniel Amokachi begins his quest to join Dixie Dean and Alex Young in Evertonian folklore.

Notwithstanding the meeting of Newcastle and Chelsea, who put their 100 per cent records on the line at St James' Park, the collision of the two Uniteds promises to be the most highly charged of the Premiership programme. The old trans-Pennine rivalry would have ensured as much even if Eric Cantona had not swapped sides.

'I'm not exactly giving anything away when I say we'll be paying special attention to Eric - he's the key,' McAllister said. 'Chris Fairclough did a terrific man-marking job on him at Old Trafford last season, but apart from stopping them playing we've got to try and cause them problems as well.'

Leeds have not beaten Alex Ferguson's side in 11 League and Cup matches during McAllister's four years there. 'In a nutshell, we haven't been good enough,' he admitted. 'United have always coped with us comfortably. We've managed draws but never created much against them, especially the centre-backs. Steve Bruce must be the most underrated player in the country.'

The Scotland skipper singles out Paul Ince as the third major influence on the champions. 'I've actually grown to like him as a player now he's not so temperamental. Gary Speed and myself know we must get the better of Ince and (Roy) Keane if we're to beat them. But these are great games to play. Like Leeds-Arsenal matches, they're fiercely competitive but fairly sporting.'

It may be asking too much for the mutual respect to spread to the stands, but McAllister, who hails from the same Lanarkshire mining town as Sir Matt Busby, Bellshill, trusts the majority of the Leeds crowd will provide volume rather than vitriol. 'The players are totally against that sick song,' he added. 'It's also counter-

productive - it embarrasses us and fires up United.'

Everton fans, praised for their dignified observance of the minute's silence for Busby at Old Trafford, have a less auspicious record on racism. Remember the bananas hurled at John Barnes to a chant of 'Everton are white'? The lead from the club was previously unimpressive, and the pounds 3m Amokachi becomes only the second black player in their history at Ewood Park.

David Burrows, formerly of Liverpool, also makes his debut for the visitors after a midweek deal which took Tony Cottee back to West Ham. Mike Walker needs an instant return on his outlay against an unbeaten Blackburn if Everton are to escape the clutch of four clubs with only a point.

Meanwhile, Cottee makes an instant return to Merseyside, there to encounter pounds 7m worth of

defenders, Phil Babb and John Scales, starting their Liverpool careers. Arsenal, themselves never knowingly short of centre-halves, visit Norwich seeking their first goal since the opening day and with George Graham's interest in Ajax's winger Marc Overmars a reminder that he is becoming impatient.

Tees and Wear converge tomorrow at Middlesbrough, where the First Division leaders face a Sunderland side seemingly sandwiched between more ambitious neighbours.

In the Second, free-scoring Crewe make the short hop to Wrexham in pursuit of a club- record eighth successive win, while in the Third the fixture computer has produced a day of long hauls. Carlisle, the pace-setters, receive Exeter, with second- placed Torquay trekking to Darlington.