The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 40

14 Saturday April 19 1997 Prince of the Crucible Stephen Hendry back on his favourite stage AUonln the shadows Ben Clarke and life on the sidelines TheOuardtan I sport 9 11 United push on fixture protest Reds and Red Devils ready to attack David Lacey looks for fault lines in Manchester United's impressive facade vantage on the run-in. "It's something you have to go through," he said. "A lot of good players have left this club without a medal. It can become an albatross. It can become too much for some players." If, however, Ferguson is counting on Roy Evans's players losing their nerve he may be disappointed.

In fact one of Liverpool's problems this season, especially in home matches, has been an absence of that degree of nervous tension which successful teams often need. Motivation ought not to be a problem for Liverpool. Fowler, suspended for the rest of the Premiership pro- gramme after being sent off at Everton on Wednesday for fighting, will surely want to go out with a flourish while Collymore. due to return after injury, must want to show Anfield that he can step into the breach. Yesterday, as usual, the United team remained locked in the vault of Ferguson's innermost thoughts.

Much will depend on the fitness of his four recent casualties: Schmeichel, Irwin, May and Giggs Schmeichel's massive presence in goal would be a considerable boost, "but he'll only play if he's fit." Ferguson stressed. "There'll be no risks taken." After last Saturday's performance at Blackburn, when a United side forced to make several changes played impressively and won 3-2, their manager may well be tempted to leave Solskjaer and Cole up front with Cantona in close support. Certainly he will want Beckham looking fresher than he did when United lost the away leg of their European Cup semifinal 1-0 to Borussia Dortmund. Much today will depend on how well Keane and Butt can break up Liverpool's precise passing patterns in order to get at their back three. Yet should McAteer be fit, and McManaman and Fowler strike form, United could find themselves not only denied the victory that would lift spirits sky-high for the European Cup on Wednesday but dragged back into the muck and nettles of a three-cornered Premiership contest.

If that happens, with Keane suspended for the return game against Dortmund, United's spring may be a little late after all. 3 an hit player are used to the trig occasion PHOTOGRAPH: DAVO MUNDEN Martin Thorp THIS morning's game has been given added spice by Manchester United's decision to go to arbitration to have the season extended. Liverpool are set against the idea hut the champions are determined to take the season beyond May 11 to ease fixture congestion that at present has them down to play four games in the last nine days. After the Premier League turned down United's request, the club appealed to the FA. But yesterday Lancaster Gate said the matter was outside its jurisdiction.

United disagree and have invoked FA rules under which a panel of three arbitrators will decide if the FA does have the power to adjudicate. This will take place next week. "We think this matter is that important," said Maurice Watkins, a United director and solicitor. "Not just for us it could hap pen to anyone in the future. We think the FA have the power to adjudicate and they have agreed to arbitration." If United are again rebuffed, by the arbitrators or ultimately by the FA, they say they will review their options.

This could include a form of legal action. The panel will come from an FA list of arbitrators. United will pick one, the FA another and these two will choose a third, who will be legally qualified. Watkins said United first want to win the right to ex tend the season before de ciding which of their games to switch. 20,942 iTlwtliTlelM loirnii i inirrpji loiaiii olMlTiHawll SOLUTION 20, M1 11 33 Strengthen the French, being very weak (6) Lucky as a doughnut? (5) MCVCUNO fttcyctmti papm rrueit up 41 7of thoww motWL tor UK news popery if i Vm trwlt tut rrxFitrrao' 1996 I ANCHESTER Uni I ted will travel to Airfield this morn- I ine in the mood to impose a guillotine motion on the championship.

Alex Ferguson is confident that his players can attack Liverpool on their own ground and gain the three points that would go a long way towards securing Old Traffbrd's fourth title in five seasons If United beat Liverpool and they have won Anfield only once in their last six visits fixture congestion should become less of a problem. United would be five points ahead of Liverpool with a match in hand and seven points away from their 11th title. A draw would be a worse result for Anfield than Highbury. Certainly Ferguson is counting both on Liverpool going for a win and his own team showing superior temperament for the occasion. "In the past Liverpool have gone into games with us very relaxed and won them." the United manager reflerted yesterday.

"But tomorrow they have to do the businus.v "I've no idea about the make up of their players but I know the make-up of my own. I trust them to get on with the job. There have been some excellent performances this season and always on occasions when it's really mattered and it matters tomorrow." It is seven years since Liverpool took their last league title and Ferguson is convinced that United's more recent experience of winning championships will be an ad- David Lacey When putting players in the picture is an art in itself SINCE beinK sent off for fighting hardly amounts to martyrdom, it must be assumed that the canonisation of Robbie Fowler has been put on hold. He would not have won many admirers at Goodison on Wednesday by claiming that there had been no contact with the opponent in question. Not to worry.

By the time Fowler fell out with Everton's David Unsworth football had already discovered a divine alternative. One's initial reaction on seeing Eric Cantona depicted, in an oil covering 80 square feet, as Christ arising from the tomb was that both painter and purchaser must be several shades short of a full palette. Then again the artist was joking and presumably Cantona bought the picture for the same reason Marilyn Monroe snapped up as many of those nude photos of herself as she could. The clergymen who attacked the Cantona painting surely missed the point, which was that the work was not really trying to make a point at IWI we Crossword No A copy of the Collins English Dictionary will be sent to the first five correct entries drawn. Entries to The Guardian Crossword, PO.

Box 14641. London, EC1K or Fax to 0171 278 9115 by first post on Friday Solution and winners in the Guardian on Monday April 28. Name Address Tic here if you do not wish to receive further iniirinarnri fn.m ihi' Guardian Media Group or other companies screened by Exclusive: Robbie Fowler speaks page 12 all. How could it when the mighty Eric presented a figure more reminiscent of Frankie Howerd in Up Pompeii? But do not titter. Oh titter ye not.

Portraying famous football people in biblical scenes could set a trend. Joe Kinnear might feature in the miracle of the loaves and the fishes. Kenny Dalglish could deliver the sermon on the mount and George Graham cleanse the temple. And who better than Paul Gascoigne to turn water into wine? The most intriguing feature of Michael Browne's The Art of the Game was not so much his image of Cantona, based on Pierodella Francesca's Resurrection of Christ, as his inclusion, in the background, of Andrea Mantegna's Julius Caesar on his Triumphal Chariot. Except that in this case Caesar is Alex Ferguson, the first consul of Manchester United.

istorically the juxtapos i-tioningof the two characters is inaccurate, Julius Caesar having died in 44 BC. But Browne could hardly have portrayed Ferguson as the ruler of Rome at the time of the resurrection since Tiberius eventually went mad. And Julius did do well in Europe, particularly when win ningon away Gauls. Yet, compared to old Jules, Fergie has the edge in getting past March IS without a scratch. Since the security of a manager is roughly on a par with the emperors Nero and Caligula, this is no small feat The current season presents a scenario worth considering as football's answer to 1 Clau dius.

Arsenal sacked Bruce Rioch as the first ball was kicked, Howard Wilkinson left Leeds United while the leaves were still green, Ray Harford parted company with Blackburn Rovers before the clocks Game face. Alex Ferguson In Monday's now 12-page sports section: Award-winning writers report on the race for the Premiership and the first round of the world snooker championship; plus profiles of four men who can revive English cricket and columns by Harry Pearson and Frank Keatina CO went back, Frank Clark was replaced by a consular horse at Nottingham Forest and Kevin Keegan took the Brutus way out at Newcastle. Tomorrow, on BBC2, Alan Hansen, Match of the Day's Virgil, will be talking to a number of modern managers in a documentary. The Sack Race. Tommy Docherty, dismissed by Manchester United after they won the FA Cup because of his love for the club physio's wife, is interv iewed, as are two other managers who could be said to have been more seriously involved with affairs of the heart, Graeme Soilness and Barry Fry.

Souness, while manager of Liverpool, had a triple heart bypass and during the 1992 FA Cup semi-final with Portsmouth had a doctor at his side on the bench. Fry has had two heart attacks but still went out and bought Peterborough. THIS season has seen around 50 managerial changes in England and Scotland. Three of them involve one man. Iain Munro, late of Hamilton, St Mirren and Raith.

Colin Murphy was dismissed by Notts County four eeks after taking part in the programme. Has Michael Browne ever thought about depicting certain club chairmen in a reproduction of The Last Supper? The public have only another week to view the resurrected Cantona before he takes it home. But do not despair, supporters of Leeds United are believed to be commissioning another to depict Eric in a role which acknowl edges his Frenchness and sums up their feelings towards him. It will be based on the Death of Marat. Prize drink? (5-2) 10 InK producer it left such a mesa (10) 22 You have bottle opener and you have wine.

Sling out the cheese! (4) 14 Rock at 20 (3-4) 15 Strip at 20 (7) 14 Girl leaves glass at 20 a revered vessel (5) 17 I'm teetotal. I love upsetting the theme (9) Down 1 Put a penny on or withdraw in cards at 20 (4,11) 1 Extremely restricted opening at 20 (8) 3 People brazenly looking for business, the last being first at 20 (5) Guardian Set by Paul Open with a drink, soft but then lay down something stronger (9) 1 0 A stone circle goes west, the last in Greece (5) 11 The King has little hesitation: Two pints right away and an orange" (7) 11 Raise rum and lime? Not Paul! Maybe Saul? (7) 13 Though 26 has nothing in it, it's a masterty success (4) 14 Cold ram and some 25 for the giraffe (10) 14 Do Bill and the First Lady accept an informal greeting? (7) 17 Scrap increase in price of 4 Two terms at 20 and one may get carried away (8) The key is to get the odds before the end of the race (6) 0 I call solver 3 now it's solver's call at 20 (4.5) 7 Within Europe set about finding a currency (6) Men paid for services rendered, not for unpredictable character (5, 10) 15 Beat lazy English soul with fervour (9) 17 After father gets passport there's no need for a stamp (4-4) 14 Man has no true development, till now (8) SO Legal people with bad breath (3,3) JLW or To reatty fly to from Ashford, Paris or Brussels, take Kent. Eurostar 0345 30 30 30 tee an appointed travel agent or railway station. Csttt Any at laori rtt ABalUtm mniuntft ftuMtf..