LET'S face it, as Paul Warhurst puts it so succinctly, there is never a good time to be playing Manchester United.

Obviously, if half your team is laid up with flu, you could not be blamed for seeking a postponement - although Juventus did not do too badly the other night under those circumstances.

On the other hand, you would only be deluding yourself if you thought there were easy points to be had if Sir Alex Ferguson was saddled with such a handicap.

Such is the quality, size and strength of the Old Trafford squad that, within reason, whatever team Fergie sends out is capable of beating any team, any time, any place in Europe.

Yet twice in two seasons, Wanderers have embarrassed the "mighty" Reds and there were no signs of apprehension and certainly no hint of inferiority as Sam Allardyce explained how he hopes to make it three out of four at the Reebok tomorrow.

First and foremost he will demand total commitment from every player who pulls on a white shirt; tactically he will insist his players resist the temptation to over-commit themselves and leave themselves vulnerable to United's breathtaking counter-attacking style; and he will make everyone aware - if they are not already au fait - that they cannot allow Ruud van Nistelrooy an inch of space.

In fact, if he has his way, Big Sam will be delighted if this turns out to be "the most boring derby we've ever seen" and his defenders can keep United's star-studded attack at bay going into the last 15 minutes.

"Then we'd have a great chance of getting something out of the game," he says unashamedly.

In their current position, Wanderers need every point they can get and just a draw would be seen as an enormous boost to their survival hopes. In truth, Allardyce would forfeit a win if he could guarantee three points from either of the games against relegation rivals Sunderland and West Ham.

The Bolton manager is nothing if not a realist.

He acknowledges United's individual superiority and knows that, at their best, they are almost invincible but he made great play in October 2001 of the possibility that they may be distracted by the fact that the Old Trafford derby was sandwiched between two crucial Champions League games.

And he believes that, as on the occasion of that memorable 2-1 win, there are again factors that could be to the advantage of the underdog.

Since Wanderers draw 1-1 at West Brom on February 8, they have had a six-day warm weather break in Dubai and a week of training on the heated Reebok pitch while United have had three strength-sapping games at Old Trafford - a 1-1 with Manchester City in the Premiership, a 2-0 defeat by Arsenal in the FA Cup and a 2-1 victory in the first of two Champions League clashes with Juventus in the space of seven days.

"We're talking about two teams at opposite ends of the Premiership spectrum," Allardyce explained.

"But we've had two weeks to get ourselves ready for the biggest game of the season.

"We've had more than enough time to get ourselves ready while United have had less time to prepare and more games.

"That should, hopefully, cause them problems.

"Not only the two Juventus games but the Arsenal game and the fact that they had something like 13 of their players away on international duty last week.

"Manchester United are a great side but they are not super human and they must feel the strain some time."