Blackburn Rovers v Manchester United - Peter White's big match preview

JUST two years ago this month, Blackburn Rovers and Manchester United were locked in another toe-to-toe struggle, slogging it out for the Premiership title.

For the second year in succession, these two clubs had proved themselves to be far and away the best in English football - head and shoulders above the pack.

But you would need the assistance of an AA route map to chart the starkly contrasting directions taken by them since Kenny Dalglish's team provided the last successful challenge to the Old Trafford monopoly of the Premiership.

Towards the end of the 1993-94 season, Rovers made April Fools of United, thanks to two goals from Alan Shearer, and pushed Alex Ferguson's title-winning side almost all the way to the finishing line.

The following year, it was Rovers' turn to triumph and it seemed a new major rivalry had been established, set to last for years with the blue riband of English football at stake. Sadly for Ewood supporters that promise - for the moment at least - remains frustratingly unfulfilled as is vividly illustrated by tomorrow's clash between the titans from Old Trafford and Rovers' relegation battlers.

United stand on the brink of yet another championship and, possibly, an appearance in the European Cup final.

They have consistently remained in contention at the top since the Premier League was formed in 1992.

Rovers, on the other hand, have been through turmoil and trauma this season - following last year's near-miss of a UEFA Cup spot.

The contrast could hardly be greater. So why has it happened?

A few major factors spring immediately to mind, not least the decision of Kenny Dalglish that he had had enough of management, while Ferguson was moving into cruise control, comfortably in command of a United squad he had painstakingly assembled over a number of years.

And, of course, Rovers lost Alan Shearer, even more irreplaceable to them than Eric Cantona would be to the red half of Manchester.

There have been two other significant differences since those heady days when Rovers ruled the roost and their rivals had to settle for second best.

Ferguson brought in players when he was in a position of strength, Rovers didn't. Having been at Old Trafford for more than a decade, he has also been able to enjoy the fruits of a youth policy which remains among the best in the land.

The Neville brothers, Gary and Philip, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and the precocious talents of David Beckham have all added much to their club's two-pronged trophy assault.

Beckham, in fact, could become only the second player to claim both the PFA player of the year and the young player awards on Sunday.

He is nominated in both categories and only Andy Gray, then with Aston Villa, has achieved the feat in previous years.

"It is nice for David to be recognised by his fellow professionals in this way," said Ferguson.

"These are the awards that have a special meaning for players because it is they who make the final choice."

Rovers can't bring back either Dalglish or Shearer but they can put themselves back on course to challenge the likes of United again in the other areas.

A major effort in the transfer market is a must this summer, to emulate the likes of Ferguson, who didn't lay out a fortune but plucked the likes of rising star Ole Gunnar Solskjaer out of relative obscurity with Molde in Norway for £1.5 million.

And we could already be seeing significant progress from the seeds of Rovers' new and expanded youth policy, sown a few years back.

Young players like Marlon Broomes, Damien Duff and James Thomas might, in the not-too-distant future, be the Ewood answer to the Nevilles and Beckhams.

But, for the moment, the gulf exists and Rovers are well aware that it will take a superhuman effort for them to bridge it at Ewood tomorrow.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.