BRYAN Robson plotted the downfall of Everton last Saturday - in particular, the damage-limitation exercise against the Goodison "air force" in the shape of striker Duncan Fergsuon

And what worked for the Middlesbrough manager might also benefit Blackburn Rovers as they prepare to combat arguably the Premiership's most lethal aerial weapon.

Standing six feet three inches tall, and with a glare that suggests he isn't the sort of man to be crossed, Ferguson cuts a menacing figure on a football pitch.

Lean, mean and moody - that's the image conjured up of the rangy Everton and Scotland striker. And it's difficult to contradict.

For, while Ferguson makes his presence felt on the field, as Colin Hendry and Chris Coleman are likely to find out tomorrow, he is a relatively anonymous figure away from the action these days.

The high-flying Ferguson simply doesn't speak publicly, not to the national Press, nor the locals, not even to the club magazine.

So, what you see is what you get and Blackburn Rovers are likely to see quite a lot of this particular master of the airways tomorrow afternoon.

Middlesbrough did last Saturday but they coped, even without their best header of a ball at the back in Nigel Pearson.

Robson said: "Everton are a very strong side and we knew they would be knocking balls up for Ferguson.

"On his day he can be a matchwinner because he is so strong in the air. "You have to look to win the second balls and, although he gave us a problem in the first half, we got to grips with it in the second half and dealt with it."

Being first to the knockdowns is one aspect of the game in which Rovers will need to be razor sharp.

And they might also heed another bit of advice that worked for Boro.

Robson added: "We let Everton push us back too much in the first half.

"But I had a chat with the lads at half time and we pushed out in the second half. That restricted Ferguson's heading."

The message is clear then - don't defend too deeply.

Ferguson's career has hardly followed a model path.

Yet Everton had enough faith in his ability to pay Glasgow Rangers £4 million for his services, despite disciplinary problems in Scotland. And he hardly had a smooth start to his Goodison career.

But he will spearhead the Everton attack at Ewood with Rovers well aware that he is a major threat which must be curbed if they are to have a chance of claiming their first Premiership victory of the season.

That, as Ferguson's international colleague Hendry knows only too well, won't be easy.

His own goalscoring record is scarcely earth-shattering but it's the chaos he creates in the opposition penalty area that counts for so much.

Seventy seven games with Dundee United produced 28 goals. Troubled times at Ibrox saw just 14 appearances and two goals.

At the start of the season, Ferguson had 12 from 41 League games with Everton and he immediately improved on that with a double at Old Trafford in the second match of the season. But those two strikes against the champions are the only ones Ferguson has in the bank so far.

With the likes of Andrei Kanchelskis and Andy Hinchcliffe pumping over the crosses, however, it's a total that could increase substantially at any time.

The only sound you'll hear from Ferguson after the game is silence, but it's keeping him quiet during the match that will pre-occupy Rovers tomorrow.

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