REMEMBRANCE and reverence will tug at heart-strings tomorrow when Old Trafford becomes the focal point for an outpouring of emotion.

Before the Premiership game between Manchester United and Bolton Wanderers there will be a ceremony to mark the 40th anniversary of the Munich air disaster, which cruelly decimated the fledgling Busby Babes.

The actual anniversary of the terrible crash, which numbered eight of United's star players among the death list of 23, is today, the mournful occasion marked by a memorial mass in Manchester. But fans attending the top-flight game at United's Theatre of Dreams - the first glimpses of reverie first provided by that young United side of four decades ago - also get the chance to remember the appalling loss.

How this will then affect the proceedings to follow is an unknown factor. The necessity of points for either side for so contrasting reasons - United to restore their title superiority, Bolton to hang on to Premiership status - palls to the memory of the occasion. But it would be fitting if both teams manage to produce an encounter of vibrancy that so typified the dream-team that prematurely perished on that snowbound Munich runway 40 years before.

History is not on Bolton's side. Two seasons ago in a yo-yo fling in the top-flight they lost both games to their Lancashire rivals conceding nine goals without managing a single reply. Even though Leicester shocked United on Old Trafford turf last week a repeat would be as unlikely as lightning striking twice.

Up at St James' Park, West Ham United's new signing Trevor Sinclair will be out to show what Newcastle boss Kenny Dalglish missed. Before Sinclair made his cross-capital move to Upton Park Dalglish was reported to have made a late bid for the versatile striker. But Sinclair settled on Hammer-time and marked his debut with a double in the 2-2 draw with Everton.

So far this term Harry Redknapp's men have journeyed to other grounds with all the comfort of a child afflicted by rampant travel-sickness. They could have grounds for feeling even queasier. The £15 million man Alan Shearer has yet to open his Premiership account since his return from long-term injury. But two goals to end the Stevenage FA Cup saga may be followed up to enable Shearer to celebrate his restoration to the national squad.

Other strikers eager to remind national coach Glenn Hoddle just what they are capable of will be hoping to home in on goal.

Piqued Blackburn Rovers' goal ace Chris Sutton, who has reportedly refused to accept demotion to 'B' team duty against Chile, will fancy his chances of adding to his 15-goal tally for the season against the brittle defence of Tottenham Hotspur.

The Christian Gross squad are still in deep trouble. Morale will not have been helped by Frenchman David Ginola's hint of washing and going should Spurs swap premiership pedigree for the Nationwide tenure, and now the sickening facial injury suffered in the Barnsley cup tumble for Juergen Klinsmann.

Over at Anfield visiting Southampton will do well to beware the Robbie Fowler backlash.

Rejected by England in favour of precocious Liverpool team-mate Michael Owen, the 22-year-old 'veteran' has been told by Hoddle that he needs to step up his work-rate to stake a realistic claim for the World Cup squad.

Southampton, shorn of key players by injury, may need prayers as much as players. Fowler has been getting in goal-scoring positions, but missing. Someone is going to feel the full vent of his red mist sooner rather than later.

If Messrs Sutton and Fowler are growling, Coventry City skipper Dion Dublin is like a dog with two tails after his unexpected elevation to the England party for the friendly against Chile. Since a proposed move to Middlesbrough was snagged Dublin has been in Sky Blue heaven leading by stirring example in a Coventry revival capped by a 5-1 win at Bolton last week. He was also crowned January Carling player of the month, the first Coventry player ever to win such an award.

The Midlands side have a genuine swagger about them and will have no qualms about entertaining a Sheffield Wednesday side now led by former Coventry supremo Ron Atkinson. The Owls' armoury, however, has been supplemented by the accuracy of Andy Hinchcliffe, their new £3m capture from Everton. His delivery from set-pieces will be relished by strikers Benito Carbone and Andy Booth.Hinchcliffe's old club Everton are also on the crest of confidence, despite the messy Gary Speed affair.

Without their current unsettled captain the Blues will hope to continue to prosper at Barnsley, whose 'all' appears now to be not enough for the demands of the upper-tier.

Key men will be Nicky Barmby, again showing the form that once suggested he would be an England regular for several years, and Neil Redfearn, the one Barnsley battler of Premiership class as amply demonstrated in the knockout win over Spurs.

One look at Aston Villa and no-one would doubt the potential of Brian Little's side.

But their Sunday shocker at home to Newcastle has left the Villans perilously close to the relegation posse. Extracting anything from Derby County's Pride Park will be one of the most difficult tasks for Villa.

The Rams are in rambunctious form. Hunting a place in Europe their sixth-place status has been built on the solid foundations of home supremacy with Derby the only side not to yield to defeat on their own turf this Premiership season.

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