In England

NOW is the time for Duncan Ferguson to stand up, be counted and head the goals that will save Everton from the ignominy of relegation to a division in which they last played in 1954.

The only problem, of course, is that he could score six at home to Coventry tomorrow and it would still not be enough if Bolton, who start one point in front, were to win their final match away to Chelsea. Any Everton supporter foolish enough to have laughed at Manchester City last week, when they scored five at Stoke and still went down, should have known better.

For once Coventry have nothing to play for and are therefore in a similar situation to Wimbledon four years ago, on the famous afternoon when Everton had to beat them to stay up, and did so 3-2 after trailing 2-0 in the first 20 minutes. It was Sheffield United who went down that day instead, beaten by a last-minute goal at Chelsea.

Bolton - with the worst away record in the Premiership - could hardly expect to win at Stamford Bridge under normal circumstances. Abnormality abounds, however, not just because of their own desperation, but because Chelsea will be three days away from the European Cup-winners' Cup final.

Will Gianluca Vialli risk the wrath of the authorities - and Everton - by fielding a weakened team? Or might he put out a theoretically strong one, which is in fact full of players not wanting to jeopardise their places in Stockholm by roaring into tackles or taking risks?

Given that half a dozen players have been in treatment all week, the probability is that several keen youngsters will be included. With others wanting to press for a place in the final, that might not be to Bolton's advantage. If Bolton needed only a draw, they would probably be favourites to get it. As things stand, one point ought not to be enough, and Everton - who also have a better goal difference - should be fancied to find the passion to bring off another escape.

A different sort of cup final - at Wembley next Saturday - will be at the back, or perhaps even the front, of Arsenal and Newcastle minds as they approach a final league game of greater interest to their opponents than themselves.

Arsenal, having fielded virtually a reserve team at Liverpool midweek after securing the championship, now visit Aston Villa, in seventh place. Finishing seventh will secure a UEFA Cup place only if Chelsea win the Cup-winners' Cup, so Villa would ideally like to move above Blackburn, who are a point ahead of them as they entertain Newcastle.

Liverpool, Chelsea, and Leeds will play in Europe come what may. Derby, at home to Liverpool tomorrow, have only an outside chance, after their exciting, cosmopolitan side proved to lack a bit of good old British staying power.

The other contenders, West Ham and Leicester, meet at Upton Park, both on 53 points, to Villa's 54 and Blackburn 55. West Ham will feel particularly aggrieved if they miss out after passing up points in a home defeat by Southampton and then a draw away to Crystal Palace.

There will be sentimental farewells to Premiership football at Barnsley, where Manchester United are the visitors, and at Tottenham, for whom Jurgen Klinsmann and possibly Nicola Berti will be saying goodbye.

Brian McClair, Alex Ferguson's first signing at Old Trafford, will hope for one last game in United colours after being given a free transfer. He would do a good job for an ambitious club on either side of the Border. The annual lottery of the play-offs begins in all three lower divisions, with Peter Reid's Sunderland painfully aware that the team finishing third in the first division generally loses out - often to the side in sixth place.

That should not happen this time, for Sheffield United, wearied by their run to the FA Cup semi-final, only just scraped into the play-offs at all after failing to win any of their last four games. They have home advantage against Sunderland tomorrow, but will need a big lead to be confident of surviving the away leg on Wednesday. Ipswich's tie with Charlton looks too close to call, both teams having finished the league season with a splendid run.

There is one game this afternoon in which Kevin Keegan will be leading a team for the first time since January 1997, when he walked out on Newcastle. Having taken the painful decision to sack his friend and former England colleague Ray Wilkins as team manager 48 hours before the play-off first leg against Grimsby, Keegan must use his undoubted powers of motivation to lift Fulham.

It would be a huge anti-climax - as well as a culpable misuse of #7m of Mohammed Al Fayed's riches - if they fail to win promotion, albeit by the indirect route.

qJOE JORDAN could be set for a return to football management next season with Millwall.

The Northern Ireland No.2 is the top target for the second division London club after they axed Billy Bonds. They intend to ask the Northern Irish FA for permission to approach the former Hearts manager and hope to appoint Alan McLeary as their player-coach, with Jordan overseeing operations.

McLeary worked with Jordan at Bristol City when the former Scotland striker was manager.