TRADITION dies hard in a great club like Liverpool. They have their own way of doing things. But whatever their instincts, a long established aversion to man to man marking must be modified if Manchester United are to be deprived of the big double at Wembley this afternoon.

In simple terms, Eric Cantona must be stopped. And the fascinating thing is that with three centre backs, Liverpool are probably the best equipped side in the English game to do it. With John Scales doing a man marking job on Cantona, Liverpool have a chance with the Frenchman running free, United appear to have all the aces.

If I could turn the clock back to my best days at Liverpool, I'd really relish the job. Yet the interesting thing is that I can recall the club doing that sort of thing only once. That was against Bayern Munich in the semi finals of the European Cup, when Sammy Lee was given the task of curbing Paul Breitner. Otherwise, the general thinking at Liverpool was that you never made those sort of psychological concessions to other teams.

I made no secret of my admiration for United manager Alex Ferguson when the Premiership title was secured last weekend. And he is now in a position to give his players a further edge, mentally, as they prepare themselves for what is likely to be a tough, rather than thrilling, encounter.

Others may talk about the pressure of winning the double, but I don't think United will see it that way. They've already got a major trophy, whereas the only thing that Liverpool can show for their season so far is the promise of success some way down the road. Ferguson will impress this upon his players. In fact there are few better when it comes to the mind games which can be such a crucial apart of the big occasion.

He has a lot in common with fellow Scot, Kenny Dalglish. Neither manager has ever criticised any of his players, however justified it might have been, notably in the case of Cantona's behaviour last year and the indiscipline of Roy Keane. And Ferguson was suitably discreet in the wake of the stunning recent defeat by Southampton.

I expect this composure to be reflected in the eyes of the United players when they come out onto the Wembley pitch this afternoon. All the pressure is on Liverpool.

Even with two of the three best teams in the Premiership involved, it won't be a classic final far from it. The only hope is that an early goal could open things up. Otherwise I expect the exchanges to be extremely tight, with both sides content to probe patiently for an opening.

EITHER way, Cantona holds the key, the central figure around whom this United team functions. Apart from his own contribution, which is immense, the other players, particularly the youngsters, revere him.

For lads like Scholes, Butt and Beckham, he's an idol, their footballing guru. This has never been more in evidence than during the last three months as United powered their way towards the Premiership title.

Quite frankly, I think Cantona is the most influential player seen in England since Dalglish decided to hang up his boots. He has certainly had no peer this season as in attacking midfielder.

During my years at Liverpool, we always tried to dominate opponents. It was never in our nature to concede that a particular side might worry us. But I've a feeling things are different now.

My belief is that United will win, probably 1-0, simply because they are competitively tougher than Liverpool. They have that priceless ability of being able to play moderately and win. In fact, if I were asked to pick one team that would squeeze out a win for me, irrespective of current form, it would be United.

Liverpool, on the other hand, lack consistency. Certainly the partnership of Collymore and Fowler has been a fine success. And their play maker, McManaman, has had an outstanding season. Indeed I would go so far as to say that in crucial attacking positions, these three players represent the finest combination in the Premiership. And Roy Evans must also be greatly heartened by the growing maturity of goalkeeper David James.

BUT I'm not convinced about their strategy of using three centre backs, which often appears to be a luxury. In fact they are so under used at times that they can give the impression of simply doing the footballing equivalent of holding hands. And all the while, there is a consequent weakness in midfield.

Having seen quite a bit of Liverpool this season, I would go so far as to say that with a better balanced line up, in other words with the established formation of four across the back and four in midfield, their results could have been quite different in crucial matches.

Still, they retain many of the old Anfield virtues, which nobody characterises better than John Barnes, the man who keeps the side ticking over. Pass and move, that's the Anfield gospel which has shaped Barnes' career.

For Liverpool to win, they have to attack United. They cannot afford to sit back and graft patiently for openings. United know that game. Despite the youngsters in their side, they possess the confidence to wait for things to happen, aware all the while of the devastating pace of Giggs, Keane and Beckham on the break.

As I've suggested, all the pressure in on Liverpool. They know that they've been entrusted with the formidable task of satisfying the yearning among the fans for a return to the glory days.

Stop Cantona and Giggs: that has got to be the Liverpool battle cry. The more I think of it, the more staggering it seems that nobody has seriously set about curbing the Frenchman so far this season. Leeds tried it to a limited degree but they lacked the talent to see it through. Liverpool, on the other hand, have a system perfect for the job.

There is tremendous, mutual respect between these great clubs, but this is United's time. With the guidance of a powerful manager, I believe they possess the confidence to bring off the double, which they richly deserve. Liverpool, on the other hand, are set for glory, possibly as early as next season.