ONE thing is certain at Old Trafford on Saturday: Liverpool FC striker Luis Suarez will be given a bad reception from the home fans. A very, very bad reception.

If Patrice Evra thought he was poorly treated in the FA Cup game at Anfield last month, then he should see what lies in wait for Suarez.

When big football games come up then there are a lot of villages that will be minus a few idiots that have gone to the match.

Look at the reception Rio Ferdinand got at Chelsea on Sunday because of the ongoing John Terry case. Are those supporters suggesting that he’s somehow done something wrong because Anton Ferdinand is his brother?

We’ve come a long way with racism, particularly compared to how it was when I was playing, but there remains much to be done.

Suarez is going to cop it big time. Some of it might be a bit of banter, some of it won’t. But Suarez already cops it wherever he goes because opposition supporters see him as a real threat.

Players realise some of the abuse you get is because you are hurting their team. But if some snotty bloke in the stands is slaughtering you or your family, it’s hard not to look at him and not think you want to chin him.

There’s a fine line between that and open abuse, and I fear that’s what the Uruguayan will have to contend with.

However, it’s hard to say how a person will react in that situation.

Look at Zinedine Zidane in the World Cup final in 2006. Marco Materazzi said something to him, and Zidane waited 15, 20, 30 seconds before it sunk in and he butted the Italian in the chest.

Liverpool will want Suarez to walk away from any abuse but that’s easier said than done. He’ll have to really try, though, because the world and his wife will be against him.

Andy Carroll and Steven Gerrard will no doubt be delighted if Suarez gets on because the spotlight will be on him rather than them!

As Kenny Dalglish and Sir Alex Ferguson have already stated, let’s hope everybody just gets on with the game.

Liverpool-United is like a derby. It doesn’t matter what the last score was. If you aren’t ready and up for the fight, then you may as well not turn up.