SAM Allardyce paid tribute to Jean Tigana today for steering Fulham to the threshold of their Premiership dream.

The Wanderers' boss says the Frenchman with the trademark toothpick is the reason why the Cottagers are racing 'certs' to take the Division One title.

"You've got to give the credit to Jean Tigana because I don't think, pound for pound, Fulham are any better than we are," he said, assessing the two squads ahead of tomorrow's top of the table clash.

"I think that what he's done and the confidence he has given them is a great credit to him. I mean, to overcome the loss of Chris Coleman without going out and buying a replacement shows how much confidence he has in the players he's got.

"But the one thing he has done, which is what I'm trying to do here, is make sure they score enough goals.

"With Saha, Boa Morte and Hayles - 24, 17 and 17 apiece - it says it all. It means that, if the defence slips up it doesn't matter because they'll score two or three ... but they've got one of the best defensive records in the league anyway!"

For all his pride and confidence in his own team's ability, Allardyce knows Wanderers cannot afford to let the high-flying Londoners take the initiative tomorrow.

"We can't go on conceding the first goal," he said, repeating his concern after seeing his previously water-tight defence concede first in five of their last six games.

"If we keep doing that - particularly tomorrow - the opposition will wait and prey on our mistakes as we try to get that goal back.

"Yet, when we do get the first goal, the stats show that we don't lose."

Despite reeling from the 4-1 defeat by Blackburn, Wanderers have drawn encouragement from the fact that Fulham have hardly been in scintillating form themselves recently, winning just three of their last seven games.

In fact they are kicking themselves for slipping up at home to Huddersfield and Grimsby in the two games prior to the derby drubbing, which has left them 12 points adrift of the Champions-elect.

"It's a great shame that, while they've hit a bad spell, we are having a dodgy spell ourselves," Allardyce said, lamenting the recent dropped points. "If we hadn't done that it would have made this game a lot more interesting from our point of view in terms of putting the pressure on Fulham."

Wanderers will give a late test to Ricardo Gardner, who was concussed in Jamaica's 1-0 World Cup qualifying win against Trinidad and Tobago in midweek.

Steve Banks is likely to continue in goal although there has been speculation that Alardyce could offer on-loan Northern Irelmand international Tommy Wright his first start.

Fulham, who inflicted Wanderers' first League defeat of the season when they won 2-0 at the Reebok in September, are predicting a party atmosphere at the Cottage as the club and its fans celebrate the news earlier this week that they have been given the go-ahead to build a new £70 million stadium on the current site.