LIVERPOOL's Roy Evans and Middlesbrough's Bryan Robson last night turned up the volume on the controversial debate over whether there should be an extension to this season's Premiership.

The issue has already driven a rift between Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, desperate for an extension to ease the leaders' European and Premiership fixture pile up, and Arsenal's Arsene Wenger, equally adamant that the season should end on time.

Now Evans and Robson have joined in. The Liverpool manager rowed in with Wenger, and Robson, mindful of his team's Premiership relegation struggle and ongoing commitments in the FA and League Cups, is in the Ferguson camp.

Evans entered the discussion, after Liverpool's defeat by Coventry. "I believe it would be totally out of order for one club to play a game in isolation," he said, referring to Ferguson's wish to play United's final game of the season, against Newcastle, after the rest of the programme has finished. You can't shift the goalposts at this stage of the season. The fixtures may not be ideal but they are on the list."

Robson, meanwhile, emerged as Ferguson's ally, after Middlesbrough's League Cup final draw against Leicester.

"Getting into a situation now where the backlog of games is ridiculous, that's just the way it is," said Robson. "I would prefer to see the season extended, because that would only be fair, although Alex Ferguson's already had a knock back, and perhaps there's no point in me trying.

"We could end up having to play four games in seven days, maybe five in seven days if we draw with Chesterfield in the FA Cup semi final next Sunday. Surely that's ridiculous."