<span class="titolo">O’Shea Praises ‘Europe’s Best’ Defensive Duo</span></p> <span class="sommario">With a club-record equaling seventh consecutive league clean sheet on the horizon, Manchester United’s John O’Shea hailed the centre-back partnership of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand.</span></p> <span lang="EN" style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Arial;">United head into <st1lace w:st="on">Villa Park</st1lace> to play Aston Villa on October 20<sup>th</sup>, and if they manage to keep another clean sheet they will have equaled a club record set way back in 1924. With the record in sights, John O’Shea lauded the key roles the centre-backs have played, claiming that Vidic and Ferdinand are possibly the “best in <st1lace w:st="on">Europe</st1lace>”,<o></o></span></p> "It's a pretty happy camp at the moment, especially with the defensive situation with the clean sheets.</p> "Rio and Nemanja are definitely a major factor to it - you cannot ask for two better central defenders in <st1lace w:st="on">Europe</st1lace>, in my opinion.</p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="MsoNormal">"I hope they will stay clear of injury because they have been a major influence on keeping the clean sheets."<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Arial;"><o></o></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Arial;"><o></o></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Arial;"><o></o></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Arial;">The water-tight partnership between Vidic and Ferdinand has played in each league game this season and they have been the main reasons that United have not conceded in their last six games. Coming off the back of an impressive title winning season in which United’s stubborn backline allowed the impressive attackers to weave their magic, O’Shea was quick to point at the vital contribution good defenders provide for a successful team,<o></o></span></p> "For a defender, keeping a clean sheet is like a striker scoring a couple of goals.</p> "With the attacking quality we have, we know if we keep a clean sheet then nine times out of 10 we are going to win the game.</p> "We hope we can keep it going. Gary Neville will be back soon - and with the games we have coming up in the Champions League and the Premier League, we need his kind of experience.</p> "The top teams are gathering pace now - and Arsenal, in particular, look very tasty at the minute."</p> </p> O'Shea and Ferdinand</p> </p>
