Steady Teddy Seeks Clean Sheets

UNITED defender Teddy Lucic hopes Leed's first clean sheet in nine Premiership games is just the start of more shut-outs.

The Swedish defender was pleased to make his return to Terry Venables starting line-up on Monday night a winning one, and revealed that there has been extra attention paid to defending in training recently, with the whole team involved.

"We kept it blank at the back which is something we haven't managed to do a lot," said Teddy, "So the win was good because of that as well as getting all the points.

"We've been practicing our defending quite a lot in training these past few days. I think everyone knew what we had to do and we did it really well. That was the difference."

Hopefully Teddy can prove to be United's new 'rock' in the heart of a defence that has seen so many changes in personnel, and leaked in 25 goals in the process - just twelve less than United let in during the whole of last season.

United's defence in 2001/2002 was the third best in the whole of the Premiership behind eventual champions Arsenal and runners-up Liverpool, and Teddy knows that if they can keep collecting clean sheets, they could yet make the European places come the end of the season.

"I really hope that this is the corner we are about to turn, it will be if we can play like this for every game now and we'll take more points.

"We showed our spirit in that Bolton game, but we have to show in in every game now in the future - not just one game here and there, all the time."