Nemanja Vidic shares credit for Manchester United's solidity

22 April 2009 11:06
Manchester United v PortsmouthKick-off: Wed Apr 22, 8.00pm, OldTrafford, ManchesterRadio: BBC Radio Five Live [LNB]United, who can reclaim top spot in the Premier League by avoiding defeat at home to Portsmouth, have kept successive clean sheets against Porto and Everton following Ferdinand's return from a two-week groin injury lay-off. [LNB] Related ArticlesMan Utd v Portsmouth: Game ZoneUnited increase ticket pricesScholes set for 600th gameTorres: United can't match BarcaScholes . . . What they sayCharlton: Time for Ferguson and Benitez to make upWithout Ferdinand, United shipped five goals in three games against Aston Villa, Porto and Sunderland and the defensive frailties were beginning to threaten the club's assault on a quintuple. [LNB]Everton's penalty shoot-out victory in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final has ended United hopes of a five major trophies this term, but they remain on course to retain their Premier League and Champions League titles. [LNB]But Serbian defender Vidic insists that any success United achieve between now and the end of the season will be a team effort and not merely a result of his partnership with Ferdinand. [LNB]Vidic said: "You cannot defend with two players and you cannot score goals with just two players. It is all about the group and we finally started to play again the way we had played before. We are a unit, all 11 players. [LNB]"In the games before we played in Porto, we conceded many goals, too many and we didn't play like we had been doing previously. [LNB]"But I hope our form now will signal the start again of a period where we do not concede many goals. I think we can now get back to being as solid and tight as we were before." [LNB]Liverpool's failure to beat Arsenal at Anfield has opened the door for United to take a firm grip of the title race again. The champions are level on points with Rafael Benitez's team, but have two games in hand. [LNB]Vidic insists that United's return to form is simply a result of individual players accepting the challenge of stepping up to the plate. [LNB]He said: "It wasn't about getting together and talking about where we had to improve. Sometimes you just have to look at yourself. You know what you have to do. At this stage of the season, we knew we had to perform to our best and get it right." [LNB] 

Source: Telegraph