[funkdoctorspock]

Right, so after reading this article I thought it would be interesting to have a poll as to who you think the best defensive pair are in Europe.

Vote for your pair or vote other. State your case...

JOHN O'Shea has hailed his Manchester United team-mates Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic as the best central defensive partnership in Europe.

United have kept clean sheets in their last six consecutive league games, and have conceded only two goals in eight Barclays Premier League matches - both away from home - and none in Europe.

One more clean sheet, at Aston Villa on October 20, will mean the team equal a club record of seven set way back in 1924 in the old second division.

O'Shea said: "It's a pretty happy camp at the moment, especially with the defensive situation with the clean sheets.

"Rio and Nemanja are definitely a major factor to it - you cannot ask for two better central defenders in Europe, in my opinion.

"I hope they will stay clear of injury because they have been a major influence on keeping the clean sheets."

Vidic had to be substituted because of concussion during Saturday's 4-0 win over Wigan. But that was mainly as a precaution, and there are suggestions that the Serbian defender is in line to be given a new contract.

Headache

United do not normally hand out new deals until 12 months before a player's contract expires - but such has been Vidic's impact they may make a special case for him.

As O'Shea made clear, Vidic also gives opponents a headache at the other end of the pitch.

"Nemanja is big goal threat as well," he said.

"You know if the ball is going towards him when he makes a run there's a good chance of it being a goal. Other teams are picking up on that now, and he's becoming really tightly marked."

O'Shea has been filling in at right-back for the injured Wes Brown - and the Republic of Ireland international says there is huge pride in the back four and the goalkeeper when they stop opponents scoring.

"For a defender, keeping a clean sheet is like a striker scoring a couple of goals," he reasons.

"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.

"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.

"The top teams are gathering pace now - and Arsenal, in particular, look very tasty at the minute."
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Vidic and Rio on same wavelength

NEMANJA Vidic has revealed he shares an almost telepathic on-field relationship witH United defensive partner Rio Ferdinand.

The duo starred in yet another clean sheet performance on Tuesday as the Red Devils held off AS Roma thanks to Wayne Rooney's clinical late effort.

Aside from the Carling Cup debacle against Coventry, when neither Vidic nor Ferdinand were even on the bench, it is now virtually 11 hours since United last conceded.

Vidic's partnership with Ferdinand has plenty to do with that.

At times the duo are so effective, Sir Alex Ferguson has likened them to Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister, who provided the bedrock for United's early title successes in the 1990s.

And Vidic confirmed how easy it is for him alongside the England international.

"Rio is a great player and I am really glad to be in the same defence as him," said the Serbia star.

"We know each other really well. We know where each other are on the pitch and we know what movements the other one is going to make. That has to be important and so far things have gone really well.

"There are so many great players up front for us, if we keep a clean sheet we feel someone will score in the end and I am pretty proud our record is so good."
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