Post by Taxigirl on Oct 4, 2005 8:37:37 GMT
www.leedsunited.com
United boss Kevin Blackwell was able to give praise to his defence after another clean sheet in the league - their seventh of the season.
Only Reading have kept as many clean sheets in the Championship this season and the 0-0 against Watford was an encouraging sign that his defence have tightened up after conceding seven goals in the previous five games.
Said Blackwell: "It was important that we went to Watford, looked solid, and made sure that we didn't concede goals needlessly.
"It was important to the boys that we went into this two week break unbeaten, and we knew that coming to a team fifth in the division that have been high on confidence it was always going to be a battle and difficult place to get a result
"People talk about the pace of my back four, but they had the four quickest lads against them and they coped comfortably.
"That's seven out of eleven games now we've kept a clean sheet in and that's not bad."
Blackwell made one change to his defence on Saturday, bringing Matthew Kilgallon in for his first league start of the season ahead of recognised left-back's Stephen Crainey and Dan Harding.
"Matthew did quite well in spells but I know he's not a left-back," commented the boss. "Stephen Crainey had been looking a bit tired after being out for 11 months, and Dan Harding has one or two things we have to sort out, but overall I am quite pleased."
Winger Eddie Lewis felt it was a game where defences were more involved and a quieter one for the forwards.
"When a team is just dumping it long and trying to get on the end of things, you have to defend first and as a result it was difficult to impose our game," said the USA international.
"We ended up dropping a bit deep and then trying to get out on the counter but it wasn't easy because we found ourselves a little deeper than we wanted to be, but obviously securing a clean sheet was the first goal and hoping to try and get one on the counter was the second.
"We took care of the first but unfortunately couldn't get the goal."
United boss Kevin Blackwell was able to give praise to his defence after another clean sheet in the league - their seventh of the season.
Only Reading have kept as many clean sheets in the Championship this season and the 0-0 against Watford was an encouraging sign that his defence have tightened up after conceding seven goals in the previous five games.
Said Blackwell: "It was important that we went to Watford, looked solid, and made sure that we didn't concede goals needlessly.
"It was important to the boys that we went into this two week break unbeaten, and we knew that coming to a team fifth in the division that have been high on confidence it was always going to be a battle and difficult place to get a result
"People talk about the pace of my back four, but they had the four quickest lads against them and they coped comfortably.
"That's seven out of eleven games now we've kept a clean sheet in and that's not bad."
Blackwell made one change to his defence on Saturday, bringing Matthew Kilgallon in for his first league start of the season ahead of recognised left-back's Stephen Crainey and Dan Harding.
"Matthew did quite well in spells but I know he's not a left-back," commented the boss. "Stephen Crainey had been looking a bit tired after being out for 11 months, and Dan Harding has one or two things we have to sort out, but overall I am quite pleased."
Winger Eddie Lewis felt it was a game where defences were more involved and a quieter one for the forwards.
"When a team is just dumping it long and trying to get on the end of things, you have to defend first and as a result it was difficult to impose our game," said the USA international.
"We ended up dropping a bit deep and then trying to get out on the counter but it wasn't easy because we found ourselves a little deeper than we wanted to be, but obviously securing a clean sheet was the first goal and hoping to try and get one on the counter was the second.
"We took care of the first but unfortunately couldn't get the goal."