O'Neill: Clean sheets crucial

Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill has stressed the need for his side to start keeping clean sheets if they are to keep their European hopes alive.

Villa have gone 17 games since they last shut out the opposition in a 4-0 win at Blackburn in late November.

They have become prone to conceding sloppy goals – as was highlighted again in the mix-up between Zat Knight and Scott Carson which led to Sunderland striker Michael Chopra’s winner at Villa Park at the weekend.

O’Neill wants his side to play entertaining and attacking football but knows it is equally important to be resilient at the back.

He told PA Sport: “I think we should be able to defend better. We have scored goals which sometimes overlooks the fact we haven’t kept clean sheets.

“I didn’t need to be told we hadn’t kept a clean sheet for a long time. I was well aware of it and it is important.”

O’Neill said Manchester United earlier this season went on a run of winning 1-0.

“Once the team got into free-scoring mode, as Rooney and Ronaldo are now doing, that is forgotten but the big time this season for them was the seven 1-0 wins,” he said.

“To me, that was massive. If Manchester United, who are attacking all the time, can keep clean sheets, it is up to us to try and keep one or two more than we have been doing.

“If you said to me we will win 5-4, I would take it every week because I am sure it would be a decent game.

“But we are not and it is about time we got back to keeping clean sheets. It could be crucial in the next few weeks.”