Ryan Giggs believes having Edwin van der Sar as the last line of
defence breeds confidence throughout the Manchester United
team.
The veteran Holland international was in superb form in the 1-0
UEFA Champions League victory over Sporting Lisbon, making superb
stops from Liedson and Tonel.
He even edged goalscorer and returning Sporting hero Cristiano
Ronaldo for the man of the match honours.
And Giggs admits such displays are now almost expected of the
former Ajax and Fulham goalkeeper.
"Edwin didn't put a foot wrong," said Giggs.
"He could quite easily have spilled some of the shots he had to
save because the pitch was quite bumpy. But he made it look quite
easy.
"He has a calming effect on the whole team because he doesn't make
that many mistakes. He has been doing it for so long now, you take
it for granted."
And Giggs believes United's defensive solidity can help them in
their quest for silverware at home and abroad.
Four successive 1-0 victories demonstrate a greater resilience, but
concerns remain over the Red Devils' relative lack of goals.
"Defensively, we were very good," Giggs said.
"We all know how important it is to keep clean sheets because with
the amount of talent in this team, we will create chances.
"All we need to do is get that last pass, or that last decision
right but we know the goals will come."