Sir Alex Ferguson has heaped praise on his Manchester United defenders following their 1-0 victory over Swansea City this evening.

United have now gone five matches without conceding a goal since their 6-1 defeat to Manchester City last month.

"Keeping clean sheets has been an integral part of our success and we have been careless with our defending," Ferguson told MUTV.

"A few weeks ago there was genuine criticism about the defending and the chances opponents were getting. Swansea didn't really make any chances apart from the miss they had in the first half.

"It was a solid performance and we never looked like losing the game. We were comfortable and had good possession. And when you win these games 1-0 it brings the concentration back to a good level which has been lacking. The concentration we showed today is exactly the concentration we need back in the team."

Next up for United is a Champions League tie against Benfica on Tuesday evening.