Time to put bad start behind us, says Manchester United's Nemanja Vidic

Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic has told his team-mates to get back to basics as they bid to ease the pressure on David Moyes at Sunderland today.

Under-fire boss Moyes has endured a bumpy beginning to his first season at Old Trafford, with United slumping to 12th in the Premier League table after their worst start since 1989.

Defeats at bitter rivals Liverpool and Manchester City in the league had alarm bells ringing among United fans who are concerned Moyes will not be able to emulate Alex Ferguson's glorious reign, and last weekend's 2-1 home loss against West Bromwich Albion sparked a chorus of disapproval from the Old Trafford crowd.

United's 1-1 draw at Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Wednesday was a creditable result in the circumstances. But Serbian defender Vidic acknowledges United have been well below their best so far, and he believes his defence must provide a solid foundation to allow Moyes' men to get back on track against Sunderland, who sit bottom of the table without a manager after Paolo Di Canio's sacking and still waiting for their first win of the season.

"We have to accept it has not been a great start," Vidic said. "We have not been getting the performances we would have liked and we also have to be realistic enough to accept we have made some mistakes.

"This team has a lot of potential and we are working really well. Sometimes the results don't come. Sometimes the performances don't come. But I am really positive.

"The most important thing is to defend right. If we defend well, I think we have a really good chance to win trophies."