JUSSI Jaaskelainen is convinced Wanderers will be playing in Europe again next season, if they can keep their mean streak going.

The Wanderers keeper has kept six clean sheets in the first 11 league games, only two short of the last seasons overall total and a ratio that is sure to keep the Reebok flag flying high in the Premiership.

Successive shut-outs against West Brom, West Ham in the Carling Cup and Charlton have given the Whites a major confidence boost going into their UEFA Cup clash with Zenit St Petersburg, when they can take a major step towards the last 32.

And Jaaskelainen sees no reason why they should not be doing the same next season.

He said: "If we can keep this going we're going to finish in Europe again. We know what we need to do to win football matches, we have to work hard.

"But if we can keep that going we will continue to do well, like we did at Charlton on Saturday when the players worked extremely hard and deserved the three points."

Jaaskelainen, who enhanced his reputation as one of the best keepers in the Premiership with two matchwinning saves at Charlton, could be rested with Ian Walker coming in for his third UEFA Cup appearance.

The Finn, who is the longest serving of all the current Wanderers, would prefer to play every game but he knows he has to accept the manager's rotation policy.

"I want to play week in, week out but the main thing is that Wanderers keep winning," he said, mindful of the effects of a nightmare run through last November and December when the Whites dropped from fourth place to 14th.

"We have to keep working hard and doing the right things, otherwise the same thing could happen as happened last year.

"We must keep getting the basics right and doing what we need to do to win football matches."