Saturday, 26th January, 2013
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has blasted the criticism which has been aimed at goalkeeper David de Gea recently, and insisted he is backing the Spaniard.
De Gea has made a number of high-profile blunders since he arrived at Old Trafford during the summer of 2011, which have largely overshadowed his competent shot-stopping for the majority of the time.
Recently he made another error, against Tottenham Hotspur, which resulted in a 1-1 draw and two points dropped for Ferguson’s men.
And De Gea’s position between the sticks was immediately the source of much debate in the media, with suggestions Ferguson would look for a replacement.
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But the 71-year-old has come out in support of the former Atletico Madrid man.
"It has been over the top. It’s always over the top when it comes to criticism here", Ferguson told MUTV.
"The boy has got to brush it aside. Thirty seconds from time, he was a revelation according to most people.
"He was fantastic and made some fantastic saves. I’m not interested in discussing the criticism now because it’s unfounded.
"It is better we deal with David De Gea rather than the press deal with him. I think we are quite good at that. He had a fantastic game and was 30 seconds away from that. I remember talking about how well he played and then 30 seconds from time the ball park changes."
And the Manchester United manager pointed out that, in a crucial position, every mistake matters for De Gea, unlike outfield players.
"It is unfortunate for the lad but he has to deal with it. We will help him. Outfield players maybe make 20 mistakes in a game. But they are in a crucial position. We are okay with him."
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