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Under fire Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea received the support of both manager Sir Alex Ferguson and veteran striker Michael Owen.

MANCHESTER, England – Under fire Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea received the support of both manager Sir Alex Ferguson and veteran striker Michael Owen on Sunday.

The 21-year-old was criticised, not for the first time this season, for handing Liverpool their first goal in Saturday's 2-1 FA Cup fourth round defeat.

However, Ferguson Ä who signed him for 19million pounds last summer from Atletico Madrid Ä said that others were at fault for the Daniel Agger free header, though, many felt the Spaniard's hesitation to go for Steven Gerrard's corner allowed the Dane the time he needed to score.

“Our own players created a problem for the first goal,” said Ferguson.

“They didn't give him (De Gea) enough room to deal with it.”

Owen said that he believed De Gea Ä recalled in place of Anders Lindegaard for the match Ä would develop into a front rank goalkeeper.

“Don't agree with all this negativity towards De Gea,” tweeted Owen.

“Admittedly he has made a couple of mistakes this season, but listening to some people you would think he had a nightmare.

“I'm not having either goal as his fault. The problem is, once you get labelled, mud sticks and now any tiny mistake is magnified.

“Other keepers make similar mistakes and nothing gets said.

“In my opinion two bad goals to give away but to blame everything on the keeper is totally wrong. The lad will be a top keeper, he is only young. Harsh to blame him for everything.” – Sapa-AFP