Blunder won’t affect ‘world class’ De Gea

HARRY Maguire said United players will rally around David de Gea after his mistake gave Watford the lead at Vicarage Road on Sunday.

The Reds fell to their seventh league defeat of the season in a disappointing performance against the team who sit bottom of the league and it was a howler from the Spaniard that gave them the lead.

De Gea was beaten at his near post by Ismaila Saar in the 50th minute and he had his face in the turf as he despaired at his mistake. But Maguire has backed the

United goalkeeper to bounce back. “David is a top keeper. I have only been here a few months but he is a world class keeper. We will get round him and on Boxing Day I am sure he will pull off a top save,” he said.

The sentiment was also backed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who was not critical of his shot stopper.

“It’s one of those things,” said the Reds boss. “He’s been so good in training and focused.

“One goal is a mistake and the second is penalty. David’s been very confident lately and I don’t look at any other way. It’s just a ball that slips through his hands, a routine save he [should] make, he might be thinking about where we’re gonna go from then.

“One of the things we are looking for now is when he catches it we’re gonna go forward quick and maybe it’s down to the next action.

“For me, it’s his first [mistake]. Last week was a free-kick, that’s end of discussion, he gets elbow in his face, it’s a refereeing mistake. David is confident, training well, no bother with him.”

United fell to defeat after a poor performance against Nigel Pearson’s side and yet again failed to beat a team who sit deep and force United to have more of the ball. Something Maguire wants to see the Reds improve upon.

He said: “We were sloppy and gave the ball away numerous times, especially in the first half.

“I felt in the first half the game was there to be won. We should have scored in the first half.

“We have to be better against these so called lower opposition sides who have a deep block.

“It was little sloppy errors on the ball. We had control of the first half, they didn’t really threaten but we didn’t keep the ball with high enough tempo.

“We’d end up giving it away and they would counter. We’ve got to do better.”