Owen speaks up for De Gea

"There is nothing he could do. The free header was the problem, not the keeper.

"The problem is, once you get labelled, mud sticks and now any tiny mistake is magnified. Other goalkeepers make similar mistakes and nothing gets said.

"Admittedly, [David] has made a couple of mistakes this season but listening to some people you would think he had a nightmare [at Anfield].

"I'm not having either goal was his fault. He couldn't do much with the second goal either. Is the problem not just a case of us not winning the first ball and not picking up a runner? In my opinion [they were] two bad goals to give away but to blame everything on the goalkeeper is totally wrong.

"The lad will be a top keeper, he is only young. It's harsh to blame him for everything."

Owen was also quick to praise the United fans who have stood by the young goalkeeper this season and urged fans to continue to show support to the Spaniard.

"I've watched a lot of home games this season and the support from behind both goals for him has been brilliant. The fans know he needs their support, his confidence needs boosting. I'm sure he will repay that support for years to come."

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