Football: De Gea praised as United extend lead

Late strikes by Valencia, Young take leaders 5 points clear.

BLACKBURN: Sir Alex Ferguson hailed keeper David De Gea after Manchester United went five points clear of title rivals Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.

Late goals by Antonio Valencia, a sublime finish from an acute angle, and substitute Ashley Young earned Ferguson’s side a 2-0 win at Blackburn on Monday. It was a seventh straight top-flight win which leaves them clear favourites to clinch a fifth title in six seasons.

But United had to endure some anxious moments against relegation-threatened opponents, De Gea producing three outstanding saves to keep out Junior Hoilett, Marcus Olsson and Grant Hanley. The Spaniard was dropped by Ferguson after the surprise 3-2 home defeat to Blackburn on December 31.

But after helping United open up a substantial advantage at the summit with seven games left, Ferguson was full of praise for de Gea.

“The progress is obvious, everyone can see it,” said Ferguson. “He’s growing in stature and confidence. We’ve always known he had great ability. He made three great first-half saves but that’s the sort of threat that Blackburn offered. They’re dangerous counter-attacking.”

City have topped the table for most of the season and Roberto Mancini’s expensively-assembled side were five points clear at the top as recently as March 3. But United’s 10th win in 11 games completed a 10-point swing at the summit.

‘Liverpool in crisis’

Meanwhile, former Liverpool striker John Aldridge has insisted his old club are ‘in a crisis’ following last weekend’s defeat by Newcastle — their sixth loss in seven Premier League games.

Liverpool have won this season’s League Cup – their first trophy in six years – and return to Wembley a week on Saturday for an FA Cup semi-final with Everton.

However, their loss to Newcastle left them Liverpool eighth in the table.

“There’s no getting away from the fact that Liverpool are now in a crisis,” Aldridge wrote in Liverpool Echo.

“To lose six out of seven in the league is something the club won’t ever tolerate, we can’t tolerate that.

“To have picked up just eight points out of 36 since the turn of the year is shambolic — that’s relegation form.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4^th, 2012.