• Premier League

United working overtime to fix ills - De Gea

ESPN staff
January 9, 2014
Manchester United are aiming to avoid back-to-back Premier League defeats, and a fourth in all competitions © Getty Images
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Manchester United keeper David de Gea has revealed the players are putting in extra practice after training to try turn their season around.

The reigning champions have lost three consecutive games - in different competitions - and United are in seventh place in the Premier League, 11 points behind leaders Arsenal and in danger of missing out on Champions League qualification.

De Gea told United's official website: "We frequently stay after training to practice crossing and finishing. We do it especially when there are no matches in the following days and I think the extra training helps me and the other players to improve.''

De Gea has teamed up with Mexican striker Javier Hernandez to try to improve each other. He added: "We help each other - he tries to make it difficult for me and I try to make it difficult for him. We always do our best and he's a player who gives his all in training.

"He is one of the most professional players I have known over the course of my career. He is truly a great player and a good friend.''

United slipped to a third successive defeat for the first time in almost 13 years when they lost 2-1 at Sunderland in the first leg of their Capital One Cup semi-final tie on Tuesday evening.

That defeat, coupled with their FA Cup third round exit at the hands of Swansea and the fact they face the Welsh outfit once again in the Premier League at the weekend is a growing cause for concern for manager David Moyes and the reigning champions.

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