Manchester United endured a humiliating 4-0 defeat today at the hands of Brentford, with David de Gea making an appalling error to concede the first.

The United goalkeeper requested to face the Sky Sports interview following the game to accept his responsibility for the defeat.

I want to take my responsibility today. I cost three points to my team today. It was a poor performance from myself. After the first mistake, then the second, it was very tough for the team keep playing. It was a horrible day. That cannot happen in professional football, the mistake that I made, that’s for sure. We should react better but at the moment it’s tough every time we concede a goal. I should have saved the first shot and then the result would probably be different.

For the second goal, De Gea played the ball to Christian Eriksen on the edge of the box and he was easily dispossessed. The goalkeeper conceded he should have read the game better and booted the ball out.

It just depends on how the game is going. Maybe I have to read the game better and I kick it long. I tried to play to Christian when maybe I shouldn’t. But, of course, we always try to play, we try to have the ball, but sometimes, like today, they press one against one, so I should read better.

After a positive pre-season, De Gea acknowledged that this team needs to play with more bravery when competing in games that matter.

I think it’s easy to play in pre-season, when you play for nothing. Then when you have to play the games that matter is when you need bravery, you need to be more consistent, and be proper players. In my case, it wasn’t the case today, so I need to keep working as much as I can and keep my head up, stick together as a team. We have a lot to learn with a new manager and new players as well, so there’s a lot to improve.

It was a good pre-season but we need to show in the Premier League games. These are the games that matter. We have to stick together, work even harder than we are working, try to learn as quick as possible what the manager wants, and play for this badge.