After being knocked out of the FA Cup by Liverpool, Sir Alex Ferguson has claimed that Manchester United can feel hard done by after "dominating the game" throughout the intense cup tie at Anfield.

The Red Devils succumbed to defeat after a winning goal from substitute Dirk Kuyt clinched the victory for the Merseyside club in the final moments of the fiercely contested fourth round tie.

Although his Manchester United side walked away having been knocked out of yet another cup competition, Sir Alex felt that United's performance merited more, and that they were unlucky not to win the game.

"I don't know how we lost it, it was a really good performance by us," Ferguson told ITV.

"But I think when you look at it in the context of the FA Cup things like that can happen. One break away, one bad break against you, and you can lose a game.

"It's a sudden death situation, and we've experienced it many times over the years, but it was a bad blow because we didn't deserve that.

"I am pleased with my players; they performed very well, dominated the game, played really good football and didn't deserve to be beaten at all.

"In fact we should have won the game, we were the better team, but that's FA Cup football I am afraid, and it's not the first time it's happened."

Goalkeeper David De Gea came under criticism again after his inability to dominate his area was exploited for Liverpool's first goal, courtesy of Daniel Agger's header from a corner.

Although De Gea's tentative approach may have cost them the game, Ferguson laid the blame with the defence as a whole, claiming the goals were both avoidable, adding: "Yes of course they were [avoidable], we didn't do well, there was too many defenders in and around the goalkeeper in the first one and the second was just one of these lucky breaks you get."