Aug 05
Can Foster Capitalise On Lucky Break?
Luck isn’t really a word you would associate with Ben Foster. He’s had more than his fair share of misfortune during his stop-start career thus far although this could be the chance that the England international has been waiting for and, if you can excuse the pun, I’m sure he’s ready to grab it with both hands.
Yes I’m sure the news will have filtered through to you by now but for those not in the know, our number 1, Edwin van der Sar, has been ruled out of action for up to eight weeks meaning he will inevitably miss the start of the season.
Van der Sar suffered the injury when he saved a Daniel Pranjic penalty in the 7-6 spot kick defeat to Bayern Munich in the Audi Cup last week. The 38-year-old has therefore undergone surgery on what has been diagnosed as a broken finger and bone in his left hand.
So step forward Benjamin Anthony Foster. This really is his big chance, or so you would have thought. I know we have Tomasz Kuszczak waiting in the wings too but to be honest I’d be more confident if John O’Shea was the man put between the sticks.
OK so that last statement was a tad harsh, I agree, but Foster does look the obvious replacement. When the now 26-year-old signed a new deal last month that will tie him down at Old Trafford until June 2013, Sir Alex confirmed himself on the club’s official website that: “Ben is seen as one of the best young goalkeepers in England and we genuinely see him as a successor to Edwin.”
Does he have the credentials then? Well I don’t think that’s really up for debate. We all know that Foster has the ability as he proved in the Carling Cup Final victory over Spurs. I believe it’s a question of whether he is capable of handling the pressure and stepping up into the limelight. In fairness, as a Manchester United goalkeeper, you’re rarely faced with a barrage of opposition attacks but on those few occasions he will be called into action, it remains to be seen whether Foster will keep a cool head and cut out any potential errors.
Ben Foster certainly deserves his chance and while most United fans are undoubtedly reeling at the thought of van der Sar being missing for the first bundle of games this season, Warwickshire-born Foster will be secretly delighted at the chance he will have, or you would expect him to have, to step-up.
I mentioned that luck isn’t really Foster’s forte and for the countless occasions he has been particularly unlucky, no one can begrudge him this stroke of good fortune. Unfortunately injuries have been the fundamental stumbling block in the progression of the career of a truly promising goalkeeper.
After a broken finger here and a twisted ankle there, Foster is now back in contention having missed the back end of last season. With a World Cup just around the corner, the next couple of months could prove the most crucial in the career of the former Stoke City keeper.
An error-prone Pole and the recovery rate of the highest capped Dutchman in the history of international football stands in the way of Foster staking his most potent claim yet that he is ready to permanently vacate the number one jersey for both club and country.
Related items from Red Rants:
- So How Good Is Ben Foster? — A Watford Fan’s Perspective
- Free tickets for United v Villa final
- Man Utd 1-2 Man City: City Do the Double
- The Tuesday Theory: Time for extended Foster-Care?
- Dear Ben Foster
Tags: Manchester United News
Opti (89)
Craig Mc (26)
Ian (18)
@Craig Mc: If your contribution to livening up the blog is to tell people that they talk shit, I can’t help you. I am fully aware that I am not the be all and end all of blogs, but I am so on this blog. You know fully well how to play well within my rules, and still enjoy banter but I can’t understand why you would revert to telling people off like you just did with Taehr.
Regarding you enjoying the banter at Republik of Mancunia, it’s fully your prerogative and I haven’t chained you here. All I’m saying is as long as you are here, you cooperate by going with the flow here. It’s not too much to ask if you think about it.
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@Craig Mc: You told Taehr he talks shit. Leave it now, and let’s move on now shall we?
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Anyway, hows our wee little Craig jr doing?
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Surprised nobody noticed this but…
Is it any wonder that Valencia was MOTM against… Valencia???
And about Owen, I think he knew Capello was watching and he got the nerves.
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@Craig Mc: Nani has looked good in preseason… I feel its his chance this season he will be on the left with tony on the right…Ill stop comparing the two..i know who I like n u do urs and anyhow they both play for united so….@Footy4Eddy: No need to worry Tosic will not play more Nani….he just cant maybe CC
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@Red Ranter: I told Taehr he talks shit – what ?????? – where was that, I love Taehr, even though I dont agree with what he says sometimes and vice versa. Feck me, I drank too many lagers with the friends watching the game with me tonight. I cannot see where I told Taehr he talked shit, but then maybe HE DID or I did, according to the hearers
.
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If De Laet makes it at united it would also be a great commercial opportunity.
As you all know, we are fucked in france with the media bias and Arsenal osbsession. But having an up and coming player secure a place at the united line-up would open up a vein no big club has truly tapped in.
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@NicoQB: WTF – Valencia was MOTM – the mind boggles – who the feck decides these things Nico
.
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@NicoQB: Nico – De Laet is from Belgian mate
.
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@Craig Mc: You told him that here:
@Craig Mc:
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@Footy4Eddy: Aaaah Eddi man after my own heat – Oh Nani Nani etc – love it mate!
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@Craig Mc: You drunk mate?
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@Craig Mc:
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Valencia looks really shy… But also really cool!
I can picture him becoming a mafiaboss when he retires football. Looks like a real killer, assasin in the making I believe! 
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@Dan:
, fuck me, so I did mate. But in what he said there to me it was shit, but that diesn’t mean everything he says is shit, and vice versa. 
– O fuck Dan mi man, I should come back when I am sober right? 
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@Footy4Eddy: Eddi WTF mate – Valencia mafiosa, he is a feckin pussy cat mate
. Soft and scared as shit!
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@Craig Mc: Craigmeister, BRO,
Man am I glad to see you back. You had me a little nervous there thinking you had vacated us for good and that my negatosis was the root cause. I’m elated that you have returned and with some fire and brimstone too. Hopefully that pussy routine you put on a few weeks back is a thing of the past. I love the Craigster when he has passion, piss n vinegar in his veins. It’s great to have you back mate, seriously. And don’t feck off like that again OK. 
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@Craig Mc: I bet you wouldnt like to turn into him in an alley one night you were in Manchester. Or perhaps, you would?
Nothign scares you eh Craigy!? 
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@Craig Mc: Nothing to bring on mate. I’m just glad to see you have come back and grown a penis again.
Truly, your input was really missed on here and even i was away for a week because I was moving. But we are all back now and ready to rumble. 
As for today’s game, I never saw it. It was not televised live here so I am hoping to see it at a later time this week. Sounds like De Laet, Valencia and Rooney were the big stars of the game and Owen choked on a number of sure chances. That wads a lot of pressure on Owen as it was his first game at OT as a United player. I think he will do much better in the future as long as he stays healthy. Good that we won though. Positive stuff leading into the weekend.
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The toothferry just told me Silva isnt going to return to Valencia with his mates, but is gonna stay in Manchester…
Thank you toothferry!
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Guys, just a heads up from me. I wont be able to spend as much time on this blog the coming days because I am “working” on a “mission”. Top secret stuff, and I wont be spending much time at home or near an internet cafe. But as soon as I get close to one I will be on here, just promise me you will keep this place alive!
And you all know I never miss a game, so I will be back on Sunday for sure!
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@Footy4Eddy: Eddi mi man, bump into Valencia in an alley in Manc land – with my Rugby mates,
, Valencia would be shitting himself and sob sob sobbing 
. Mafiosa my arse!
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@Footy4Eddy: Top secret stuff WTF??????
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@Grognard: Grog mi man – De laet was a star mat – fuckin immense, but Rooney and Valencia – Noooooooooooooooooooo. Good to see you in fine feckle Grog!
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@Grognard:
.
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Regarding the future contributions of one Antonio Valencia it is really important to forget Ronaldo. He is not replacing Ronaldo, he is a replacement for the position. Nobody in history has played that position quite like Ronny so to compare Valencia and his contributions to Ronaldo especially when it comes to goals, is going to be extremely unfair.
Although I haven’t seen today’s game it is clear from what I have read that the lad did his job very well and performed the duties of a true winger. Above all, he showed he could cross the ball. So lets lessen our expectations and welcome the lad and his contributions without expecting him to do the unbelievable.
We have not replaced Ronaldo yet nor do I feel we ever will. So we just have to get on with it and make the best of it as our manager is a cheap skinflint who treats the Glazer’s money like it’s coming out of his own pocket. What a waste of an opportunity to get Ronny’s true replacement, one Sergio Aguero.
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@Craig Mc: My mood is better these last few days bro because I finished the move from Hell. It truly wasted me and stressed me out beyond belief. I still hold true to my views and beliefs but perhaps without as much venom. Amazing how a little less stress and some rest makes even Fergie’s cheap skinflint ways seem more tolerable.
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@Craig Mc: Exactly.
Marketing opportunity in Belgium.
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@Grognard:
Glad you settled in Grog! Its horrible moving home – so much to do, and feckin exhausting! You got it sorted now though mate!
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@Footy4Eddy: Hah.
We can all guess what it is!
Work hard, play hard, right?
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@Grognard: I hope you watch the game mate. Just count how many times Valencia lost the ball…I really want you to find a fault in his performance because if any one can its you mate… I cant see it!maybe he should have scored once when he cut in but apart from that…
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@NicoQB: You got it Sherlock!
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@Taehr: Uhhh… Valencia did lose the ball one or two times, but that doesn’t diminish the fact that he assisted both goals.
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@NicoQB:
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@Taehr: Just finished watching the game and Valencia was clearly the stand out player for United.
The thing that impresses me most is his speed. He’s definitely gonna put pressure on PL backfields. His cross for Rooney’s goal was inch perfect.
Rio looked very good and surprisingly so was PIG. Cleverley took his goal well and Evra looked sharp if a not a little over-cockey!!
CMF looked the same as always, slow & clumsy, but Gibson looks to bring a lethal shot to the proceedings.
Overall, we looked fairly good, but against a team that changed its entire outfield at halftime and then brought on a reserve Goalie to replaced an injured MF’er, I would hesitate to read too much in it!!
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@Footy4Eddy:
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@Craig Mc: See ya next year then???
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@Craig Mc: When you were away Eddy was busy involving himself in something potentially big, let’s say, for his career (that’s your biggest hint — you know what a young starlet like Eddy is capable of). I think he wouldn’t appreciate us saying anything more about his “top secret” stuff
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I actually do believe that SAF thinks that we can compete this season. He’s more than just sincere, he’s almost winking when he makes his statements/predictions as to our fortunes.
Could it be that once again he’s pulling off another “Fledglings” coup as he did in ’95/96. Going against the grain, losing great players and not replacing them, putting his confidence behind a core of young, untested players who have no right to play at this level. My god if he pulls this one off, he has to be the god to all Football gods!
I just have the feeling though, that this is an act of bravado from the maestro. He has tried so hard, and yet failed so completely to convince CR7 to wallow in the Mancurian way of life, that he has now taken a the typical tact of embracing the “team” and dismissing the “individual”.
Who really knows where this could all end up. SAF, our boss, the man that has led us to all that glory over all these years, is telling us, once again, to trust in his judgment. But to me me, this is a hard one to swallow, and I sense a tone of desperation when he speaks up the likes of Nani, Anderson, Fletcher and Gibson.
We’ve had decent pre-season, and we have the prospect of an interesting first month without our beloved VDS and perhaps Vidic, but reality comes hard in the PL, and with the CL right on our heals, I think the time to recap will be in about 6 weeks!!
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@Red Ranter: I’m not sure craig was quite himself tonight!! Annoying as his drunken self is, he’s quite funny, really.
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@Redrich
The CM looked very bad didnt it ??
I think thats the only spot we lack one more quality player .
Almost any position we have fantastic youngsters:
Rafael-Delete-Evans-fabio
Wellbeck-Gibson-??-Obertan
Ljajic/Petrucci
Macheda/Diouf
That Youth team is as good as any. The problem we in that youth set up is lack of a proper CM. Gibson, Ljajic, Petrucci, Obertan are all attacking mid-fielders.
Actually what amaze me is the quality of defenders we produce. Almost all defendes from youth set up playing for United have looked so far most relaxed players. May be it is like Arsenal producing passing mid-fielders
I think signing one more player esp CM will come down to fergies call on Hargo, if he thinks Hargo is going to come back then no player is needed. However that looks bleak considering the nature of operation he has had .
If we can get another CM in form of Silva, we can UNLOCK rooney in big matches , big time like how Rooney helped us unlokc Ronaldo !
Against Tough away matches :
Brown-Rio-Vidic-Evra
Carrick-Silva
Fletch/Ando
Valencia-Rooney-Nani
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@Redrich: Apologies Red Rich mate – I watched the game while lager brain dead, with lager brain dead brother and mates up with him visiting for a week! Not to mention irritating male relatives on the GF’s side in party mood and all watching the game together
. I apologise to Taehr too, I don’t think I unintentionally offended anyone else did I?
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@Red Ranter: It doesn’t involve the NUDE streak around his local town does it?
,
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From what I remember – De Laet is great little defender, in his 2nd go in the first team for us. He tackles HARD and he’s precise, FAST and can beat oppo defenders up that wing, so now he proved he can do it on Rt and Lt full back positions. He is really a centre back
. This is Cleverley’s 2nd game for 1st team too, and he scored in both games – so perhaps he is ready to step up for cup comps etc. We had both Mr Plods in MF didn’t we – our slow pacers Carrick and Fletch together. If Gibbo could get his shots more on target most of the time – we might have a MF goalscorer on our hands 
. Valencia (Tony) didn’t do anything telling for us in the 1st half, I thought he ran, but couldn’t get by the opposition 1st choice defenders! Better against the lesser reserves 2nd half. I want De Laet to be given a chance to MOP up and break up play in front of our Back 4. Don’t want much do I? 
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New post up.
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@Red Ranter: Thankyou
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@Craig Mc: People who watched the match….
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