However, after not winning anything in 2005, United were more than happy to win the League Cup in 2006, with it being the first trophy the likes of Wayne Rooney, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra and Edwin Van der Sar, amongst others, won with the club.

We play our youngsters and fringe players for most rounds but obviously we’d rather win it than not win.

Whilst United have been accused of disrespecting this competition, we’ve gone on to win it more than any other team in recent years, lifting the trophy in 1992, 2006, 2009 and 2010. Regardless, Ben Foster has claimed that after helping United win the trophy in 2009, the players didn’t spend any time celebrating the win.

“There was no celebration,” he said. “There was nothing. We were straight on the train home, then in for training the next day. There was a Champions League fixture coming up, the Carling Cup was over already. Everyone automatically moved on to the next game right away. I was thinking: ‘Jeez, we’ve won a cup, we should be celebrating,’ but I was probably alone in thinking that. United have big games all the time. They win one, then move on to the next. It’s a different world, and though it can seem a bit mad, maybe it has to be that way. I don’t know if Birmingham can win the Carling Cup, but if we do we’ll definitely be celebrating. This is not just another game for us, it’s a very big game. A special occasion. You can sense that from the fans. I just hope they all enjoy it.”

“The manager doesn’t tend to sign players if he doesn’t see it in them,” said Foster. “You don’t get that anywhere else, not even at Chelsea. You wouldn’t see United throwing away a four-goal lead like Arsenal did at Newcastle. It just wouldn’t happen. United would have won by six or seven goals, but with Arsenal a few cracks appeared when Newcastle scored. Then it was all panic, whereas United have old boys who can steady the ship. It’s no accident that United always seem to come back, just as it’s no accident that Gary Neville won so much in his career. Winning is everything to him, and that’s why he’s been so successful.”

Foster helped United beat Spurs to win the League Cup final in 2009 after the game went to a penalty shoot out. He will be hoping to deny Arsenal, who haven’t won anything since beating United on penalties in the FA Cup final in 2005, in the same way.

“It gets out of hand, ridiculously so,” said Foster. “You have to perform amazingly well in every single game. You could win and people would still say Manchester United should be doing better than that, should be winning by four or five goals. I just thought it was too much. I see myself as a winner, I am competitive even if I am only playing a video game, but United is another step up the ladder of mental toughness and strength. There is not as much pressure even with England, where every little thing gets scrutinised. United have their own ethos that comes from within. Winning is all. Even practice matches were very intense, win at all costs. You’d see tackles flying in and little scuffles all the time, but that is what United are. That is what they carry on to the pitch on a Saturday and you’ve got to admire them for that. When they were 2-0 down at Blackpool, for instance, I knew they would come back and win. They have that toughness. It’s expected.”

Foster has previously called life at United “cut throat” and not for him, an opinion he stands by today.

“I don’t want to be accused of lacking ambition, I think every professional cares, but I can move on from a defeat pretty much as soon as I step off the pitch,” he added. “I want to enjoy my football, then get home to my family, that’s what matters to me.”

“I don’t wish I’d stuck around at all. A club like United is cutthroat, win at all costs, whereas here, you know you’re not going to win every game but the players we’ve got bottle and don’t give anyone a second breath. There is more pressure at United, without a doubt. Even if we drew there, it was the end of the world. I wouldn’t go back. I’m having more fun, that’s a huge part of football. It’s tough at United and in training it’s very serious. There is more of a relaxed atmosphere here. It’s up to me to show United what they’re missing.”

Missing you, Ben.

His opportunity came last season when Edwin Van der Sar was ruled out for months with injury and dealing with the illness of his wife. Sadly, Foster blew his big opportunity.

Against Arsenal, he let a tame Arshavin shot in, although thankfully we won 2-1. Against Manchester City his communication with his defence was poor and this cost us a couple of goals, most notably their first by Barry. It is his display against Sunderland which irritates me the most though, with him timidly staying back as Kenwyne Jones towered above him to put them 2-1 up. Thankfully we salvaged a point from that game but a more commanding goalie would have seen us win that game (and therefore, the league!).

Still, I always had respect for him for more or less sacrificing his career for the opportunity to play for United, as he waited year after year for a chance.

But after leaving, he felt the need to stick it to the fans over the green and gold protest against the Glazers.

“There’s maybe too much made of it by the supporters,” he said. “They are obviously passionate about Manchester United, but sometimes they need to focus on supporting the club a bit more than getting carried away with the technicalities of who’s in charge. Personally, I think the Glazers have always put money in to Manchester United to buy players when needed.”

Of all the stupid fucking things to come out with by a former player, this was probably the worst. After all, it’s not Ben Foster who has had to pay the increasing ticket prices enforced by the Glazers, he also doesn’t have to see ‘the most valuable sports franchise in the world’ spending nothing like our rivals in the transfer market and it’s not the money he puts in to the club that is being gobbled up by the Glazers’ debt. Who the fuck does he think he is to tell us we’re making too much of it?

Anyway, ahead of our game against Birmingham tonight, Foster wants to use the game as an opportunity to ‘show us what we’re missing’. It’s easy to imagine he’ll have the game of his life against us, like Brad Friedel seems to so often, but at no point will I regret the decision the club made to get rid. Bottler of the highest order.

“I’m loving it here, I’ve never enjoyed my football more,” said Foster. “I don’t wish I’d stuck around at all. This is the best time I’ve had. A club like United is cutthroat, win at all costs, whereas here, you know you’re not going to win every game but the players we’ve got bottle and don’t give anyone a second breath. There is more pressure at United, without a doubt. Even if we drew there, it was the end of the world. I don’t keep up to date with what’s going on there, I look out for results but nothing more. I wouldn’t go back. I’m having more fun, that’s a huge part of football. It’s tough at United and in training it’s very serious. I’m not saying it’s not professional at Birmingham and I don’t want to be professional – there is more of a relaxed atmosphere here. It’s up to me to show United what they’re missing.”

We’re not missing anything, are we? We sold a player who doesn’t like the pressure of being at the best club, who is happy to play for a side who don’t care about dropping points, where he can have a laugh and feel relaxed. That is not the mentality of a Manchester United player, so we’re not missing a thing.

Sir Alex Ferguson has today claimed that he likes to see our protests but for some reason Foster has opted to get involved and take the opposite stance.

“There’s maybe too much made of it by the supporters,” Foster said. “They are obviously passionate about Manchester United, but sometimes they need to focus on supporting the club a bit more than getting carried away with the technicalities of who’s in charge. Personally, I think the Glazers have always put money in to Manchester United to buy players when needed. Having said that, I don’t think the manager needs to buy too many players there anyway. They have a lot of good youngsters coming through the ranks.”

How do I put this nicely? Shut the fuck up Ben and concentrate on finishing in the top half eh? And we’ll concentrate on trying to stop our club being swallowed by a black hole of debt.

“We accepted the bid from Birmingham City simply because we knew how concerned Ben was about his future and I can understand that,” said Ferguson. “I think most of that comes from his disappointment of not having played enough games to get in the England squad this summer. I still feel very strongly about this, that Ben’s the best England goalkeeper and I can’t work out why he wasn’t even considered simply because he didn’t have enough football. Sometimes your conscience does come into it and you have to understand a player’s feelings about it. Ben’s been a terrific servant for us, he’s been very unlucky with a couple of injuries he’s had with us last season and I think he deserves the opportunity to do better for himself.”

Firstly, I don’t think any manager in their right mind would take a goalkeeper to the World Cup who stopped playing for their club because of a string of mistakes, so it makes perfect sense Fabio Capello didn’t pick Foster. Secondly, every other goalkeeper is their club’s number 1, playing week in week out, so it would be pretty harsh if any English keeper in the Premiership missed out to accomodate a 27-year-old with “potential” but who was still second or third choice for their club.

Best of luck, Ben.

July 7th 2009

October 12th 2009
Ferguson: “I still feel he is the best English goalkeeper around. He has been outstanding in a lot of things. The save he made on Wednesday was typical of his performance level with us too. They are a demonstration of the guy’s ability. But he still has not had a lot of game time and experience. His injuries have curtailed the progress he was making. He is only going to get better, though, and there is no question he will be a fantastic goalkeeper.”

November 21st 2009
Ferguson: “He is definitely staying here. He has had a couple of bad mistakes in games but his performance level has been very good. He will be a terrific goalkeeper. So will Tomasz Kuszczak. They are good goalkeepers they just have the problem that they have Edwin van der Sar in front of them. Ben is a strong lad. Without doubt he is England’s best goalkeeper. Without question he has the best presence and he is the quickest. He is also very brave. But for a lad of 26 he has not had much game experience. That is the negative part for him and that is where maybe it will cost him his England position at the moment. However, I am not protecting the lad because he is my goalkeeper but when I look at the abilities of the goalkeepers in the league who are English, I don’t think they are as good as Ben Foster. It is as simple as that.”

November 24th 2009
Ferguson: “Edwin’s not said anything yet about what he intends to do. It will be Christmas time or sometime in December when he will outline his plans and how long he will go on. We will await that. Ben has terrific ability and needs game experience. Tomasz is also another good keeper. At the end of the day the two of them will fight it out, I’m sure of that.”

April 23rd 2010
Ferguson: “Ben has fantastic talent and I am sure he will be tremendous next year. The boy has just signed a new contract and has never said anything to me, so as far as I am concerned, he will be here.”

May 14th 2010
Foster’s agent: “We are close to agreeing a deal. The two clubs have agreed a fee and given us permission to talk to Birmingham. We fully expect the deal to be completed either this weekend or the start of next week.”

The agreed fee is believed to be £5 million.

After a frustrating few years with loan moves and injury, Foster finally had the chance to prove himself at the start of this season when Edwin Van der Sar was missing from August to October. Sadly for him, he failed to make the most of that opportunity and made several costly mistakes.

In all honesty, I feel fairly sorry for the lad. He has put his career on hold for more or less five years for a chance with United, despite him being capable of getting first team action at other Premiership clubs. Granted, he blew it this season, but you do have to think he will look back on his career and what might have been. Had he done a good job at the start of the season he could be the United number one and off to the World Cup, but as Foster acknowledges, it’s likely all downhill from here.

“You never want to leave Manchester United,” said Foster. “If you leave this club you are only ever going to go down, but I want to be playing football. I am not interested in just hanging around and I would go if the club wanted to sell me. If they are happy to accept a bid then you have to read between the lines and realise you are not really needed and move on. It would not be the end of the world for me.”

At the start of the season, with Foster playing more regularly for United, there was lots of talk of him going to the World Cup, however he concedes that is very unlikely now.

“I don’t think there is any chance of South Africa now,” he continued. “If he were to pick me it would be very unfair on some of the other goalkeepers. I have not played a first-team game for a good few months and some of the English lads out there like Joe Hart and Robert Green have been doing fantastic.”

Best of luck, Ben.

Rumours are rife that the English keeper is set to leave United but Sir Alex Ferguson seems keep on keeping him around.

“Ben’s ­unfortunate,” said Ferguson. “He has got fantastic talent, it’s just he made some mistakes earlier in the season. Tomasz Kusczcak got in and his form has been great. So what do I do? Pick Ben because he’s English or go with form? I have to go with form.”