Ben Foster spent years of his career biding his time, hoping for the opportunity to be Manchester United’s number one.
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.
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Scott – I know mate. Just posted it on the Evra thread. Couldnt handle a big club and seems to do nowt but mouth off. Couldn’t even fight it out and wait for Edwin to retire. No balls this cunt.
Scott you nailed it in one fella “Bottler of the highest order”. Spot on.
“I am having more fun” Jesus the more I read the more I think what a twat this lad is. Fucking easy street seems to suit him.
@Scott, I just wrote the same thing …. fucking idiot.
Ben’s Biggest Blunder
http://www.theunitedreligion.com/2010/12/bens-biggest-blunder.html
“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. ”
In other words, not good enough. At least he is honest about it. Can’t see him having a Brad Friedel like performance. He did that once this season and miracles don’t happen every day.
Nevermind.
“Bottler of the highest order” +1
he simply does not have the Man Utd mentality..
he is weak, a bottler,
we all wanted him to do well and supported him, but he did an error after error
and in the end you could not help but feeling unsure with him in the goal
personally i know that he is a good keeper and a great one for club like Birmingham, but he just did not cut it at United
so please stop whining Foster
after all you were a part of a “legendery” league cup win
I hope to fuck we ram 3 or 4 him past tonight, see how much hes loving it then. The Glazer comment was totally bang out of order
@scott: ben is the fucking idiot – not you … just read how that reads — sorry about that.
In general, I don’t have an issue with him. He tried his best last season and it didn’t work. Could he have done better with the Arshavin goal? Maybe. But lets not forget that he kept us in it at 0-1.
I hope I am wrong about this, but expect a LOT of this from PIG once he leaves the club.
Yeah, he’s a silly boy. Still he did do one good thing for us; kept us in the game away against Derby in 07/08 when we inexplicably were really struggling until a late Ronaldo goal won us the match.
@Colbert
Oh yeah. VDS and PIG were absent and Foster was forced into action making 2 great saves. That and his performance against Spurs at Wembley were his 2 best games for us.
@costas: i tend to not disagree with many of your points, but this one I do. Ben was plucked from obscurity during his time at Wrexham, I know a massive club, then excelled at Watford and he is now doing well at Birmingham … Totaled together, all three clubs have won a combined two major trophies – both League Cup wins. Coincidently, or not, that is all that he has ever won as well.
Not good enough – plain and simple. Ferguson gave him all of the confidence in the world to succeed, but he could not take because he was way too fragile of person …
That game against Tottenham made him complacent but he showed his true colors in terms of mental strength afterwards.
@Costas
True that. Good old iPod-Ben
@hammons
Yeah, I agree that he wasn’t good enough. I said it myself. That doesn’t mean that he didn’t have his moments with us. Like the two games I mentioned. But when he had his big run in the first team, that’s when he was exposed. Couldn’t cut it when he was the hunted and not the hunter.
@Colbert
Pity it only worked that time.
The Glazer comment annoys me the most, cocksucker! Never good enough for United, though he did have some good games. He had his chance last season, when VDS was injured, but he bottled big time.
y cant these players nowadays be like becks,ole,forlan even pique.show some appreciation ffs?hv now lost respect 4 him.we are on top so why miss him?
Cunt.
ive always wanted him to do well, followed birmingham games just to watch him, but now lost total respect for him, hes a cunt and i hope we stick 3-4 maybe even 5 past him.. which wont happen, i’l be happy with a 1-0.. aslong as we win and we shut him up.. fucking dick
What a shame. Potential to be the best in the league, we all saw that in his year at watford and his match winning saves in the first month of last season (why he didn’t get a league medal in 2008 is beyond me) but simply fell apart and nobody can put a finger on it. he got a nosebleed from being at the pinnacle of his career and couldn’t stop it.
Lets just hope the fucker dont play like a man possessed tonite chaps!
@costas: sorry, i just thought you were not disappointed with him overall … He made a very good save against Tottenham in the CC final that year against Lennon, I believe. and ONE save in the shootout. The game against Derby when he stopped Kenny Miller (i could be wrong) twice on a break away did rescue us a bit, but I think it was Roy Caroll who put in a better performance, which provoked the comical ” 1, 2, 3, 4, 5″ celebration from Ronnie.
I’m really glad my ex-girlfirend dumped me. She was drop dead gorgeous and way to good in bed. WE used to have hot kinky sex every night, it was a lot of pressure. Plus, she was a gourmet cook, which means that everything she cooked was bloody delicious. I’m much happier now, I get to wank off whenever I want and eat Pot Noodles every night.
-Twat
LOL @ Redbeard.
The guy’s a knob. I think this may be a bit of sour grapes. He didn’t make the grade. Simple.
bit of topic – but espn put up a review of worst players by team. Mr. Ambition is proudly representing us. Can’t say I disagree.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=856348&sec=england&root=england&cc=5901
Surely if there’s one thing we’ve learned it’s not to believe everything we read in the papers, especially when it’s about United.
Anyway, he wasn’t good enough, to short and poor reactions (how many times was he beaten at his near post?) to be a top class keeper. Seems to be a laid back country lad and United didn’t suit him. Here’s hoping he doesn’t play as well tonight as he did against Chelsea.
@Costas
Yeah, hahaha:)
We let a better keeper go than him in Tim Howard. Not missed at all and if he hadn’t been English I doubt we’d have bothered with him at all.
Good keeper. Not United quality is all, simples. Silly statements from him.
Redbeard- Hello mate. Funny as always, though you seem to have stopped commenting?
The guy is a little piece of shit, simple…. Only wants to be playing enough so he can play for his country, mercenary of the highest order………….. Average at best you dick head
Thank goodness it is ‘cutthroat’ and ‘win at all costs’ I wouldnt have it any other way,
its what keeps us winning trophies.
Every player should have this attitude – it the United way.
Redbeard
Fantastic mate, cracked me up
”We’re not missing anything,
are we? We sold a player
who doesn ’t like the pressure
of being at the best club,”
This is exackly what happen to Gabriel Heinze we kick him out because he dont want a pressure,competition and d admosphere. And we never missed them and never will.
This annoying cunt does get on my nerves even when he was at our club… Always moaning and complaining, the cunt even had the nerve to come out and mention the anti Glazer campaign as a negative on the club (As Willie mentioned)
Cannot handle being at the biggest club in the world you worthless dog shit? Fuck you
And YES I am Pissed OFF
i’m not sure if he will deliver today, by spouting off just puts added pressure on himself something thats apparent he doesn’t like.if he fucks up early could be a long night.
well, start to finish, his choice he made.. relax don’t bring glory to your hand! He left coz he was thinking of WC ! Now he was thinking of fun.. Good luck to him!
@cedars: HA! great rant … did someone piss in your cornflakes this morning, though?!
A corker from Redbeard! Pretty well nailed the subject.
In life generally I have always set great store by the look in a person’s eyes. With footballers, the eyes always reveal whether they are ‘United’ or not. Go compare Gary Neville’s with Ben Foster’s. Says it all.
Mind you, that doesn’t mean he won’t play a blinder tonight.
@manutdthebest: good luck to him? why? …. so what you are saying is that he left for selfish reasons? … and good luck today?!
fuck him, because at United it is club over player … just ask Becks.
@giles: well said about the eyes comment. they are the windows to your soul. eyes tell everything about someone that their words don’t. its true in every walk of life – not just football.
…. the desire that burns in Gaz’s eyes is something else – even now when he is well passed it.
Ben Foster… Wow. He has basically admitted himself that he wasn’t good enough. I don’t want a player who thinks it is fine to drop points, as long as the lads are all “having fun”. What an idiot. What we need to do tonight is press right up the pitch because Foster can’t kick a ball so he will always give away possession when pressured.
As for his latest drivel, well it’s just laughable. He isn’t condemning United, he is condemning himself as an average, negative, mistake prone, ignorant goalkeeper. Good riddance!
Maybe our support should remind dopey Ben of these comments tonight, put him off his game like lol.
His comments in a way show Us the difference btw Ben and Berba. If it was anyone to jump ship, it should be Berba afterall Foster can use VDS as an excuse but Berba cant. Dimitar stayed, and set things right, Ben jumped ship like a pirate of the caribbean. Thats why at UNITED, being good is’nt enough, its your MENTALITY that matters and thanks to GOD,We’ve got Dimitar, UNITED DESERVES ONL THE BEST. Lets leave Ben alone, deep within Him, He knows the Truth…
He lacked the mental strength to make it at a big club. Destined to be big fish in small pond.
Nice Redbeard! Next lady for a shave…
Fuck off Foster.
Here comes the goat, all hail the goat.
Id like to start off by saying Ben Foster you are a prick, we all hark on about the wonder goal that Beckham lit up his career with from the half way line but do come on pal. You let in a fucking goal from 20 odd yards further back by Paul Robinson – you have no right to critisize anyone for anything. To be blunt Ben Foster has no right critisizing Adolf Fucking Hitler let alone United fans, Hitler was a better rutheless mass murdering bastard and chancellor of Germany than Ben Foster is a fucking top knotch goalkeeper. Ben Foster you couldn’t even displace the PIG as No2 let alone replace VDS. The fans are right for critisizing the Glazers, I don’t hop on the bandwagon in down playing everthing about them like some do but it has to be recognised that when a business is based solely on fan support then the fans have to be recognised and transparency is a MUST. High street stores are not fan based and a customer will shop only at a certain outlet to obtain the best price, return policies etc. A football club has no such luck. A Liverpool supporter is not coming to OT to watch the football because the ticket price is cheeper or don the latest shirt because it retail 15 quid less than their monstrosity. If all United fans failed at once Uniteds value would be 0 overnight. Therefore with such a business there needs to be a solid relationship forged with thte fans. A football club is a business but it is also the fabric of peoples lives. I have absolutely no idea what i would do if United didn’t excist. I’m 35, a grown man (allbeit the mind of a complete fuckwit) but take United out of my life and Im a bloody zombie, i don’t want to have to start talking to the wife again, i remember those days and im not going back. So Mr Foster you have to understand that the fans have a right to be concerned, maybe they are overly concerned about particular issues but the passion in the club cannot be turned off so readily like yours can when someone waves a fatter fucking check book.
Prediction for tonight. 6-1 to United
Foster must be medically insane.How come he thinks that we are missing him.I think he must be illegitimate son of glazers.Pathetic comments.Frankly didnt expect a comment like this from foster.He should be more respectful towards manchester united.
Hope berba take a note of this and punish foster.
I don’t care he didn’t have fun, Look at us, the smallest thing and we are at each others throats. He’s not said anything bad about the club and given his point of view when asked. Glad he’s enjoying his football, we all want to enjoy our jobs.
Classic Goat lol.
Foster had the physical skills to be our number one, but I was always suspicious of his mental strength, or drive, or whatever you want to call it. There were times when he totally failed to command the penalty box, a trait that betrayed his lack of ‘steel’. Now, his own comments have confirmed that. I don’t hate him. If anything, I feel a little sad for him. He obviously does have ability, and with us, he certainly had the opportunity. Yet so long as he’s going to be that weak, that unambitious, that undemanding of himself, and that accepting of mediocrity, his talent can only be considered a waste. I will never understand people like that. How can you have enough talent to play football professionally in one of the most demanding leagues in the world, and then not want to make the most of it? What a fucking waste. (It’s like Tevez talking of retirement at the grand old age of 26, though I suspect in his case, it was just a naked ploy to get more money.)
“i don’t want to have to start talking to the wife again, i remember those days and im not going back”
Great line Goat, Hilarious as hell….
yes, classic comments from both goat and redbeard comments today.
THANK GOD we sold him! Lousy piece of shit. End of story
NO Ben. Its what ur missing. Not this club.
What a pathetic fucking CUNT! You guys have nailed it already. Lets smash tones in tonight and watch him squeel.
I have absolutely no problem with Ben Foster after reading either comment. I had my own problems with the green and gold movement (which absolutely 100 percent failed to do anything at all except embarrass our players by blowing stupid whistles at them at the end of the season). If this was the other way around, if a goalkeeper had come from Birmingham to United and talked about how he wouldn’t go back and how he likes the cutthroat nature of United as opposed to a less-intensive approach at Birmingham etc., Scott would be talking him up like a God instead of this.
In the first case Foster was asked for his opinion on the green and gold movement and gave it, and it was entirely his right to do so (also.. does it not make you wonder how many other players feel exactly the same way about it as Ben? After all, he did mingle with them every training session and I’m sure it was a topic discussed a lot between the lads) whether he supported it or not. The second comments he made weren’t a middle finger to United either as has been expressed here. It would do RoM well to realize a golden Internet rule… “Text Has No Tone Of Voice”… so why would you all automatically assume he meant it as a big giant fuck you to United???? Is he not in his right to talk himself up before a big game? Every other player does it. Whenever any United player says anything about another team RoM praises them immediately.
He didn’t have a good season last year with VdS out (but then again, those are big shoes to fill) but he also has a couple of memorable moments such as his league cup performance in 2009, when we won on penalties.
I just think this blog post and the majority of the reaction here was way overboard. Show a former player even a tiny bit of respect please.
Ben who?
Meh, he won’t be missed. Good goalkeeper but good doesn’t cut it at United. Hope he has to pick the ball out of his net plenty tonight!
Dela. Fair points mate but can’t agree the crux is he didn’t have the balls or mental fortitude to cut it at united. His words smack of a small time cunt who couldn’t be arsed to fight for his place and prefers having fun. Will also never forget his whiny fucking comments how he was ingerlunds number one but uniteds third choice. No he has found his level at united. His decision making positioning and distyribution were in the main piss poor. I am looking forward to seeing lindergaard in action
Sorry found his level at brum
the quality of writing at this site has really gone down..its sad cause it was my favourate place to come to on the web..Scott have you got a team of writers now? cause you seem to raking up a lot of petty issues..lots of non stories seem to crop up..the berb vs ballotelli..(its hipocracy wen we count the no of arrogant pricks we hav had) n how u seem to bring down rooney (wat hapend to supporting our players) the tvez obsession , n how u like an average joe seem to underestimate players like carrick,macheda etc..am not feeling happy to say stuff like this..but i thot some1 needs to bring it to notice..
More fun at Brum? The greatest feeling you can have in football is when your team win a trophy, and if you find a relegation battle more fun than winning trophies, then your mental issues clearly extend beyond an inability to perform under pressure.
Oh, and you live in a shithole.
@Abhishek
I thought this was Scotts blog, his entire site, bought paid for as it were. In which case he can say what he bloddy likes. We do like the odd petty story on here. Alot of us are full time United fans and need to talk all things United on a daily basis unfortunately the club only plays 1 or 2 times weekly. I have enough bolox to share with the world 1 or 2 times hourly. Scott is a good writer and has dedicated his life in giving us a place to air our views. Im glad for you Abhishek that your life is so complete that you dont need to be immature and petty but i for one am a complete degenerate tosspot who likes a good rant and loves to be as useless and unproductive as i possibly can. You know it takes all sorts in this life, you say Potato, I say Badgers cock…….
ENGLAND’s NUMBER 1!!!!
LOL…
What a joke this guy is….
Abishek. You know what to do then pal. Fucking do one. Last I looked it was scotts blog. If you don’t like it start ya own blog.
I’d go with what the title of the article says as a comment
@ Dela 16:33 . Top post mate. Personally I thought that had Kenwyne Jones done that vs chelski or l’arseit would have been given as a foul. Didn’t help him that his back four was constantly changing every week. Had Rio and Vidic been in front of him every game during his run in the team I think he would still be here.
Anyway lets see what this Lindergaard fella is like, no doubt he will get slagged off once he makes a mistake.
Can’t handle the heat? Get out the kitchen!
Here’s hoping he fumbles one into the path of Berba tonight.
oooooh Goat……… giving it large….you on the blob this week lol
Abhishek – no one will miss you mate. Judging by the popularity of the blog, not many share your grievances. It’s true that Scot likes to have a laugh at our rivals expense, and so do I, so I’m glad he writes about it. It’s just a bit of banter!
He’s got a point about the protest i guess, you see too many people who will wear green & gold, but at the same time have a sky sports subscription and drink budweiser, wearing nike trainers – utter CUNTS like that. But i hope he slips in the second half. Hope ando breaks gardners fucking knee.
He’s got a point about the protest i guess, you see too many people who will wear green & gold, but at the same time have a sky sports subscription and drink budweiser, wearing nike trainers – utter CUNTS like that. But i hope he slips in the second half. Hope ando breaks gardners fucking knee!
And again at the near post!
Fucking beauty.
@keano86 – yeah dick, because not having a Sky sub means missing United games, and wearing Nike clothing has nothing to do with United.
Of course not, you stupid cunt.
Looks like he really is happier tonight. I guess what he said is true, shame Rooney can’t show some passion too. I think the crowd got on his back after his shocking tackle at Birmingham in his Everton days. Maybe us Reds should enjoy football more because we will win nothing unless we play as a happy team.
hahahahahaha!
” There is more pressure at United, without a doubt. Even if we drew there, it was the end of the world. ”
Really? No shit!?
ofc theres more fuckin pressure at united then at Birmingham, United are fighting to win trophies while B’ham are fighting to remain a ‘mid/upper-lower table team..
This is not a fight that leaves my thinking and work I do .Not to be better than anyone.Its just my passion for United.
He cant keep me quiet, no one can on this aspect of United.I here people call me names and insult me because they slavishly think they support United.
Square the circle as Ed Barker says on United rant. Dont go to Old Trafford and most certainly dont buy any official merchandise.
We need new owners, not some imaginary half wits from the middle east with oil money. that are engractiating themselves for the World cup in 2022. i mean its a nonesense.changing all the league programme to accomadate these imposters.A population of no less than Birmingham, to hold this tournament. Can you not see what Oil and gas does for a club, think in London, none other than Chelsea.He is not investing now, is he?. The sweetie shop has gone.He wants a return.
I have big ideas for my magnificent club, and I work on that!
I say keep it British for the long term greatness of United.
This is a United institution not some “toy” for glory hunters and glamour rich investors to piss around with.
Long live United.
We shall see in the future, pray and hope the next step is do or die.
My dislike for him started after his display in the 4-3 derby last season. Which was in September. Make of that what you will.
he is relaxed there ,.no pressure ,. anything ,.
It seems that guys there smoking Hoble Boble after game in backyards ,.