Ex-Man Utd goalkeeper Foster says a current player wouldn't last under former manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

As a former Premier League goalkeeper and Manchester United player, Ben Foster has some strong opinions about the recent performance of the team. He believes that if legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson were still in charge, things would have gone much differently for new summer signing Joshua Zirkzee.

During their match against Newcastle United, Zirkzee was substituted off in the 33rd minute with the Red Devils already down by two goals. Manager Ruben Amorim made the tough decision to bring on Kobbie Mainoo to play alongside stars Christian Eriksen and Casemiro. Understandably, Zirkzee was frustrated by this early substitution and initially walked off the pitch and towards the changing room. However, he did eventually return to the bench for the remainder of the game.

Foster, however, was surprised by Zirkzee's reaction and believes that under Ferguson's leadership, it would not have been tolerated. He shared his thoughts on his YouTube channel, saying, "If Alex Ferguson was still the manager, that player would have been done. Whoever it was, if you walk off that pitch when you've been brought off after 30 minutes, get a coat and walk straight into the dressing room. You're done. I promise you, you're done. It just doesn't work like that."

He went on to explain that Ferguson would have immediately addressed the situation and told Zirkzee to return to the field, as it was not a good look for the team. Foster also sympathized with Zirkzee, acknowledging that the atmosphere at Old Trafford was tense and the team was struggling. He believed that Zirkzee was unfairly made a scapegoat for the team's overall poor performance.

Zirkzee's move to Manchester United from Atalanta last summer has not lived up to expectations, with only three goals in 19 Premier League appearances. And his early substitution against Newcastle only added to his struggles. Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand expressed his sympathy for Zirkzee, saying he was "really gutted" for the young player.

Ferdinand also noted that this was not the first time a player has been substituted early in a game, and that the team needs to rally around Zirkzee and support him. He called on captain Bruno Fernandes to set a good example and show support for the struggling player. Ferdinand also acknowledged that the team as a whole has not been playing to their potential and believes that the manager needs to have a proper pre-season to implement his ideas and make a real judgement on his performance.

[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]