" Ferguson backs Foster after Shield shocker"

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/f...r-1770067.html

Sir Alex Ferguson maintains he has "no worries" over the ability of goalkeeper Ben Foster.

The 26-year-old endured a difficult afternoon at Wembley yesterday, where Chelsea won the FA Community Shield on penalties following an action-packed curtain raiser to the new campaign

Foster is standing in for Edwin van der Sar and is likely to feature for England in the forthcoming friendly against Holland.

And while Ferguson admits it was not the best display from Foster, who had a two-year loan spell at Watford, the Scot insists he has every confidence the keeper can deliver.

"Knowing Ben and the ability which he has, he should have done better with the second goal," said the United boss, who was also less than impressed by the performance of referee Chris Foy.

"However, it was his first big challenge. He has waited a long time, has had his injuries and in pre-season I spread the load between the three keepers, and maybe we did not have enough minutes for him.

"But the important thing is, knowing his ability, it means I do not have any worries about him."

Ferguson was in no doubt the decisive moment of yesterday's match came in the build up to Chelsea's second goal on 70 minutes.

Substitute Michael Ballack appeared to elbow Patrice Evra as the full-back charged down the left flank, but with the United player down, Foy allowed play to continue as Chelsea broke quickly, with Frank Lampard's shot beating Foster inside the far post.

Although the Barclays Premier League champions - who took the lead through Nani, later to go off with an injured shoulder - forced a penalty shoot-out when Wayne Rooney slotted home in stoppage time, Chelsea keeper Petr Cech was the hero with two saves.

Ferguson, however, believes Foy should have intervened when Evra was left flat out on the Wembley turf.

"I think the referee has made a rod for his own back," he said.

"He stopped the game twice, first when Nani was down, then on the second occasion Ballack has gone down, which we have seen before with him.

"I asked the referee, he said he thought it was a serious incident, and he thought the player needed treatment, whereas he [Ballack] was up right away.

"Once he has done that, I do not understand why he has not stopped the game when Evra is lying down.

"With a replay you can see Ballack has elbowed the boy, and if the referee had seen it properly, it is a red card.

"The referee is in line with it, and should have at least stopped the game, but he did not.

"Of course, then they went on and scored the second goal.

"It is hard to blame the Chelsea players because it is a professional game.

"But it is making it very difficult for referees [to know] when players are acting to get the game stopped.

"It is an area I am concerned about and we have got to find a solution."

Portugal midfielder Nani impressed, but Ferguson revealed he could now be set for a spell on the sidelines.

"We could not put the shoulder back in, so that is the worrying part for us," said Ferguson, who has had to reshape his attack following the summer departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez.

"He had done very well and we are very pleased with his performance."

Ferguson felt United should have put the game beyond Chelsea following their dominant first half, with defender Ricardo Carvalho eventually pulling the FA Cup winners back in it on 52 minutes.

"We should really have put the game to bed," he said. "When you get chances in big matches and do not take them, you can suffer and we did."

really hope a run of games boosts his confidence because at the moment he is shocking

Foster needs games, to drop him now would £#%&! him up good and proper.

Originally Posted by Ginners

really hope a run of games boosts his confidence because at the moment he is shocking

Definitely looked shaky yesterday and should've done better with their 2nd. As you say, hopefully it's just a bit of nerves that he'll get over with a run of games.

He also made some outstanding saves yesterday.

Originally Posted by Charlestown Rouge

He also made some outstanding saves yesterday.

The one from Drogba second half was excellent. Superb reflexes to get down to that shot.

I'm more concerned with O'Shea playing right back.
He was skinned and turned on numerous occasions, the build up cross for the first Chelsea goal came from down that side.

Quite a lot of pressure on Foster yesterday and in the build up to the game following VDS's injury. The lads a decent keeper.
The punch out for the goal wasnt to bad and Lampard should have been picked up better by Nani who stood there watching.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
still available if anyone can find him

foster didn't look right yesterday, his kicking is supposed to be a strong point and it was woeful

it was a decent save from drogba but nothing outstanding. you'd be upset if he let it through him

agree re josser too, malouda got beyond him time and again

sheasey was fine tbf, looked good going forward. more than capable of being 1st choice.

Originally Posted by Billy Baroo

foster didn't look right yesterday, his kicking is supposed to be a strong point and it was woeful

it was a decent save from drogba but nothing outstanding. you'd be upset if he let it through him

agree re josser too, malouda got beyond him time and again

just stupidity from o'shea a couple of times letting anelka come inside on his right foot stood right off him

Originally Posted by Ginners

sheasey was fine tbf, looked good going forward. more than capable of being 1st choice.

He wasn't very good defensively though and that's the primary job of a fullback.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

He wasn't very good defensively though and that's the primary job of a fullback.

is it though? our fullbacks spend more time attacking than defending on average.

Originally Posted by Ginners

sheasey was fine tbf, looked good going forward. more than capable of being 1st choice.

Yep. Another player that gets shit for perceived bad performances in the past.

Originally Posted by dunk

Yep. Another player that gets shit for perceived bad performances in the past.

I genuinely thought he was dodgy defensively yesterday.

Ginners, if we are selecting a right back on attacking ability we should go with Fabio.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

I genuinely thought he was dodgy defensively yesterday.

Ginners, if we are selecting a right back on attacking ability we should go with Fabio.

I didn't. I thought he was good enough for a pre-season fairly, and certainly good enough back-end of last season. The man in possession of the shirt, up to the others to get it off him.

Foster will be fine I reckon with a run of games....hopefully the next 3 fixtures he shouldn't see too much action and he can begin to get comfortable. The defenders have to realise aswell that he's left-footed and not as comfortable on the ball as VDS.

I actually think Fergie is to blame for his bad performances.

Any opportunity Fergie heaps praise on him, predicts he'll be England's number one and generally keeps saying how good he is to the media. Normally this can boost a players confidence but i think it is different for goalkeepers.

Foster must of been between the sticks thinking..."£#%&! me, i better do well today after what the boss has been saying!"

The lad looked a nervous wreck and i'm not suprised, people forget the lack of experience he has.

I was far more incensed with Evra's booking than their goal. It's funny to see the yawning difference between non-league and premiership - watching FC on Saturday there must have been about twenty challenges at least as robust as that. People actually clap and say 'good challenge'. Then when it's two premiership teams people scream for red cards and commentators say things like 'he can count himself lucky there'. It's a man's game for £#%&!'s sake.

The dick on fivelive even said 'but there was contact' in resposne to Chris Waddle insisting it was a good tackle. Oh, so 'contact' is all that's required for a free-kick now? It's so simple, if you get the ball first, it's not a foul, even if the man ends up on his arse. If you get the man first, it's a foul.

Fin de rant.

Originally Posted by Zorg

I was far more incensed with Evra's booking than their goal. It's funny to see the yawning difference between non-league and premiership - watching FC on Saturday there must have been about twenty challenges at least as robust as that. People actually clap and say 'good challenge'. Then when it's two premiership teams people scream for red cards and commentators say things like 'he can count himself lucky there'. It's a man's game for £#%&!'s sake.

he was booked on the basis of assumption ie Foy thought he was flying in to do Ballack and the decision was made before kenny won the ball