Ben Foster completes his £6m Birmingham move

• zocoss

  18 May 10, 20:05

  KEEPER TO DEPART UNITED

  Foster expected to complete £6m Birmingham switch

   

   

  

  Farewell Old Trafford: Ben Foster will end his five-year stay at Manchester United and join Birmingham

   

   

  Ben Foster is expected to complete a £6 million move from Manchester United to Birmingham on Wednesday.

  A fee was agreed between the two clubs last week and Foster is expected in the Midlands on Tuesday for a medical that will seal his Old Trafford exit.

  Although he began last term with high hopes of ousting Edwin van der Sar from his status as United's first-choice keeper, Foster's chance disappeared with high-profile mistakes against Manchester City and Sunderland during a two-month period at the start of the campaign when the veteran Dutchman was missing through injury.

  Despite these blunders, Foster was handed successive England starts, against Belarus and Brazil, leading to an expectation he would claim a place in Fabio Capello's World Cup squad.

  Instead, Ferguson kept him on the sidelines for almost the entire remainder of the season, meaning the 27-year-old was not one of the men in Capello's provisional squad when he named it last week.

  After five years at United, two of which were spent on loan at Watford, Foster had accepted there was no future for him at the club, especially as Sir Alex Ferguson persuaded Van der Sar to sign another year's contract extension.

  As Birmingham needed a keeper once Joe Hart returned to Manchester City following his season-long loan, Blues boss Alex McLeish wasted no time in stepping in to make Foster his first signing of the summer.

• Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1)

  18 May 10, 20:09

  lolx
  
  finally birmingham interested
  
  
  so he maybe become 2nd choice
  
  unless joe hart go back

• FJERC

  18 May 10, 20:13

  foster is a flop at utd..his performance all shaky.. go birmingham he will be 1st choice?

• Rooney9

  18 May 10, 22:17

  foster is a goalie who will perform well for a smaller club. just like howard.

• iceFatboy

  19 May 10, 10:02

  Originally posted by Rooney9:

  foster is a goalie who will perform well for a smaller club. just like howard.

  RafaB made the same comment about "smaller club" and kanna fire leh..

• Paisley

  19 May 10, 10:13

  Tim Howard did alright for you guys what.

• zocoss

  19 May 10, 12:20

  Originally posted by iceFatboy:

  RafaB made the same comment about "smaller club" and kanna fire leh..

  
  Rafa made a direct indication of Everton  when he used the term "smaller club"... Here it came across to me that he was making that comment in a general sense  and no one in particular... Not even Birmingham...

  On Foster leaving, I think it's a good deal for all parties... Cos for United, they get a 4 to 6 times return on a player they signed for $1m only.

  For Birmingham, I belief they got a very good keeper in the making but only not good enough for the very top level yet but it could all change in the future.

  And for Foster himself, he gets to play first team again and in a not so pressured environment where he can slowly get back to fulfil his potential.

  Overall, it serve everyone... VDS gets to stay back which he deservedly should. PIG will be quite happy to know he is the out right no.2 now, Foster gets to play, and Birmingham got a good keeper for their squad... lol...

   

• zocoss

  19 May 10, 20:51

  BEN FOSTER JOINS BIRMINGHAM

  
  

   

  Birmingham have completed the signing of Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster.

  The England international has agreed a three-year contract and although Blues have not disclosed fee, it is reported to be around £6million.

  Manager Alex McLeish was looking to strengthen his goalkeeping department having had Joe Hart, selected in Fabio Capello's England squad for the World Cup, on loan from Manchester City this season.

  However, with that arrangement unlikely to be repeated in the coming campaign the Birmingham boss has moved to find a replacement. 

  Foster, 27, found opportunities limited at Old Trafford and fell down the pecking order behind Edwin van der Sar and Tomasz Kuszczak after a number of unconvincing displays.

  He made just nine Barclays Premier League starts and his last first-team appearance came on February 23 against West Ham.

• omgukilledkenny

  23 May 10, 01:49

  One flop down, one more to go! C'mon Fergie!

• zocoss

  23 May 10, 11:51

  He's not a flop lah... They got 4 to 6 times in return on their investment...   

• CKeer

  23 May 10, 12:00

  Originally posted by zocoss:

  He's not a flop lah... They got 4 to 6 times in return on their investment...   

  Just because he is English and is(was) an International.

• omgukilledkenny

  23 May 10, 12:29

  Originally posted by zocoss:

  He's not a flop lah... They got 4 to 6 times in return on their investment...   

  I'm more interested in Trophies than Profits.

• Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1)

  23 May 10, 12:38

  Bye Bye Foster
  
  
  Welcome to Birmingham
  
  
  
  
  
  

• zocoss

  23 May 10, 22:26

  I belief without all the pressure, he will do very well at Birmingham... Hart was like that also... Not great at City then go over... No pressure, then play like England's next number 1. lol...

• Paisley

  24 May 10, 20:42

  He just need experience.

• zocoss

  25 May 10, 01:20

  I think next season, He and Hart will exchange fate... He will be number 1 and playing week in, week out at Birmingham while Hart will go back to City and sit on the bench behind Given... lol.

  And the crazy thing could happen if City do go out and buy Buffon... Then he suddenly find himself as a no.3... lol.