Fergie will not blame Foster

Red Devils boss does not blame keeper for defeat

Last updated: 26th November 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Fergie will not blame Foster

Foster: Beaten from distance

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Sir Alex Ferguson has refused to blame Ben Foster for Manchester United losing their 23-match unbeaten home record in the UEFA Champions League.

The recalled keeper was beaten from distance by Rodrigo Tello after 20 minutes that gave Besiktas their first win at the fifth attempt in Group B.

It was Foster's first start in a month and while he failed to get a hand on Tello's long-distance effect that deflected off Rafael, he has avoided the wrath of Ferguson.

"The goal followed a deflection off Rafael and we were chasing the game," said Ferguson. "Deflections off the body have a certain speed and that can cause a problem."

Ferguson made wholesale changes to his side and gave youth a chance, a gamble he believes will pay off in the long run despite the surprise defeat.

Composure

The likes of Federico Macheda, Danny Welbeck, Gabriel Obertan and Darron Gibson all started and, if anything, he felt they lacked a bit of composure at times.

"I thought we needed a bit of composure. The young players were a bit anxious and that is understandable in a way," he continued.

"It was an experimental line-up in a way. We have to be fair in the way we assess the players in these games.

"The value is the trust we have got in playing these young players. They are potentially top players.

"The important thing is, though, they showed a good level. In the first half we had good opportunities but got caught on the counter attack."