Manchester United young guns battle it out for No.1 jersey

It takes many years to have both tenure and clout at the highest echelons of football. Manchester United have over the years invested in a wealth of talent in their goalkeeping department, which had for a long time (since the departure of Peter Schmeichel at least), not lived up to much expectation.

Sir Alex Feguson’s acquisition of Dutch goalkeeping maestro Edwin van der Sar has brought a renaissance in not only solidifying Manchester United’s defensive line, though in developing a solid stable of goalkeeping talent to contest van der Sar’s seat at the helm.

Recently, Ferguson has suggested that 38 year old van der Saar does not need to play every game, thus opening the door to speculation of a possible exit at the end of the season, and game time for both Tomasz Kuszczak and Ben Foster.

Kuszczak played an uneventful game against West Ham earlier in the week, but suggested it was a much needed return between the sticks after 6 weeks without seeing any game time:

“The first game after a break like that is always difficult, more mentally than physically, because it’s not easy to concentrate for 90 minutes when you have almost nothing to do. However, this is the goalkeeper’s job and we have to do it properly.”

Testament to the fine balance and the nature of the goalkeepers role, Kuszczak points to the need to always be on your toes at a highly competitive level. Not playing regularly does not mean that a goalkeeper should rest on his laurels, there is always competition for the number one jersey, and Manchester United have created an environment to put the best young goalkeepers to the test.

Ben Foster’s return from injury show’s just how competitive it is for a goalkeeper of Kuszczak at one of the biggest clubs in the world, as Sir Alex has suggested that Foster may play against Celtic in the coming week:

“Ben being back fit is a big bonus to us because he is an outstanding goalkeeper; I may even play him at Celtic Park next week.

Ferguson’s choice of game rotation shows a confidence in his young goalkeepers, and a chance to battle it out against a Dutch giant for the number one jersey in one the world’s top clubs.

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