Ben Foster has insisted that Manchester United’s current situation under Ruben Amorim is the perfect “example” of where a club is benefiting from certain factors.
Ruben Amorim’s men were able to return to winning ways with their final match of November on Sunday, with Manchester United beating Crystal Palace 2-1.
Are Ruben Amorim’s comments from the last West Ham defeat still relevant now?
“We are not scared of losing a game as Manchester United. We don’t have that fear anymore and that is the most dangerous thing that a big club can have.”
Amorim after losing 2-0 to West Ham
The Red Devils had travelled to Selhurst Park on the back of United’s shock 1-0 defeat to 10-man Everton in the Premier League clash at Old Trafford last Monday.
However, Crystal Palace tested United in the first half and the Eagles were 1-0 up at half-time after Jean-Philippe Mateta netted from the spot-kick on Sunday afternoon.
The Red Devils fought back after the break and Joshua Zirkzee pulled United level with the equaliser before Mason Mount scored the eventual winner of the match.
Ben Foster thinks one major detail is working in Ruben Amorim’s favour at Man Utd in the 2025-26 campaign
Crystal Palace dominated in the first half against Manchester United before the Eagles eased their foot off the pedal and the Red Devils seized their opportunity.
United came out as the better-performing side in the second half of Sunday’s 2-1 result, with Ben Foster suggesting the Red Devils were fresher than Palace.
The Red Devils had almost the entire week to prepare for the trip to Selhurst Park after United’s Premier League defeat to Everton came much earlier in the week.
Manchester United have a terrible recent record vs West Ham 😡
Palace, on the other hand, had been in Conference League action – only three days earlier to the United match – in their 2-1 defeat to Racing in France last Thursday.
“The ideal one is a Man United one, for example, where they’re out of the League Cup now, they’re in no European competitions, they know it’s basically Saturday, Saturday, Saturday football,” Foster said on his ‘Fozcast’ podcast.
“They can plan the whole season. And it’s going to be Monday, Tuesday, absolute battery.
“You’re going to be working your socks off, right? You’re going to be getting absolutely mullered. Wednesday off, probably.
“Thursday, easier, easier, but you’re still doing a bit. Friday, pure tacticals [sic], get ready for the game on the Saturday. Lovely, easy to do.”
Ben Foster’s Man Utd assessment misses what is lying in wait for Ruben Amorim in 2026
United manager Amorim has benefited in part from the Red Devils only playing one match a week, with the Premier League being the club’s main focus.
The Red Devils’ 2025-26 League Cup campaign was short-lived under Amorim after United suffered a humiliating loss to Grimsby Town at Blundell Park back in August.
However, the Red Devils’ first-team squad is not experiencing a full rotation of first-team minutes and the signs are clear with how some players have performed.
Are you confident Manchester United will beat West Ham?
Joshua Zirkzee, for example, looked well off it when he played against Everton before the United striker netted for the Red Devils against Crystal Palace.
However, United also won’t enjoy the same formulaic formatting for match preparations when it comes to 2026 and the start of the FA Cup campaign.
The Red Devils might be without European football and out of the League Cup, but the FA Cup is something that will be worth challenging for manager Amorim.
Amorim has enjoyed the advantages of only one match per week, but the Red Devils can’t rely on that feeling when being out of Europe is to United’s detriment.
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