Why Liverpool should sign Ben Foster instead of Jack Butland
According to Football Insider (h/t Daily Star), Liverpool have been tipped by former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips to make a move for veteran England shot-stopper Ben Foster before the domestic deadline.
The Reds are believed to be the market for a new back-up goalkeeper to cope with the injury to undisputed No.1 Alisson Becker after current understudy Adrian conceded 7 goals in the humiliation at the hands of Aston Villa.
Stoke City star Jack Butland has been mentioned as a potential target but Phillips believes Foster would be a better option for Jurgen Klopp’s side, with Alisson potentially facing a six-week spell on the sidelines due to his shoulder injury. (Football Insider h/t Daily Star)
Profile
Pretty much a household name in English football, Ben Foster hardly requires an introduction to the followers of the beautiful game. Having started his career way back in 2002-03, the 37-year-old has featured for four different clubs – Manchester United, Watford, Birmingham City and West Brom – in the Premier League over the course of the past two decades.
Foster’s most prominent spell in the Premier League came at West Brom, where he spent seven seasons and made over 200 appearances between 2011 and 2018. The veteran goalkeeper returned to Watford for a second spell back in 2018 and served as the first-choice for two campaigns in the top-flight before the Hornets were eventually relegated last term.
The former England international, though, was one of the few players to come away with some genuine credit from Watford’s disastrous campaign in the top-flight last season, keeping 9 clean sheets in the process. Foster has retained his role as Watford’s No.1 in the Championship this term, managing three clean sheets in four games.
Foster would be a quality understudy to Alisson
Roped in on a free transfer to provide cover for Alisson, Adrian played a total of 18 games for Liverpool in the previous campaign but managed to keep just 3 clean sheets, conceding 24 goals in the process. The Spaniard did put in some notable shifts between the sticks, with his penalty-shootout heroics against Chelsea in the UEFA Super Cup earning him plaudits.
However, he has also come under criticism for several high-profile errors, most notably against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last term. Liverpool’s humiliation against Aston Villa was, of course, a collective failure but Adrian should have done better with at least a couple of goals scored by the opposition.
Well, the last thing that Liverpool need is an inconsistent back-up for Alisson in goal, which could have a damaging impact on their title defence. The Reds should, therefore, look for a better option and Ben Foster ticks the box as an excellent short-term fix despite his advancing years.
A veteran of over 350 club career appearances in the Premier League, Foster certainly has all the experience in the world to provide Klopp with a safe pair of hands between the sticks whenever Alisson is rested or injured. The 37-year-old showed last season that he’s still more than capable of delivering top-notch performances in the top-flight.
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Verdict
An in-depth look at the statistics from the previous campaign reveal that Ben Foster fared way better than Jack Butland, who has suffered a significant dip in form over the past two years. Foster registered an impressive save percentage of 65 for a relegated team in the PL last term while Butland managed a below-par save percentage of 57 for Stoke City in the Championship.
Hence, Kevin Phillips’ opinion certainly has a lot of substance and Liverpool completing a deal for the 37-year-old could put them in good stead to cope with Alisson’s absence.
