Ben Foster reveals what Wrexham’s ‘advantage’ over Man United is ahead of their pre-season game in San Diego later today.
Wrexham take on Manchester United at the 35,000-capacity Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego. It is the third game of the club’s pre-season tour of the USA following a defeat against Chelsea and a win against LA Galaxy II. The mouth-watering matchup takes place in the early hours of Wednesday (26 July) morning for UK fans, or at 7:30 pm local time for fans in the US.
Ben Foster reveals Wrexham’s ‘advantage’ over Man United ahead of pre-season game
Ahead of the fixture, goalkeeper Ben Foster shared some insight on what he expects from the game. Foster is one of the few people who know what it’s like to play for both clubs, having made twelve appearances for Manchester United between 2005-2010.
United’s line-up will almost be exclusively made up of academy prospects and under-21s players, with many of the first teamers not making the trip to San Diego. However, Foster is not underestimating his opponents and knows how dangerous a group of young, hungry players eager to make their mark can be.
Speaking to The United Stand on YouTube, Foster said: “I think the edge that the United lads will have, the under-23s will have, is obviously their youth and exuberance and their energy levels.
“We’re sort of a bunch of 30-year-old men who are doing double [training] sessions for fun.”
Foster then joked that, “when the game kicks off we’re still quite leggy”. However, he insisted that the result isn’t all that important as it’s about “getting the miles in the tank” for the players and improving their fitness levels.
Foster also thinks Wrexham will have an advantage over a remarkably young United side. He thinks the sides will be pretty evenly matched but ultimately Wrexham’s experience and seniority could be a decisive factor.
He added: “I’m sure they’ll [United] probably do a bit more running than what we will. But it’ll be a good matchup. With their youth and exuberance we’ve probably got a bit more of knowhow and experience.”
Foster’s expectations for next season in League Two
After the United game, Wrexham have a pre-season game against Philadelphia Union before flying back to Wales to prepare for the start of the League Two season. The Red Dragons kick of the new season with a home fixture against MK Dons on 5th August.
When asked about his expectations for next season, Foster said: “We’re all expecting to be up there. There and thereabouts I’d say, that’s where we’ve got to aim.
“I think all of us are going in with the expectation and the hope of being up there, whether in the play-offs or automatic, I’m not sure – it’s a big ask to go up automatically.
“If we finish the season any lower than top half finish then that would probably be a bad season for us to be honest with you.”