Former Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster commented on the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire in the starting line-up for the match of the 3rd round of the Premier League against Liverpool (2:1).
— In such situations, it is better to remove players from the line of fire. Because they always “get it”. It's like a dying dog - just put it out of its misery.
The best solution is to remove players from the starting lineup. It doesn't matter if it's for one match or for a month. It is important for the coach to divert attention from these football players.
I have a little sympathy for guys like Ronaldo or Maguire. The football players who came out to play showed themselves and everyone shouted, “See? It's worth removing the ballast, and we played right away!".
Be that as it may, it was the right decision. Towards the end of the match, Ronaldo appeared on the pitch and you can imagine the barrage of criticism he would have received if Liverpool had equalised, said Ben Foster.