Fabio Capello is not one to give too much away, his demeanour surly enough for ITV’s Clive Tyldsley to describe the Italian as “old poker face” during last night’s dead-rubber win over Belarus at Wembley. But prior to the game, the England manager had given the story-writers plenty to work with by suggesting that his squad for next summer’s World Cup had “seven or eight” spots available.

It would appear that the players had heard this too. Several of the would-be support-cast were given chances to stake their claim last night. Several managed to. Peter Crouch’s brace took his international tally to an incredible 18 in 35 appearances – comparable with the likes of Michael Owen, Fernando Torres or Miroslav Klose. Shaun Wright-Phillips worked hard in an unfamiliar left-wing role and was rewarded with a goal, whilst James Milner, Gabriel Agbonlahor & Ben Foster all showed glimpses of their talents.

The Right Sided Conundrum

Meanwhile, David Beckham’s man-of-the-match award – given to him by former Manchester United colleague Steve Bruce – may have been contested by many, his impact and quality surely could not be. The LA Galaxy media circus/midfielder is certainly the odd one out when it comes to Capello’s right sided options, in that he lacks pace and direct running ability, but he is also unique in the sense that his final ball is reliable and consistent. A January move to Milan will all but guarantee his spot in the squad.

With Theo Walcott’s stock still high despite recent injuries, it means that one of either Wright-Phillips or Aaron Lennon is likely to miss out. Both are very much form players, capable of explosiveness one minute, anonymity the next. The one in form come the end of the season may well be the one Capello picks. James Milner is another option, and his versatility – he appeared last night as a left-back – may well work in his favour. A lack of genuine class and goal threat however, may count against him.

The rest – David Bentley, Ashley Young – have some serious work to do before they are even considered.

Goalkeeper

Capello’s Bete Noire, it has to be said. Gone are the days when David Seaman, Gordon Banks or Peter Shilton could simply be thrown the gloves and relied upon to do England proud. England’s current crop of keepers each have merits, but equally worrying weaknesses.

David James and Robert Green would appear to be the two certainties currently. Green’s dismissal in Dnipro last weekend count more against Rio Ferdinand than the West Ham stopper, whilst James – even at 39 – remains the country’s most reliable, experienced keeper.

The third spot is most definitely available. Foster has had a rough start to the season with Manchester United, but is well thought of in the England setup, and his performance last night will have given him confidence that he can avoid the fate of the likes of Scott Carson and Paul Robinson, both of whom saw their form plummet when in possession of the #1 jersey for their country.

Foster still faces competition: Robinson is back into a semblance of form with Blackburn, and is popular with many of the squad, whilst the likes of Joe Hart at Birmingham, and Wigan’s Chris Kirkland both have their supporters, and should be worked hard enough to play themselves into form come next summer.

Strikers

At the other end of the field, there are similar issues. Capello seems settled on a Wayne Rooney/Emile Heskey partnership as his first choice, but beyond those there is a raft of hopefuls looking for a place on the plane.

Crouch may well have barged his way to the front of the queue last night with his poacher’s double, but Capello may well reserve judgement on the Tottenham man’s reliability against elite opposition. His Spurs colleague, Jermain Defoe, is a much safer bet, especially if he retains the good form with which he has begun this season.

Agbonlahor appears very much a deputy for the deputies. His raw pace and energy was welcome last night, and he showed admirable awareness to lay on the opener for Crouch, but in international terms, the Villa man sits behind Defoe in terms of consistency, reliability and goalscoring.

His replacement last night was West Ham’s Carlton Cole, a player who has improved significantly over the past two years, but also one who has the potential to play his way out of form in the blink of an eye. For all his improvement at Upton Park, Cole has just 20 league goals in 82 appearances for the Hammers.

Michael Owen, on form, outshines them all. Injuries, however, and a lack of playing time at Manchester United, have forced England’s fourth-highest goalscorer way down the pecking order. He was at Wembley last night to watch the young pretenders have their chance, no doubt hoping for one of his own before the final squad is named.

The Squad

So here goes. Attempting to name the squad a full seven months before Capello has to may well be a dangerous game, but the Italian’s comments have inspired me. See if you agree.

Goalkeepers: David James, Robert Green, Ben Foster

Defenders: Glen Johnson, Wes Brown, Wayne Bridge, Ashley Cole, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Matthew Upson

Midfielders: Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, Owen Hargreaves, Joe Cole, David Beckham, Aaron Lennon, Theo Walcott

Forwards: Wayne Rooney, Peter Crouch, Emile Heskey, Jermain Defoe

1966 was a great year, or so I’m told by those of an age able to remember it.

It has been a long time since England lifted the highest honour in International football, too long in fact, and many have been brave enough to predict South Africa will be the location for the Three Lions to finally end the years of hurt for the England faithful.

Trouble is I’ve heard all this before, and after so many England related predictions that have fallen short I am now perhaps not sceptical, more cautiously optimistic on how the team will actually faire in the pressure cooker environment of the tournament proper.

Even the most cynical of fans must admit however that circumstance is a little different this time around.

Firstly there can be no question marks over the pedigree of the man charged with leading the side into battle. Fabio Capello is as good and as astute as they come. His trophy hall at club level all over Europe is to vast to list exhaustively, but suffice it to say it would be quicker to go over what he hasn’t won than what he has. There have been no signs that he has had any trouble translating his talents at club level to the International stage, his England appearing a very different prospect from that which he inherited.

So no excuses that England have the wrong man at the helm… so what about the players?

If England are to threaten winning the trophy next year then Wayne Rooney will have to have the tournament of his career so far. He has been in great form for club and country this term, flourishing in the new found responsibility thrust upon him at United now that Ronaldo has moved on. This can only benefit England as Rooney is growing into the talismanic, or as the Americans would like to call it ‘franchise’ player that England will need him to be.

The other main protagonists aren’t too shabby either, Gerrard, Lampard, Terry, Ferdinand, A. Cole would get in most if not any side in the world. Not a bad spine to the team then either.

The supporting cast have blown hot cold at various points since Capello took charge. Lennon has seemingly shaken off his persistent injury problems and found the sort of form that first got him into the side. Glen Johnson seems to be the only real option at right back for England at present. Better going forwards than backwards he is certainly a pressure point opposing teams will look to exploit.

The Goalkeeping position is still a hotly contested debate, although Capello has stated he knows who his first choice for the tournament is already. He hasn’t told us yet though I notice. Ben Foster has looked much improved for United in recent games but is yet to convince. Again England have many options here and I feel the race is still open for one of them to claim the shirt as their own before the end of the season.

Coming back from injury are Downing, Joe Cole and Owen Hargreaves who could yet feature for England in South Africa. If fully fit and firing, all three players would be a great asset to the squad although only time will tell what sort of season each will have. England have a number of wide options to choose from when you consider Walcott, Lennon, SWP and Young are also all in contention. (Discounting Beckham and Gerrards new found role in the team playing wide left).

And so it would seem that England certainly have the tools for the job on paper. There is also a new found steel and grit that the team was sorely lacking under previous regimes. However I still feel there is a delicacy about the way England’s fortune is decided. Beaten by Spain and France (although in friendly games) under Capello shows that the side is far from unbeatable when faced with top class opposition. No disrespect to Croatia but I don’t hear anyone touting them as potential winners in South Africa.

As everyone knows this England side are in a now or never moment. The big players are peaking in terms of their age and relative performance levels, and it will be all downhill for them in the main after this tournament. Capello continues to build and improve the side with every passing fixture and I for one would not doubt his ability to pull it all together for the big show next summer.

Still I can’t seem to shake that though in the back of my mind that takes the form of a penalty shootout that prematurely ends what could be a year to remember for English football.

On episode 18 of the Soccerlens Podcast, Stephen Darwin is joined by Pitch Invasion’s Tom Dunmore and Jason Davis from MatchFitUSA to discuss US soccer consumption.

The show will be looking specifically at how soccer fans in the States receive their domestic and European/Worldwide soccer fix and there’s also a discussion on whether David Beckham really is on a different galaxy with his desire to play in Europe.

Among the points of discussion raised with Tom Dunmore and Jason Davis were:

• The US Open Cup
• MLS Cup potential winners
• Better off without Beckham?
• ESPN and television coverage of soccer in the US
• European soccer vs domestic US soccer – an equal balance?
• Plus more on top of that!

Show Details
Date: Friday 4th September 2009
Host: Stephen Darwin
Guest 1: Tom Dunmore
Guest 2: Jason Davis

You can listen to the show below:
Download link (mp3, 24mb, 26 mins)

Subscribe to the Soccerlens Podcast

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Remember to leave your feedback on the show in the comments section underneath this post or alternatively e-mail the show at: podcast@soccerlens.com. If you want to make your views heard on the podcast, make sure you email us at the above email address.

David Beckham is back in MLS and and after only a few weeks is fully engaged in every commotion related to soccer in the United States. Expansion team ownership, international competition, player contracts, ticket sales, refereeing, MLS Cup, and fan confrontations are now all Beckham-related and bear his mark.

The LA Galaxy are headed for the playoffs, and Beckham already said he’s returning to AC Milan this winter to train for England and the World Cup, and that he’ll return to play and likely buy an MLS franchise, so a brief recap of summer lessons is advised before the midterm.

Lesson 1: Fan behavior gets boundaries

MLS fans that normally sit in empty stadiums and until this summer never saw the flood of teams like Inter Milan, Club America, Chelsea, Barcelona, and Everton in the US, aggressively booed Beckham and taunted him with hate banners when he walked on the field in front of huge crowds after returning from AC Milan. And the fan were shocked that the former England captain responded in a very human manner after they insulted his wife, Victoria. On two occasions he approached his antagonizers and shared words, once encouraging a fan to face him on the field – for which Beckham was fined $1,000 by MLS.

Last week at Seattle Sounders, seventeen minutes in, Beckham dove studs-up between the feet of friend and former teammate Peter Vagenas with a right-footed tackle that earned him a quick trip to the locker room and a suspension for the following high-stakes match against Chicago Fire. The tackle appeared intended more for a red card than the ball or a leg, and at the end of the day served as a lesson in manners for shabby fans.

Over 20,000 ticket holders in Chicago didn’t see Beckham play on August 19, but they did see their home team shut out 2-0 after Landon Donovan broke down the middle and lashed the ball under Fire keeper Jon Busch and into the corner of the net. The Galaxy have improved.

“There’s always going to be someone out there that’s going to say something about it not being a good idea me being here or it’s not working,” Beckham told reporters in Boston, “but statistics say it is.”

Lesson 2: Numbers don’t lie

Twenty-one of the 25 largest crowds in the US this summer supported international matches, many tied in some way to Beckham’s relationship with MLS and Soccer United Marketing.

93,137 Los Angeles Galaxy-Barcelona (Aug. 1) Pasadena, Calif.
82,252 Mexico-Haiti (July 19) Arlington, Texas
81,224 Chelsea-Inter Milan (July 21) Pasadena, Calif.
79,156 USA-Mexico (July 26) East Rutherford, N.J.
72,368 D.C. United-Real Madrid (Aug. 9) Landover, Md.
71,203 AC Milan-Chelsea (July 24) Baltimore
66,848 Seattle Sounders-Barcelona (Aug. 5) Seattle
65,289 Seattle Sounders-Chelsea (July 18 ) Seattle
61,572 Barcelona-Guadalajara (Aug 8 ) San Francisco
57,229 Chelsea-Club America (July 26) Arlington, Texas
55,173 Mexico-Costa Rica (July 23) Chicago
51,115 Mexico-Venezuela (July 24) Atlanta
50,306 AC Milan-Club America (July 22) Atlanta
47,713 Mexico-Panama (July 9) Houston
42,531 AC Milan-Inter Milan (July 26) Foxboro, Mass.
32,526 Seattle Sounders-Colorado Rapids (June 28 ) Seattle
32,500 Mexico-Nicaragua (July 5) Oakland, Calif.
32,405 Seattle Sounders-D.C. United (July 25) Seattle
32,204 Seattle Sounders-Houston Dynamo (July 11) Seattle
31,026 Inter Milan-Club America (July 19) Stanford, Calif.
31,087 USA-Panama (July 18 ) Philadelphia
30,624 Mexico-Guatemala (June 29) San Diego
27,000 El Salvador-Costa Rica (July 3) Carson, Calif.
27,000 Los Angeles Galaxy-AC Milan (July 19) Carson, Calif.
26,623 New England Revolution-Los Angeles Galaxy (Aug 8 ) Foxboro

* Figures according to Soccer America

According to Barcelona economic vice-president Joan Boix, Barcelona’s 12-day tour of the US generated $8.5 million. Average attendance for the three Barcelona matches against the Galaxy, Sounders, and Chivas was 73,852, and Boix claimed the games sparked partnerships with US-based companies.

Althought the Galacy lost 2-1 to Barcelona, it was Beckham who scored off a magestic free kick shown around the world. The goal silenced critics on both sides of the ocean, perhaps more his European colleagues who doubted his decision to play for MLS.

“I must admit it was one of the ones I enjoyed, I’ve watched it a few times since,” said Beckham. “I haven’t scored one like that for a while, so to do it against Barcelona, great rivals of mine when I was at Real Madrid. I know they’re only in their preseason, but they’re champions of Europe, champions of Spain, and won the Spanish Cup.”

Lesson 3: Beckham closes the book on Grant Wahl

Another media blitz was created by Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl, who wrote the rather bitchy The Beckham Experiment released precisely as Beckham returned to the Galaxy. Wahl, who followed Beckham during his first two years, welcomed MLS’ biggest investment back with a back-handed slap, telling tales of team infighting, Beckham’s disloyalty, mismanagement, and failure.

“Unfortunately for David,” said Landon Donovan, “no one wants to hear those things about them, especially through a book, so it was difficult for him, but to his credit he’s been a man about it. He’s taken it like a man and he’s done a great job of moving past it and I can’t say a lot of people would have done that. David’s been great since he’s been back – in every way.”

Now in second place in the Western Conference, the Galaxy are headed into the playoffs for the first time in three years. Galaxy head Coach Bruce Arena released most of last season’s team and built a squad of older, experienced players and with a record of 8-4-10, the Galaxy has lost the fewest games of any MLS team this season.

“My working with David over the last month has been nothing but fabulous,” said Arena. “He’s been a great member of the team, he does a great job off the field as well as on the field, he’s very cooperative with us in every way, and you can see the quality of his play. He’s a fantastic player.”

“People look for criticisms or just try to knock the organization or knock the ideas that they’re trying to bring to this league and to this game in the US,” said Beckham. “There’s always going to be the bad out there, but we as an organization and me as a person and us as a team, we always look at the positive sides and there’s a lot more positives than negatives.”

4. Lesson 4: Beckham plans to buy MLS franchise, hints at player contract changes

With a rather small and polite media contingent in Boston, Beckham confirmed his plans to obtain an MLS franchise.

“It’s something I’m very interested in because when I stop playing I still want to be involved in the game and I still want to be an ambassador of this league,” said Beckham. “It’s a long-term plan, it’s not something where I’ve come over for a couple years and just going to walk away. It’s something I am passionate about and something I do believe in, so I want to stick to that. There’s a deal in place where I can purchase an MLS team or start a franchise so it’s something that I’m definitely interested in and wouldn’t have something in my contract without wanting to do it. I can’t go into specifics but the option is there.”

Beckham indicated contractual relationships with players must change for MLS to attract talent, and this is particularly interesting considering the MLS Players Union collective bargaining agreement expires January 31, 2010. The union included free agency and guaranteed contracts in their proposed agreement.

“That’s what players in Europe look for, they look for a challenge,” said Beckham. “Coming over would be a challenge because it’s a different league and a different style of soccer. In years to come there will be more players that come over from Europe but the whole system is different. In Europe you’re contracted two, three, four, five years at a time and players see out those contracts, so that’s what’s difficult, a different situation with the system.”

“There are a lot of things that we would like to see changed,” said Donovan of the Players Union’s proposed CBA, “and the beauty is that the league probably agrees with us on a lot of them. Now it’s a matter of getting things done that we want, coming to an agreement that makes sense for everyone . . . As for the salary cap, I think everybody would want that increased – the league, ourselves, the owners, the coaches. The only thing it does is make for the ability to get better talent, to keep American players home by paying them more money so it’s a win-win for everyone and I think everyone realizes that.”

Lesson 5: MLS franchises could develop international flavor

Beckham’s ownership of a MLS franchise might encourage Barcelona to return with another franchise proposal, as they are rumored to be doing with the New York Red Bulls.

This past spring, the Barcelona-Claure proposal to develop a progressive Miami MLS franchise crashed, incredibly, because of Beckham’s winter sabatical from MLS to AC Milan.

“The treatment has to be different,” Marcelo Claure told El Deber after pulling out of the deal, “since the economic picture changes if David Beckham does not return to the US. In this case the league, because Beckham represents economic figures, should consider what it can mean to have an institution like Barca to MLS – there is a big difference with a player. MLS needs to analyze what would be the benefit to Barcelona of Spain in the league.”

Barca wanted to bring their young players to MLS as a sort of reserve team and give them game time. According to Kartik Krishnaiyer of MLS Talk, Barca was concerned if MLS owned the contracts of the Barca youth players that came here, MLS could turn around and sell them directly to a rival club and Barca wanted more control over the players they brought in. Barca was concerned about MLS limiting their spending via the salary cap because they wanted to bring as many players as they could and to spend as much money as they wanted.

“We are pioneers,” said Joan Oliver, general director of Barcelona, “and if it turns out well, other clubs will follow us.”

Beckham is back in MLS and confirming his long-term commitment to soccer in the US, and that could attract foreign club investors like Barca back to MLS. Imagine if every club touring the US this summer – Everton, Barcelona, Chelsea, Club America, Inter Milan, AC MIlan – owned an MLS franchise and brought their brand, their history, their philosophy, culture to the US. Pretty exciting.

All things considered, Beckham has not done bad in bringing order to the MLS schoolyard.

Not so long ago, David Beckham’s move to LA Galaxy would not even have been possible. It was facilitated by a change in Major League Soccer’s rules. Tim Leiweke, the alpha male of the Galaxy, worked hard to lobby the league’s owners to join his crusade and the Designated Player Rule was born in time for Beckham’s arrival in 2007.

The reason Leiweke and the Galaxy needed to induce constitutional change to make way for the signing of Beckham is that MLS works to a salary budget, promoting financial sustainability and league parity. Each of the league’s fifteen clubs must build its squad within that budget, currently a meagre $2.3m. Clearly a league in which players of the quality of Houston Dynamo defender Geoff Cameron earn just $34,000 – and others as little as $20,000 – will struggle to attract any kind of marquee names from abroad.

Here’s how it works: each club has been allocated a designated player slot which allows it to add a player to its roster who would, in other circumstances, smash the salary cap. MLS holds contracts centrally and pays the designated player $415,000 which in turn counts against the club’s salary budget. The player is paid more than this, of course. The remainder is made up locally by the club. For example, David Beckham may be on $5.5m salary (that’s without all the endorsements and sponsorship deals), but MLS pays him $415,000. AEG and the Galaxy make up the difference.

Designated players in 2009

In 2009, just six MLS clubs have a designated player on their books. David Beckham, of course, is the best known. Minus the $415,000 paid by Major League Soccer, LA Galaxy pays the former England captain a base salary of $5.5m. Seattle Sounders’ Freddie Ljungberg earns $1.3m, Cuauhtemoc Blanco of Chicago Fire almost $2.8m and DC United striker Luciano Emilio $720,000. Guillermo Barros Schelotto of Columbus Crew banks $650,000 and Juan Pablo Angel, New York Red Bulls’ designated player, takes home a base salary of $1.5m.

It seems there are two approaches to taking advantage of the Beckham Rule (though there are many other complications like guarantees to be considered here). Galaxy, Sounders, RBNY and the Fire have used the rule to pick up players ordinarily out of Major League Soccer’s budget, while DCU and Crew have taken the chance to reduce the salary hit from Emilio and Schelotto to $415,000 and make up the shortfall in-house. This frees up some space under the salary cap to stop the roster being too top-heavy.

New York Red Bulls, incidentally, could in theory take on a second DP. The Beckham Rule states that each team may have up to two designated players, a situation which can be brought about through the trading of one club’s DP slot to another. Accordingly, RBNY traded Amado Guevara to Chivas USA in 2007 in return for a second designated player slot, currently unused. DC United also had a second slot, but traded it back to Colorado Rapids – its original home – in the deal which took Christian Gomez back to RFK.

Why do so few teams take advantage of a rule which could help them attract some star power? Financially, it may not be viable for every club. But it’s also a question of balance, and when one is working to a cap of $2.3m the ’spending’ of $415,000 is not to be taken lightly. Not having a DP could make all the difference when it comes to preventing a top-heavy squad. From Wahl’s book, it’s clear that LA Galaxy suffered from this in 2007. Ordinarily, Landon Donovan – now on $900,000 – would have become the Galaxy’s designated player. As it was, he and Beckham accounted for a huge proportion of 2007’s $2.1m salary cap, leaving precious little room for Frank Yallop to build the rest of the squad.

Time for reform?

The Beckham Rule is, in theory, a finite one in its current form. It’s up for review at the end of this season and apparently formed the centrepiece as MLS owners talked shop in Utah during All-Star week. It seems certain that the Designated Player rule won’t be disappearing anytime soon. Beckham, for all the friction, has been a marketing success for Major League Soccer and LA Galaxy. But with reform – or at least evolution – on the cards, should MLS be extending, changing or scrapping the rule after 2009?

The two strongest arguments in favour of the DP rule are the benefits to marketing and on-field quality. Major League Soccer is walking a tightrope with its marketing, and necessarily so. There is a difficult balance to be struck between targeting fans of European football, floating customers, free-spending single men and soccer moms. Some of those markets are impressed by marquee names, others less so. By attempting to attract the big names while some players earn peanuts, MLS is in danger of alienating supporters who value the league’s semi-organic development. Many MLS bloggers are outspoken in their opposition to the Beckham Rule.

It’s potentially a short-term gain, but MLS needs to cash in on its momentum and that means long-term sustainability as well as short-term success.

It’s easy to assume that paying to bring in a few top-class players will bring up the quality of play but it’s not necessarily that simple. Jason Davis at Match Fit USA is a vocal opponent of the DP rule and argues that designated players are “shiny toys” but actually hold the league back in terms of its quality, and represents Major League Soccer’s misplaced priorities:

“MLS is facing a dilemma (although I’m not sure they realize it): sell out and throw money at past-their-prime names who will no doubt bring momentary spikes in attention and revenue (tickets sales, shits, etc.), or buy in and invest in the future of the league, allowing teams to spread more money around, increasing the level of play and hopefully attracting all of those anti-MLS American soccer fans that we know exist.”

It’s a question of cap balance. Even when topped up by the club, $415,000 is a significant salary hit. Some clubs, notably Columbus, can make this work. When your DP is truly the big dog, it’s worth paying that kind of money. But at the Galaxy Beckham’s salary contribution from MLS sits alongside the salary of Landon Donovan, combining to make the roster very top-heavy. If two players take home a large proportion of the salary budget, there’s less to go around the rest. Along with the Beckham circus, a bizarre road schedule and the appointment of Ruud Gullit, this is what made life difficult for the Galaxy in 2007 and 2008.

So how does MLS go forwards? It still needs to attract marketable names but must do so within a sustainable framework. Maybe, despite all the complexities of the situation, the league simply needs to increase the salary cap.

One thing is certain: having a designated player in the squad does not guarantee success. Last season, Columbus Crew won MLS Cup without one; Schelotto, their current DP, was rewarded with the improved status last December.

Chris Nee writes at twofootedtackle and co-hosts The twofootedtackle Football Podcast.

As we amble through the ‘most amazing transfer season ever’, drunk on the memories of the ‘closest title race ever’ from last season and looking forward to what surely must be ‘the most exciting Premier League season ever’, it’s easy to miss the trees for the forest – or the blinding neon light that is 24/7/365 football.

Looking back at the week gone by (thankfully light on the bitchfest in Manchester), there’s a bit of Middle Eastern madness in the Premier League and at Meadow Lane, most Liverpool fans finding out that they’re idiots (a bit early in the season for this), the MLS show how out of touch they are with football fans and football fans in the MLS show how out of touch they are with reality.

Pre-Season Friendlies Bollocks

Tim Rich, the Guardian’s man attached to Manchester United’ Asia tour, was refreshingly honest about the main objective of ‘friendlies’ – a negotiating tool for securing advertising deals for the club in question. Michael Owen scored two goals with two substitute appearances, but the reaction to that has been reasonably muted – one, it’s pre-season and two, it’s in the Far East. The real test for these teams will come in the opening weeks of the season, and that’s still a good three weeks away.

But then there’s the US tour of Chelsea, where Dominic Fifield (and a host of other analysts) ignore the simple fact that Italian clubs start their seasons (and therefore their pre-season) two weeks after the Premier League and are unlikely to be at the same level of fitness as their English counterparts.

Chelsea beat Inter and out of nowhere Ancelotti’s use of 2 strikers and a diamond midfield formation is being lauded as visionary. Never mind that Scolari’s start to life at Stamford Bridge was similarly heralded, or that football is more than used to the ‘new manager’ effect on players and team performances. And this is without considering the difference in fitness levels.

No point in letting a sense of perspective get in the way of a story, hmmm?

Fahim takes over Portsmouth, bids for Megan Fox

That dude who the press thought was the owner of Manchester City last year has finally completed his takeover of Portsmouth FC. He’s also confirmed Paul Hart as manager (and presumably tasked him to get Pompey back into Europe or die trying) and will now be looking to bring in Megan Fox new blood into the club to sustain some semblance of a challenge for next season.

Whether he will plump up the cash for a new stadium right away remains to be seen. Despite his reputation, the man does seem to be smarter than Mike Ashley or the Liverpool owners – so I wouldn’t expect him to waste money or make promises he can’t keep.

Fahim can’t be credited with Crouchie’s rejection of Sunderland though – apparently Abbey Clancy fancies a move to London and has no interest in returning to north England. You know who’s the dog in that story (and here’s the full dog story if you’re interested).

And the Megan Fox reference? It seems to be the logical choice for Fahim – after all, Pam is getting a bit old now and there is no way in seven hells that Angie will give this guy the time of the day.

Sven tied up in Notts

Notty Sven has landed in Nottingham, speaking about the challenge of taking a football club from League Two to the Premier League in 5 years while trying to bed all the women in the area during that same time. The Premier League is pretty much the Holy Grail for footy clubs outside the top tier in England and despite another rich Middle Eastern owner backing Notts County there’s a bid difference between spending money and winning promotion (just ask QPR).

And there’s no guarantee that more women means better looking women (there’s a reason why thy men have all left…), so Eriksson, if he has such lofty goals, may be a disappointment and get disappointed in the same tenure.

Having said that, his experience and contacts are immensely valuable, so even if he doesn’t know the league, he can help the club on the business side of things and could make the difference between the club getting their first choice players or not.

Drunk Gerrard and sorry Liverpool fans

This summer’s most entertaining court case has given us new and old insights into Liverpool.

One, that Steven Gerrard is a mere mortal and not above getting into a scrap after having a few drinks. I have no problems with footballers getting into the occasional scrap – people are people and there are always misunderstandings. What’s wrong is when you have people going out of their way to get into trouble or if they have a history of offensive behavior (Barton) – and Gerrard is neither, despite his ‘advice’ to Rooney to kick Ronaldo after the 2006 World Cup.

So Gerrard’s still a good guy in my books – misunderstandings happen, mistakes are made and just because you throw a punch at another guy doesn’t make you into a bad example for children.

But we already knew that Gerrard was mortal and not God’s gift to Liverpool. We knew that he wasn’t above a little play-acting, we knew that he’s incredibly gifted but not superhuman, we knew that he’s not the smartest chap on the team and we knew that he was seriously, seriously tempted into moving to Chelsea before Liverpool bribed him with more money, begged him to stay another year and won the Champions League seemingly out of nowhere (he would surely have left if they hadn’t). Loyalty then, has as much to do with chance and circumstances as it does with who you are as a person.

Liverpool fans on the other hand seem to live in another world where Gerrard is god, Carragher is a hero for turning his back on his country, where Torres and Gerrard never dive, where Rafa’s factsheet is bulletproof instead of complete fabricated bullshit and where it’s always Liverpool’s year…wait, where was I? Yes, Gerrard is god.

When news of this incident involving Gerrard first broke, Liverpool fans swarmed the Internet angrily defending Gerrard, claiming that he would ‘never’ throw a punch and that it was a conspiracy theory by people jealous of Liverpool’s success on the pitch.

Which brings us to our second insight gleaned from this court case – that Liverpool football fans are idiots.

But we already knew that – so what’s new about this case? Apparently, Steven Gerrard was not only drunk (by his own admission, on a drunk scale of 1 to 10 – 10 being a drunk homicidal maniac – he was at 7) but he couldn’t land two of the three punches he threw at the other guy. So much for being an ‘expert’ boxer.

Expect the case to go out with Stevie G getting a suspended sentence (he received an honorary fellowship from the University of Liverpool last summer, it would be horrific to think of Liverpool’s pride and joy going to jail for assault) and having to pay a hefty fine. I don’t expect him to get any punishment from the Premier League either.

Having said that, isn’t this usually the type of high-profile case where the FA rush to cover their arses and make an ‘example’ out of a team / footballer to warn others? Luckily there is no condemnation of Gerrard / Liverpool / football in general in the press during this trial, so the FA is unlikely to get bothered. And if Terry can make a complete arse out of himself and be made captain, Gerrard can surely get away with punching a guy for not giving him the remote.

The MLS Boom is so ON!

I’m going to republish the email I got instead of making any comments on this – although if you’re interested you can read my thoughts on it on Twitter.

Fans of Major League Soccer can now customize their Internet browser with their favorite MLS team. Brand Thunder’s browser Booms! (a combination of a browser skin/theme, sidebar and toolbar) have soft launched at http://brandthunder.com/gallery, by Monday, 7/27, they are expected on MLSnet.com. There is no defined date for when each team will make it available and start promoting on their site. The Kansas City Wizards, however, did release the first MLS Boom! a few months ago (http://kcwizards.com/browser).

Technically speaking, fans download a Firefox Add-on that offers the team look & feel, toolbars, sidebars and other content or functionality like photos or videos of the players, team and games – all to their existing browser. Experientially, fans get a browser that captures the energy of their favorite MLS team. The user can also choose between a full graphically-rich view, or a toolbar only view. Plus, if more than one MLS team Boom! is installed, the user can easily switch between the versions by clicking the “B/T” button in the toolbar.

Isn’t this exciting?

While we’re on the subject of US football, congratulations to the Los Angeles Sol for being the first WPS champions.

United pull an Arsenal and piss on City

United took a page out of Arsenal’s playbook as the Glazers’ spokesperson Teshin Nayani spoke to the press recently about how United were playing ‘prudent’ and didn’t feel the need to spend money for the sake of it while other clubs around them threw around cash obscenely.

“Our operating profits are climbing and we continue to secure sponsorship deals. Our stadium is packed out and we have very good media revenues. On a normal business level, United is in a very strong position and, so far, unaffected by the economic downturn. The manager has a significant amount of money to invest if he wants to.

We do have debt service and carry a significant amount of debt but our interest payments are around £43.3m a year while our operating profit was £80m topped by an extra £25m from transfer profits. We are talking about a net amount of about £60m. That cash can be reinvested in the squad. The point is there is money coming in.”

Gill has also spoken about wanting to sign players who want to play for the red shirt and not mercenaries after money and fame – a clear swipe at both Tevez and Manchester City (but not at Ronaldo, who has received nothing but praise from Manchester United since his departure – remarkable considering that this player has left United against their wishes).

The truth about United is that the summer market has seen the top stars of today (who all grew up idolising Madrid – the dominant force in Europe at the time) ache for Spain and haven’t found the right players that would improve United.

I’m sure that, for example, United would have loved to buy Huntelaar as a third striker, but if Benzema is your first choice and he’s not coming in, will you spend 15m on a 24 yr old and sign him up on an expensive 4-5 year contract, or would you spend 0m on a 29 yr old and sign him on a 2 year pay as you play contract?

Your third striker is always going to be a ‘backup’ – and while Benzema would have been a sure starter, Huntelaar wouldn’t be, and paying over the odds when you have a cheaper option isn’t ambition, it’s madness.

If only someone could tell that to City. On second thought, don’t. Let them chase Terry. Speaking of Terry, he’s due to announce his final decision on the Chelsea / City affair soon (based on his comments post-match after Chelsea beat Inter 2-0). I’m expecting a statement today.

EPL’s fit and proper test is a sham

An extract from David Conn’s article on Derby County:

Yet even under the current “fit and proper person” rules, Mackay would have been waved through: people can have run scores of companies into insolvency; they are barred from football directorships only if they have unspent criminal convictions or have been directors in two insolvencies at football clubs.

Premier League football – if you’ve committed fraud and haven’t been caught, come screw us over.

David Beckham, LA Galaxy and US football

Galaxy fans – you are idiots for believing that Beckham would sacrifice his international career to play in a league below his standards, you are idiots for thinking that a man who has committed his long-term future to the US by setting up an academy, moving his family and laying the groundwork for owning an MLS franchise has ‘turned’ his back on the MLS because he wanted to play in the World Cup, you are idiots for applauding the supreme idiots who heckled Beckham to the extent that he had to go talk to them and you are idiots for

US football and the MLS are on the up. Part of it has to do with the exposure Beckham has brought to the sport (within the US) and part of it has to do with how the MLS, Beckham and other ‘players’ invest in the sport’s future in the US. Fans will play a major role in it too, even though there are competing sports in US that won’t allow football to get to the level it is in South Korea or the whole Far East region.

But abusing (and celebrating the abuse) a guy who wants to play for his country AND is still committed to improving football in the US? That’s real classy folks.

More to keep you company over the weekend:

• The best Brazilian footballers of all time
• The hottest football fans
• All the summer football transfers
• All about football federations around the world

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David Beckham is back, and fans of Major League Soccer are preparing for their next ride on the Goldenballs Rollercoaster. To spice up the moment, a book hit the shelves on Tuesday which has ignited interest in his return and will go down in US soccer history as a must-read.

The Beckham Experiment, by Sports Illustrated senior writer Grant Wahl, got another boost from the USA’s Confederations Cup campaign in which Beckham’s colleague Landon Donovan played himself not only into the affections of football observers worldwide, but back into those of the American fans who feel they’ve never seen the best from a man who should’ve been a superstar.

The Beckham Experiment superbly documents the tense relationships sparked by Beckham’s arrival, between the former England captain and Donovan, and between Donovan and Los Angeles Galaxy front office – in particular Alexi Lalas. Times have changed in Los Angeles since 2007. The inimitable Lalas has moved on to a high-profile post with MLS, and Frank Yallop is back in San Jose, taking the reins of the expansion franchise which rose from the ashes of the Earthquakes. Ruud Gullit since appointed and departed, Bruce Arena is the man now facing the Beckham challenge, brought into sharp focus when stinging comments made by Donovan in Wahl’s book hit the news.

“All that we care about is that he is committed to us,” said Donovan. “As time has gone on, that has not been the case on the field or off the field.” Rift healed – in public, at least – the Galaxy must take its collective mind off the comments and the rest of the controversies detailed in Grant Wahl’s book: Simon Fuller, 19 Entertainment and its relationship with AEG, the cunning use of Beckham’s friend Terry Byrne and the ludicrous way in which David Beckham – a supremely talented footballer whose crossover appeal led to him sharing a representative with the Spice Girls – has become a good guy letting bad guys (for football at least) make him money.

Far from perfect: Galaxy move turns bad

Beckham joined Los Angeles Galaxy from Real Madrid in a move which surprised many but had in fact been years in the making. It was made possible by the businessmen behind Brand Beckham and the non-football interests of AEG, the owners of the Galaxy. An entertainment empire with venues all over the world, and a superagency headed up by the man behind Amerian Idol – in hindsight, it was just a matter of time. The location of Beckham’s LA soccer academy helped smooth the deal, one would imagine.

With rules changed to enable the Galaxy to circumvent the salary cap, the next problem was that the club already had a superstar. Landon Donovan was (and remains) a leading light in US football, and according to Wahl is a man of great sensitivity, not least to perceived disrespect. So when Beckham’s handlers, apparently using Beckham’s personal manager Terry Byrne to avoid getting the player’s fingerprints on any offending requests, made sure Donovan had no choice but to offer Beckham the captaincy, it confirmed Donovan’s fears that the pair wouldn’t see eye to eye.

Of course, football is a tough world but it is also uniquely forgiving. When it comes to the crunch, it doesn’t matter who owns a club, who runs it, who plays for it or what they’ve done – results are all that matter. But the middle of Galaxy’s 2007 season was far from stellar and the focus was inevitably thrown on Beckham, particularly when he finally succumbed to his ankle injury and the team went on a winning streak which almost resulted in a miraculous playoff qualification.

That ankle injury was the story of Beckham’s MLS introduction, highlighting the manner in which the league’s supposed prize asset was pushed to the physical limit on the whim of desperate marketing men. His injury punctuated a stuttering start to life in California and Beckham couldn’t get going.

Despite this, Beckham had fought his way back into the England squad and seemingly convinced himself that he still had the ability to play at international level. Had he moved to MLS too soon? He’d never admit that himself, but what soon became clear was that Beckham wanted to play in front of the England management as often as possible. That meant playing in Europe, and to a FIFA-mandated schedule, and he was willing to play year-round for the rest of his career to earn selection for England’s 2010 World Cup squad. In forcing a loan move to AC Milan, Beckham showed both an admirable passion for the game and scant regard for MLS. In The Beckham Experiment, Donovan voiced the concerns of a football nation slighted.

Right league, wrong time, wrong club

David Beckham and LA Galaxy looked every inch the Hollywood partnership, but in terms of Beckham’s career and the progress of MLS it was arguably the wrong club. Of course, Galaxy was the only franchise with the ability to sign Beckham but for debate’s sake let’s consider that a stronger footballing side without the A-List distractions of Beverley Hills just might have made better use of the situation. Major League Soccer needed Beckham in a winning team, not the awful Galaxy roster he supplemented in 2007 and 2008. Despite 19 Entertainment’s shadow takeover of the Galaxy, David Beckham is not the franchise.

Fine player though he is, David Beckham is not a one-man winning machine.

There are complicating factors which make it impossible to even consider Beckham signing elsewhere in MLS. 19 and AEG have a relationship which extends far beyond football and Beckham’s soccer academy is located in such a way which almost gave Galaxy “first dibs” on his signature in any case. And, of course, Major League Soccer has a salary cap. Few clubs would have fought so tirelessly for rule changes to enable Beckham’s transfer, but for Phil Anschutz, Tim Leiweke and AEG, the benefits off the pitch sweetened the deal.

To make matters worse, Beckham took the plunge and headed for LA a couple of years too early. Unceremoniously frozen out of the England set-up by Steve McClaren in order to make a political point, Beckham seemingly suffered a crisis of confidence and sensed that 2007 was the year to pack his bags in Europe and begin Project America, tying in a successful twilight playing career in MLS, soccer academies bearing his name and, crucially, the long-rumoured hushed agreement that he can secure the ownership of an expansion franchise for a fixed fee when his career is over.

Critics doubt his dedication to MLS but I disagree. I think his intentions are good, as I will discuss later.

But having broken back into the England side, Beckham realised he still had another achievement for which to aim: World Cup 2010 in South Africa. In his mind, that meant playing in Europe (a suggestion echoed this week by England coach Fabio Capello). In moving to LA so early, Beckham feared he’d sabotaged his unexpected international swansong. He secured a loan move to AC Milan – lubricating the deal with dollar bills from his own pocket – and his return this week will be intriguing as a result.

In the eyes of the fans, David Beckham is no longer the golden boy of Major League Soccer. But, despite the questionable nature and worrying levels of influence of the people around him, I believe the player himself is well-intentioned, if a little desperate to reach the World Cup at all costs.

The long term

Call it intuition, optimism or blind faith, but having followed Beckham’s career closely from his Manchester United debut through the dark days of summer 1998, glory of 1999 and redemption in 2002, I believe David Beckham has the best interests of Major League Soccer and football in the United States at heart.

He is one of football’s good souls, a trustworthy and clean-living ultra-professional whose primary focus despite countless side projects remains success on the football pitch. He is fiercely competitive and driven like few others. Make no mistake, Beckham will play in South Africa next summer or keel over trying. That is the passion American football fans should see when wondering if he’ll be good for the game in the long term.

Beckham is a successful man, and if he’s made MLS his retirement project then there’s no reason he wouldn’t pass the ownership test with flying colours.

The question on everybody’s lips when Beckham purchases a franchise in MLS – in New York or elsewhere – will be this: exactly how much power does Beckham have over his own destiny? Or rather, the minutae of his own destiny. By effectively ousting Lalas from power during Beckham’s first stay with the Galaxy, 19 Entertainment demonstrated the kind of cunning and influence which could either help a new franchise boost Major League Soccer’s maturity or force it into the obscurity of a throwback NASL franchise in a modern, sensible league. The nous and backing of 19 would be hugely beneficial to call upon provided Beckham is truly in the driving seat. Perhaps, in retirement, he’ll be able to take that step.

But the biggest positive going for Beckham in his (hopefully) long-term MLS future is that he is a total football nut. In his own words, only family is more important. With that kind of dedication combined with a will to succeed and a track record of doing just that, anything is possible. Despite a difficult beginning, David Beckham will ultimately be good for Major League Soccer. Like the unholy marriage of interests between AEG and Simon Fuller’s 19 Entertainment, it’s just a matter of time.

Chris Nee writes at twofootedtackle and co-hosts The twofootedtackle Football Podcast.

Former England captain David Beckham is due to return to Los Angeles Galaxy in July following a spell with AC Milan. Beckham’s move to LA from Real Madrid was seen as the end of his European career and an intermediate step between playing professional football and investing heavily in Major League Soccer.

However, his commitment to MLS was called into question at great length when he decided to embark upon a loan/timeshare deal in Italy with a view to securing a spot in England’s squad in World Cup 2010, a tournament they’re now just one win away from.

Beckham’s career has rarely been one which shunned the limelight. He scored for Manchester United on the opening days of the 1995/6 and 1996/7 Premier League seasons, the latter an audacious chip from the half way line which found its way over retreating Wimbledon goalkeeper Neil Sullivan. With that, the David Beckham circus began. He married a Spice Girl, kicked Diego Simeone, won the treble and a whole host of individual awards, scored Old Trafford’s most famous free kick and then joined Real for big money in 2003.

Fast forward to June 2009, and the boy from Leytonstone is preparing to return to California. He joined LA Galaxy in 2007 accompanied by as much hype and glamour as he could fit on his flight. MLS got a bit of a bounce but Beckham’s form on the field left a lot to be desired. In a team which already had its own superstar, Beckham struggled to make the kind of impact his wage packet demanded. As his England career began to revive itself, World Cup 2010 seemingly entered Beckham’s consciousness and he engineered a move to Europe in order to stay in view of the national team manager.

It appears to have worked for Beckham, and his excellent form in Milan suggests that Carlo Ancelotti would have been pleased with events too. But the mood is less sympathetic in the States, and Beckham’s return next month is set to present as much of a challenge as an opportunity.

Galaxy master the draw

At face value, the Galaxy are crying out for a player like Beckham. The team is on a solid unbeaten streak of ten league games, but are remarkably prone to drawing matches. In recent weeks Eddie Lewis, Edson Buddle and Alan Gordon have chipped in with goals to take the weight off Landon Donovan’s shoulders as LA’s form continues to improve. Donovan has scored six this term and contributed no fewer than four assists.

But if Galaxy’s problem has been turning draws into wins, Beckham might just be the man to help them start bagging maximum points. His crossing and passing are still undeniably world class, while his pinpoint accuracy from set pieces could make the difference. However, the Galaxy have improved over the last month and are starting at times to look like a force to be reckoned with. The vital next step is turning that influence into goals and they’re slowly getting there. So will Beckham turn them into MLS Cup contenders or rock a gradually steadying ship?

“Galaxy’s biggest challenge”

Despite Beckham’s return being another marketing opportunity off the field, it seems clear to me that the real benefits could come on it. Andrew Bucholtz of Sporting Madness told me that he thinks a lot of people underestimate the effect Beckham could have on the Galaxy’s play. “He doesn’t have the pace he did during his prime but, as he showed with Milan this year, he can still be a top flight player if used correctly. In my mind, that’s the biggest challenge facing the Galaxy. They have to find a way to maximize his strengths and minimize his weaknesses, and it will be more challenging than it was at Milan, as they don’t have the corresponding other talent to put around him.”

“In order for the Galaxy to be successful with Beckham, they can’t rely on him to do everything. I think they would be best served playing him on the wing and running their offence through the central midfield and strikers, but then frequently swinging the ball out to him and allowing him to utilize his magnificent crossing skills.”

In this way, Beckham could help drag the Galaxy up the table by benefiting other players. Donovan is more than capable of playing alongside the Englishman and shining in a dynamic team, and the likes of Buddle and Gordon – both capable of hitting the back of the net – would undoubtedly find themselves on the scoresheet more often than they do currently. It’s important to use Beckham as just one route to goal because the pressure, as Andrew rightly pointed out, will be on Beckham to create something with every touch in every game. He will find himself double-marked and may aid his team-mates most be earning them some extra space in which to operate.

“Too much negativity”

The trouble is that it isn’t just a case of assessing Beckham’s qualities and discussing where they slot into the team. Other commentators are more concerned than Andrew about the Goldenballs Circus. When Beckham returns to Los Angeles, he will bring with him a large entourage of sponsors, marketing men and desperate journalists. This can affect the player, the league and his colleagues, and will surely fire up his opponents.

The Midnight Ride’s Hank Alexandre believes that there is just too much baggage surrounding the former Manchester United man, and that his past performances for Galaxy suggest that he probably isn’t what they need: “I honestly think his return is going to be more of a hindrance than anything else. Too much negativity surrounds the whole debacle of his loan move to Milan. Aside from that, is he really going to add that extra spark the Galaxy are looking for? Based on past performances with the Galaxy, history says no.”

While Andrew, Hank and myself are of the opinion that there are costs and benefits heading the way of LA Galaxy and Major League Soccer in July, it should be noted that not everybody will welcome him with open arms. Many Los Angeles Galaxy supporters were deeply irritated by Beckham’s conduct at the time of his move to Milan. It will be fascinating to see how those supporters react to him when he next pulls on the Galaxy’s colours, presumably against New York Red Bulls in the middle of next month.

Zach Woosley (Ginge Talks The Footy) is a Major League Soccer realist with nothing but the interests of the league at heart, and is not a Goldenballs fan. “For the Galaxy, Beckham’s return can’t really hurt on the financial side. Plenty of people will come to see him and mindlessly buy jerseys, and then be confused when hardcore fans boo him relentlessly. On the field, it could help the team with getting some more goals, but it seems more likely to cause locker room room problems as the players will view Beckham as a temporary, over-hyped player who is just there because he has to be.”

“Overall his impact on Major League Soccer has been completely destroyed by his obvious distaste for being here.”

If commissioner Don Garber is serious about growing MLS by attracting America’s existing football fans – the viewers and customers of Europe’s top leagues – rather than converting those who’ve shown no previous interest, the league doesn’t need people “mindlessly” following the shiny new superstar from Europe. It would be better served converting fans by convincing the knowledgeable that MLS is a great league in its own right.

Mixed feelings

Somewhere in the middle, there are supporters with crossed fingers – hoping that their hopes are met and their fears dashed. Jason Davis at Match Fit USA is one such observer: “There’s certainly resentment for the way he took advantage of the Galaxy and the system and forced his way to Milan without any real regard for how that might affect Major League Soccer, the LA Galaxy, or the league’s efforts to make a mark on the American sports scene. On the other hand, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t just a little excited about him coming back, if only because it will once again draw some attention to the sport here that it might not otherwise receive.”

Jason thinks MLS could use Beckham’s return to its advantage, explaining that he is “all for the league squeezing everything it can out of Beckham, especially if doing so means being able to avoid leaning on one player the way it has on him sooner than it might otherwise.”

For my money, Beckham’s final run in Los Angeles will be a damp squib all round. I don’t anticipate explosive scenes of discontent, nor do I predict a Beckham-inspired turnaround in the Galaxy’s season. He is likely to spark off one or two special moments and his passing will be a joy to watch. But his commitment to MLS – at least as a player – has to be questioned, and if Galaxy don’t get the best from him then he’ll make little difference. Were I a Galaxy supporter, I’d be praying that Beckham’s desire to stay in Fabio Capello’s plans seeps into his domestic form.

Chris Nee writes at twofootedtackle and co-hosts The twofootedtackle Football Podcast.

David Beckham is in contention for a starting place for England’s qualifier against Andorra on Wednesday. In doing so, he will reach 112 caps for England, cementing his spot as England’s most capped outfield player ever. Only the goaltender Peter Shilton holds more caps (125).

However, if Becks is chosen by Capello to represent England in South Africa, he will undoubtedly break that record and become England’s most capped player of all-time. This accolade will go a long way to help silence the ‘boo boys’ who continue to criticize his every move both on and off the pitch.

See what Beckham has done POST-Manchester United that should have silenced these critics a long time ago. Also click if you want to relive some of Beckham’s (and England’s) greatest moments.

Nearing the end of his contract with the underperforming Galacticos of Real Madrid, Beckham signed a whopping 5-year contract with the L.A Galaxy for £128 million. Manager Fabio Capello questioned his desire and stated that Beckham would never again put on the shirt for Real. He was not the only one though, as the British media (gotta love them) were quick to jump on his back, accusing him of ‘selling-out’ and prioritizing his fame rather than his ability to play the sport.

Now, of course money played a big role in his decision to leave but there were a couple of other things to think about as well, such as his lack of playing time at Madrid coupled with the winding down of his career. Here is a man who spent the last 15 years of his life playing football at the highest possible level, and at the two biggest clubs in the world. Highlights of his career include winning the treble in 1999 and captaining England. He became both the best crosser, and dead-ball striker in the game. Is that not enough for people?

What if, at age 31, he had had enough of it all and wanted a change of pace? And when the Galaxy offered to pay him a ridiculous amount of money for just that, the decision became a lot easier. In addition, Steve McClaren unceremoniously dropped him from the England squad. We all know what happened to England (and Steve) after that. The bottom line is: he had done more than enough, not just for himself, but for the sport, to do whatever he wanted to do. But, this is beside the point.

The goal that took England to the World Cup:

After Capello’s statement, we had thought we had seen the last of Beckham in the famous all-white kit of Madrid. He was not one to go back on his word. However, Beckham remained enthusiastic and performed so well in training that he forced his manager’s hand.

In an astonishing U-Turn, Beckham was back in the side to face Real Sociedad, a mere two weeks after being told he would never play again. He scored in that game, Mardid won 2-1, and the rest, as they say, is history. His energy and assists kept Madrid unbeaten in the 11 games after he was reinstated. They lost only one game in 17 after he came back. His amazing form during this stretch helped Real win their first major trophy in 4 years (they snatched the La Liga title from Barcelona on the last day due to head-to-head records). Real suddenly realized their mistake, and attempted to block Beckham’s transfer to the Galaxy, but to no avail. The Galaxy wouldn’t even entertain the idea. And who could blame them?

He became the Galaxy’s captain when he arrived mid-season, but sustained a knee injury that kept him out for the rest of the campaign. He trained with Arsenal over the summer, and there were rumors stating that his effect on the team was so good that they might consider signing him. Arsene Wenger certainly wouldn’t have had Beckham there if he didn’t’ think he would help the team or would be a distraction. This hardly sounds like the David Beckham who gets trashed in the papers no matter what he does.

The Galaxy had a winning record for the first time in two years during Beckham’s first season and were first in their conference for a time, although they failed to reach the playoffs. His highlight of his time at the Galaxy had to be a 70-yard goal (seen below) after the goalie had come up for a corner.

The second time he’s scored from inside his own half…note how the ball goes right down the middle of the goal:

Many people used the team’s failure to reach the post-season as another mode of attack on Beckham’s abilities. However, these people fail to realize that Beckham was never capable of being a one-man team, even in his prime. He was never good at beating his man, not known for his pace and not known as a midfielder who could score goals from open play.

Instead, his game is centered around passing the ball to others. He needs proven goalscorers and/or a fullback who can overlap him on the wing for his game to work well. Gary Neville did this to perfection for Manchester United, while Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole took care of the rest. Madrid were full of proven scorers such as, Ruud Van Nistlerooy, whose predatory instincts in the box complimented Beckham’s passes well. Landon Donovan sucks.

His form did not go unnoticed by those whose opinions really mattered. He was recalled to the England squad by the new England manager, the very man who had told him a year earlier that he would not play for him again. That man was Fabio Capello. Beckham continued to impress his former boss and his form on the international stage rewarded him with a loan deal to Italian giants, AC Milan. The reason for this was that he needed to keep fit to stay in contention for England’s qualifiers (Andorra on Wednesday).

So, after a full year of the MLS, Beckham was back at the highest possible level, playing for the third biggest club in the world. He contested for starting spots against four World Cup winners in Ronaldinho, Kaka, Pirlo and Gattuso. He surprised us all again by proving he could still compete among the world’s best. In fact, Milan begged to keep him after his loan spell was up and he was due to report all the way back to L.A. Beckham decided this offer was too good to pass up. He took a huge pay cut, and £3 million out of his own pocket to finish the season with Milan, in the hopes he could continue to play for England. Can you say dedication?

The risk paid off, as he is now training with the national squad to face Andorra on June 10th. He is due back at the Galaxy in July and after finishing the MLS season, he will fly back to Milan in November. Then, there’s the big one – the World Cup. Oh, and after that, he goes back to the Galaxy in July. How can you not admire this guy? Can you think of any other players who would be willing to do this at 34 years old, or less even?

I think the most important thing here is that he didn’t allow what was being said about him off the pitch to affect his performance on it. He let his playing do the talking and has been justly rewarded for it. I hope he goes to the World Cup. I hope he breaks Shilton’s record. He deserves it.

His biggest moment in an England shirt…

Chris also writes at The Bleacher Bums.

In life there are only a handful of things that are certain. You will watch Big Brother. It will irritate you. MPs will lie through their back teeth (and their front ones). Summer does make girls more attractive. And makes you feel less so. People who ring in radio stations with traffic updates are idiots.

And then there is the transfer window. That beautifully annoying invention that basically restricts trade in what should, theoretically, be a free market. That rumour-filled bearpit where the slightest whisper can suddenly become the dominant story, not just in football, but in society it would seem. MPs expenses or Ronaldo to Real? You decide? New series of Big Brother or David Villa’s future? Your choice.

The silly season is officially here, and if you listen to what you read and hear, there are more futures up in the air this summer than at an EasyJet recruitment convention.

Starting with the managers. Guus Hiddink had barely vacated his makeshift office at Chelsea by the time Carlo Ancelotti had arrived, laden with Versace luggage. The Italian will take command at Stamford Bridge officially from July 1st, but talk, incredibly, is already beginning to edge towards potential successors to his throne should he fail to deliver the kind of success Roman Abramovich apparently demands with such passion.

Elsewhere in the Premier League, Sunderland have moved swiftly to replace Ricky Sbragia- who departed tearfully minutes after his side had avoided relegation on the final day of the season- with Wigan’s Steve Bruce. Bruce’s Newcastle connections have been played up neatly by the media, but ignoring such playground mentality will enable Black Cats fans to see they have made what looks a very shrewd appointment. The fact that Bruce’s Wigan finished five places above Sunderland last season would confirm this. Certainly his appointment makes a lot more sense than the one touted by Roberto Mancini prior to Bruce’s appointment. One wonders if the former Inter Milan chief had received some sort of prank call as he gleefully announced that he was all set to arrive at the Stadium of Light, before being forced into an embarrassed climb-down only days later.

And for every departure, there must be an arrival of course. The Bruce-shaped hole at Wigan will be filled- metaphorically speaking- by Swansea’s Roberto Martinez, subject to the agreement of a compensation package. Martinez has made steady progress at the Liberty Stadium, but as a former Wigan favourite, and with his reputation significantly enhanced by the aesthetic qualities of his Championship outfit, the time seems perfect for a step up into the top-flight.

Even outside of the Premier League, things are looking strange. Steve Coppell’s vacation of the Reading hotseat in the wake of their Play-Off semi final defeat to Premiership newboys Burnley meant that chairman John Madejski had to act quickly. An approach for Peterborough’s Darren Ferguson was rebuked, so in sauntered Watford boss Brendan Rogers. Rogers had only just taken delivery of a personalised name-plate for his office at Vicarage Road before he was digging out his suitcase and zooming from Hertfordshire to Berkshire, having spent just five months at Watford.

And the Championship’s most illustrious disastrous club, Newcastle, should not be forgotten. Alan Shearer has already made the least surprising U-Turn since Sven-Goran Eriksson tried to walk past Ulrika Jonsson’s hotel room by announcing his intention to stay on as manager at St James’ Park, but the ownership situation on Tyneside has meant that such an appointment has been forced to stay on ice. Good news for Joe Kinnear then, who was set to sign a two-year contract this summer before the arrival of a sharp dressed messiah put him firmly in the shade.

And then there is Celtic. Wee Gordon Strachan, patronising nickname notwithstanding, decided the time was right to bring an end to his four year stay in Glasgow in the wake of a disappointing end to the SPL season, and will not be particularly missed by certain sections of Parkhead. But Hoops fans who have long questioned the credentials of a flame haired former Aberdeen man would be wise to remember the old adage “Be careful what you wish for” as former Wycombe & Portsmouth failure Tony Adams throws his hat into the ring for the role of Strachan’s replacement. Unless Adams has been receiving the same kind of calls as Mr Mancini- unlikely considering the pair’s background differences- it is a worrying situation for Celtic, especially with more suitable candidates in David Moyes & Owen Coyle distancing themselves from the inevitable speculation, and Tony Mowbray keeping an equally low profile.

So what about the players? Well the football world has been riddled skulduggery in the past twenty years anyway, but this summer things look set to escalate. If it isn’t nailed down it is unsafe, so it would seem. Cristiano Ronaldo’s will-he-won’t he move to Real Madrid this year may well be the most tiresome saga since, erm, last years saga of the same name, but with Florentino Perez targeting players like Big Brother contestants target fame, it is likely to rumble on long into the summer.

Real are not looking to stop at Ronaldo either, they have already secured Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini to lead the revolution, a notoriously ego-free coach in a notoriously egotistical club is a dangerous thought. Spanish football writer Sid Lowe was asked this week to predict Real’s starting eleven for next season, and incredibly went for this- Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Bruno Alves, Gael Clichy, Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Lassana Diarra, Franck Ribery, Kaka, Diego Forlan/David Villa. Impressive to say the least, and such transfers would set in motion an incredible snowballing effect surely, with ripples felt as far north as….well, Manchester I suppose.

Of those signings, Alonso looks unlikely. Liverpool’s owners may well be losing more money than Steve Claridge in Cheltenham week, but with Gareth Barry having swapped sixth placed Aston Villa for tenth placed Manchester City in a bid to secure Champions League football, Alonso is expected to stay on Merseyside. One man who resisted overtures from City, Kaka, is high on Madrid’s wishlist, and sources close to the club and the player claim a world-record deal is close to completion, despite rumoured interest from Chelsea.

Should Kaka leave Milan then it will give Silvio Berlusconi & Adriano Galliani license to spend some of their lucre in a more flamboyant manner, although the likelihood is that they will offer the lot to LA Galaxy for three more weeks of David Beckham. Emmanuel Adebayor has long been on their list, although English media reports suggest that Chelsea may make a bid to gazump them in that respect, providing they can wake the Togolese striker up from his twelve month slumber in the meantime.

Chelsea are supposed to be spending big this summer. After all, they only paid £14m for a right back to replace their £13.2m one last summer, along with £9m for a luxury midfielder, following a £25m splurge in the January 08 window. Small fry. Kaka & Adebayor aside, rumours abound that David Villa, Franck Ribery and….erm…Daniel Sturridge will be arriving at Stamford Bridge, though no concrete bid has been reported as of yet.

And what of Manchester United. Ronaldo and Tevez are looking able to leave, whilst Berbatov looks barely able to run, but Ferguson is a wily old fox. Having already added two Serbian stars in Zoran Tosic & Adam Ljajic in January, the man from Govan is likely to be looking bigger this summer, with Ribery, Lyon’s Karim Benzema, and even Arjen Robben spotted apparently. Should Ronaldo leave, the funds freed up would arguably cover two of those players, though little has been said by the man himself. He has left that to rent-a-quote Ronaldo.

Liverpool meanwhile are looking a little bit less adventurous in the wake of their owners’ confirmed £42m losses last year, a £2m bid for Portsmouth’s Sylvain Distin is unlikely to get pulses racing, and there are fears that they may be priced out of a move for Tevez, Valencia duo Villa & Silva, or even another Portsmouth defender in Glen Johnson. Still, Andriy Voronin is back from a loan spell in Germany, and Jermaine Pennant will return from Portsmouth too. Like having two new signings that.

At Arsenal, Arsene Wenger is scouring Football Manager searching for young talent. The signing of Andrey Arshavin in January may have bucked the transfer trend at the Emirates, but Wenger will be more concerned about rumoured interest in Robin Van Persie & Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona at the moment, with Thierry Henry & Aliaksandr Hleb doubtless whispering sweet nothings in their ears. Barcelona are looking to add a left back to their European Cup winning squad, so don’t be surprised to see Gael Clichy appear on their radar at some point also.

And what of Manchester City of course. Barry’s arrival, said Mark Hughes, will not be the last. They have already been linked with 4562 players, including Samuel Eto’o (unlikely), Xabi Alonso (very unlikely) and Carlos Tevez (ridiculous). Armed with cash, expect City to get hold of some eye-catching signings before August is out. And then expect them to still be inconsistent and self-destuctive.

Elsewhere there have already been some big moves, Bayern Munich’s response to missing out on the Bundesliga title was a big money splurge on VfB Stuttgart’s goal-machine Mario Gomez, to add to Zenit St Petersburg skipper Anatoliy Tymoschuk, moves which could well pave the way for Ribery to depart for Real, Barca, Manchester United or Chelsea. Two of their rivals have already been weakened then, Diego swapping the green of Bremen for the stripes of Juventus, who have also recaptured (and it isn’t hard considering how slow he moves these days) Fabio Cannavaro from Real Madrid.

Serie A champions Inter have already made moves to strengthen also, swapping Ricardo Quaresma & Hernan Crespo for Genoa duo Diego Milito & Thiago Motta, with doubts lingering over the future of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, although his wage demands and apparent lack of success in Europe may see him remain at the San Siro.

So with Ronaldo going to Real, meaning Ribery goes to United, meaning Hleb goes to Bayern, and Fabregas goes to Barca, so Kalou goes to Arsenal, so Villa goes to Chelsea, so Drogba goes to Milan, so Kaka goes to Real, so Van der Vaart goes to Arsenal, so Van Persie goes to Barca, so Eto’o goes to City, and so forth until we all experience an aneurism, expect the spectacular, expect the astonishing, expect the unexpected. Expect to get slightly bored by it all and start watching the Ashes. I know I will.