The Losers of 2007: England, Steve McClaren, Ronaldinho, Bayern Munich, David Beckham and Barcelona
While football accomplishments and failures are usually measured season to season, the end of an year gives an opportunity to view a team’s (or a player’s) performance from a different perspective.
Here’s a look at the teams and people who deserve to be nominated as the worst performers in 2007, allowing for slumps in form and what not.
The England / FA / Steve McClaren
Arguably, one of the most under-prepared, over-rated and poorly-carved football teams of the year. England’s national football team is in tatters and was a perfect example of how a team should NOT be. Most of their matches were avoidable in a true footballing sense and Crotia’s remarkable victory at Wembley to eliminate them should not be considered an upset at all. It was well-deserved and well-earned. You’d bet Croatia to do a Greece in the upcoming European championships, purely on the basis of their heroics over the two legs. The FA and Steve McClaren were of course the other causes of England’s fall from grace. The former because of poor leadership and error-prone decision making, the latter because of pure lack of management abilities and tactical understanding at such a level. McClaren was one of the worst appointments in the history of the national team.
VERDICT: The football world isn’t too upset with the sinking of the egoistic English titanic in the seas and oceans of international football. Croatia deserved to finish group toppers. Russia did just enough for us to remark “England deserved it”…..
Ronaldinho
The Brazilian sorcerer’s shocking twist of fate saw him produce such mediocre form that Barcelona would have at least taken a peek at Middlesbrough’s bid for his services. Football’s prodigal son produced some of his all-time worst performances in the year gone by and people are beginning to lose hope that Ronaldinho will return to his best one fine day. That “one fine day”, however, is restricted to a diary of the past and it will take a miracle for Ronnie to return to his best. Add to that, expectations at Barcelona have seen Ronaldinho’s life take a U-turn. He is no longer worshipped or endeared by the Catalans nor do his No.10 shirts still sell like hot cakes.
VERDICT: On another day you’d pity him if the causes of his demise were recurring injuries or personal problems. But good old Ronnie has lost what is most essential in football - the happiness gained from playing the game. His attitude doesn’t speak for that and Ronaldinho’s good times may have already come to an end…..
Bayern Munich
The German giants were booted from being champions to huffing and puffing for a UEFA Cup spot in the Bundesliga. Like the England team, the in-team egos worked against each other and the Bayern hierarchy were shell-shocked at their horrendous position in last season’s table. Bayern have hope with the arrival of players like Franck Ribery, Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose. Not just hope, in fact. They should finish champions if the aforementioned trio quickly gel in with the rest of this hugely-talented outfit. A UEFA Cup triumph would make Bayern the I-most-look-forward-to-watching team of season 2008-09. The return of Ottmar Hitzfeld is also worth a mention as he has seen them through some of their most successful years in football.
VERDICT: Fourth place in Bundesliga was deserved. Few could argue against the fact. But Ribery, Toni and Klose combined with emerging prodigies like Toni Kroos could create a re-incarnation of Barcelona 2004-06…..
David Beckham
He might be comfortably seated on his heavily-expensive sofa, cozing alongside his wife and counting American currency using a 20-bit calculator(Is that enough even?) in Los Angeles, but David Beckham is arguably football’s greatest loser ever. And to top it off, his wife made it more worse than it was. Beckham was one of the most talented footballers to have ever played the game, with his inch-perfect passing and precise set-pieces becoming trademarks of his game. But at the age of just 31, he left Europe to play in a country that doesn’t even truly appreciate football on the whole. Both Milan and Bayern Munich were interested at some point, but the ferocious Posh Spice drove them away. How well Beckham would have done to be a part of Milan’s Champions League-winning squad or Bayern’s competitive outfit, you wonder.
VERDICT: Becks will be remembered only for the glitz and glamour he bought to football, which wasn’t even needed. It’s sad because he was a rare talent. After all, Sir Alex Ferguson hardly gets things wrong…..
Barcelona
One of the most feared teams in Europe is, ironically also, the most easily defeatable of the big ones in the continent. There has been a dramatic turn in Barca’s fortunes. The Catalans had their pocket picked when arch-rivals Real Madrid snatched away La Liga on the penultimate weekend of last season. An embarassing elimination in the Copa del Rey did no good to them. Ronaldinho is a dead man walking. Talents like Fran Merida and Dani Pacheco have been taken away by English teams. One of the world’s best players, who is lighting up North London, is a product of their famous La Masia academy. Frank Rijkaard has reportedly lost control of his players. And to top it off, Madrid are 7 points ahead in La Liga at the end of the year and have just beaten them at home for only the second time in 20 years. How worse can it get. Only one little man fuels hope in Catalunya - Lionel Messi. Although it’s a little unfair as Andres Iniesta has emerged as a world-class midfielder who is doing something that Barca have forgotten completely - playing consistently. Decisions need to be taken urgently.
VERDICT: Barcelona have “done” enough to be deemed the new Galacticos. They deserve to be where they are and need to re-build their team immediately. The biggest new year warning, hence, goes to the Blaugurana…..
Happy New Year folks, and let us know who you think were the worst of the worst in 2007.
- Sheffield United Are Just Sore Losers
- Barcelona’s 2007/2008 Fixtures (La Liga)
- Saturday News Roundup
- England Euro 2008 qualifying fixtures
- England - heroes (Chelsea) and losers (Liverpool)
Discussion - 51 Responses
Add Your Comment
Comments are moderated (our comments policy).
Bayern did much better in the second half of 2007, and Barcelona, for all the hoo-ha over losing their swagger, are still the 2nd best team in Spain.
What about Sheffield United?
If I was feeling mean, I might have included Dida, for reminding why Americans, especially, dislike soccer…all that flopping. I might have also included the fan that rushed the field, an example of out of control fans and fan violence that continue to plague professional football:) Naturally I wholeheartedly agree with the Beckham mention.
If Barça are the most easily defeatable of the big teams in Europe, how come they haven’t lost in this season’s Champions League and are still clear favourites to win it with all the bookmakers?
Barca-undefeated in Champions League group stages this year and they drew only twice-they were tied on points last season (06/07) but lost the title because of the head vs. head rule with Real Madrid-They’re “struggling” in La Liga cause of the 7 point gap but thats the only negative point against them so they cant really be that bad :S
Bayern Munich-had a 50/50 2007. Last season they did not do that well in the Bundesliga but this season they’re doing better tied in first place with Werder Bremen because they got a stronger squad and are also being considered for the UEFA Cup-So :S again
However i do agree with- Beckham and the English team that did not qualify for the Euros.
:O lol- I forgot about Ronaldinho- He’s just hit a slump but is still great for Barcelona because he still scores hear and there and is still great at free-kicks. He also provides good passes. Hes only missing his direct runs at the opposing defence but he’ll be back hopefully.
1 more thing-sorry bout the “i” instead of I and the Barca instead of Barça in my previous post lol- Happy New Year!
I’m hoping that - in a weird way - 2007 will be good for England in the long run. The failure to qualify for Euro 2008 was a big enough disaster to mark the end of the increasingly dull to watch era of famous players fist, tactics second.
The appointment of Capello will hopefully bring about an England team that isn’t so painfully frustrating to watch, which in the long run is going to be better than qualifying for Euro 2008 and then flattering to deceive in Austria/Switzerland.
i would have to say that the above is a very interesting article, and would like to thank the author. I would like to mention that for the last 2 years, the losing side is the Italian league, filled with corruption, violence and fixed matches, shame on them…
Any cover ups are made so that certain players still play for the national team, when they and their clubs should be taken to court for all the corruption, doping, and mafia intervention into the italian league.
I am astonished that FIFA is so calm about the whole issue
Inter Milan ends the year, ranked #1 in the World Club Football Rankings.
http://www.rizzosports.com/worldsoccerrankings.html
youre an idiot mate.Beckham wasnt a “rare” talent,he was a vastly limited one who actually got far more out the game than his ability warranted.I consider him to be a vastly overrated and overhyped player as his failure to impact 5 major tournaments and his dreadful spell at Madrid confirm but to be fair,he achieved more with his limitations than players with 5 times the natural talent have in our game.He was always going to exposed at the highest level and he was but youve got it all the worng way round suggessting he “wasted” his career.Its arguble that the likes of George Best and Paul Gascoigne-2 british players technically and talent-wise on a different planet to Beckham altogether,didnt get half as much out of their ability as Beckham did.
Why no Le’Arse-Anal or the Gooners’…………???
Leeds. what bout Leeds? They were demoted to Division 1. That should count as losers.
Jay:
You don’t need tarty girls to advertise or tantalise people into reading the article. If you or the editorial team feel you do, then the article can’t be much kop, can it? Young kids log on to this site (a nine year old recently posted a comment in the Forum). Let’s just keep sexual images and football separate.
On the article itself, I completely disagree with you over Beckham and believe you’re wrong about Barcelona and the FA. David Beckham was one of the great successes of 2007. Kicked out of the Madrid team, told that he would never wear the shirt again he fought back - not with tantrums or by sulking, but by knuckling down and training harder. He forced his way back into the team and played an important part in bringing the La Liga title back to Madrid. He was kicked out from England by McClaren. Most observers thought that was the end of Beckham as an international footballer. Beckham would have none of it. As a result of his club performances, Beckham came back and contributed handsomely to England’s cause in the games he did play. David Beckham’s example as a man and sportsman, his determination and dedication, and his never-say-die spirit are qualities all of us would do well to foster in our own lives when faced with set-backs or adversity.
Going to the USA has been a great move for Beckham and his family. I think that he will also make a significant contribution to increasing the profile of North American football and help attract other big names from Europe. Would Ruud Gullitt have gone to coach LA Galaxy if Beckham had not been there? Others will follow in time.
Barcelona miss out on the title, not on goal difference, or on goals scored but on the head to heads with Madrid. That hardly makes their season a disaster. No football team can win the title every year; coming second by a hair’s breadth is no disgrace and does not qualify them for inclusion as one of the great “losers” of 2007.
As for the FA, the appointment of McClaren was a reasonable choice at the time - given the clamour by the public and press for an Englishman and the unfair maligning of Sven by the press. You can’t blame the FA for the fact that major players for England were missing for much of the England campaign, or that against Croatia there was no Terry, Ferdinand, Cole or Neville in the back four, and no Rooney or Owen up front, or that McClaren should have a brainstorm and select a rookey goalkeeper for one of the biggest games in England’s qualifying history, or that McClaren should screw up his tactics against Croatia etc…
The appointment of McClaren will turn out to be a blessing in disguise as once and for all it got rid of this ridiculous notion that the manager of the England team should be “English”. The England Gold Medal Olympic rowing team were coached by a German. He was the best in the world and was able to transform England into the best. Who cares that the coach was German! The only “should” the FA should respect in future is that the England manager “should” be the best man for the job, irrespective of nationality.
Frankie,
the image was my choice, and if you’ve got an issue with it, email me.
Frankie - if you look at the calendar year, 2007 was fairly disastrous for Barcelona. They dropped a load of points, lost their record at the Camp Nou, were beaten by Real Madrid at home, and were knocked out of the Champions League. Of course, they have not been relegated and so are hardly “losers”; but it’s all relative.
oi frankie,would beckhams “never say die” attitude include those tears of a little girl he gave us in germany at his final failure to impact a big tournament and his eternal failure to prove he was in any way worthy of being called a “great” or “world class” player?Remember he was captain,well so-called,and he sat there with the team at 0-0 bawling his eyes out as he wouldnt be the great hero hed made up in his little boy like mind that was his “destiny”.The guys only real heavyweight ability is to influence and command emppty minds such as yours and the hordes of “new-age” “soccer” watching i diots who have suddenly come into the sport in the last 10 years or so.On the pitch,across 5 tournaments and in 4 woeful years of underachievement at madrid,he proved to be nothing more than an utter lightweight and he justly will go into the history books as the totem-pole figurehead of the era of image,celebrity and fame ver actual talent.A ridiculously limited and one-dimensional player who quite simply was found out time and time again when it mattered.Dont dare pretend you know my sport,you dont,goodbye.
Ahmed,
You’ve got my view on the image. If you have an issue with what I have said, then you email me. That is, if you don’t wish to have an open debate.
Yes Pedroella, “your” sport. Mindless egocentrism.
As for Beckham’s “dreadful spell” at Real Madrid, I suppose this includes having made the most goal assists during his first season at the club, and having won the respect and adulation of numerous fellow professionals? (Zizou speaks incredibly highly of him). This in addition to the important role he played in the second half of last season.
If your bravuconería cannot tolerate a player crying, then that is your problem. Few complained when Gazza did it, and it is by no means unheard of for players to bawl their eyes out when their teams are eliminated from competitions or lose cup finals. And the pop-psychiatry of your interpretation of his “little boy mind” is frankly pathetic.
Whilst I by no means contest your assertion that Beckham is a limited player, and not a “superstar talent”, the fact remains that he is one of the few genuinely hardworking players in world football, displaying a determination and grit that belie his media appearances. How on earth was Beckham a “lightweight”? Again, at Real he was one of the few players who regularly got stuck into challenges, which was one of the reasons that the fans (or at least, the ones I’ve spoken to) admired him, despite the dearth of set-piece goals (they had all bought into Brand Beckham).
As for your tirade against “New Age” fans - you might want to consider that people can only react to what they have seen. The fact that I am twenty years old does not make me any less able to comment on Beckham as a player. Surely, it renders me incapable of making comparisons with past greats, but that’s not the debate here. Your harangue about Beckham suggests a complex both regarding the player himself and a slipping control over football and the world.
“Zizou” Hugo,when asked in public,is of course going to praise his teamates,he did it with everyone but he can afford to,as Beckham isnt fit to lick his boots.Lets have some reality here shall we?He went to europes most successful club,them having just won their 9th european cup and used to winning la liga with their eyes shut and he instigated their instant decline and fall both in europe and domestically to barca aswell.Barca,unlike madrd,had got the long straw and bagged themsleves Ronaldhino while Madrid went for the merchandising and got Beckham.Both got what they deserved,barca their coveted 2nd european cup,Madrid 4 of their worst european campaigns in history.
No it is not merely “my problem” sir,Gascoigne wasnt “captain”,he was 21-not 31 and he had the bottle to put his disappointment instantly behind him and take and score a penalty in the shootout.What did Beckham do?Sat on the bench bawling his eyes out while “his” team were at NIL-NIL in a world cup quarter-final and then proceeded to walk sullen faced,tear ravaged,amongst “his” players pre-penalty kicks when they needed encouragement,hope and belief that they would finally win one of them.NO surprise they didnt but are you honestly telling me he cared that much after showing what the end of his own dreams and desires meant to him?Come off that cloud of delusion please,all was revealed and exposed that time,without any shadow of doubt,even if hed successfully masked his true motivations for so long,convincing the likes of you that it was only his “patriotism” that mattered to him,his loving,adoring “country”.LoL.
Lightweight across 5 major tournaments when the real heavyweight-or anything approaching it-opponents came out to play.Portugal twice,brazil,sweden,france,the list is endless.Lightweight in his bottling of that tackle which sent us out v brazil in 02,lightweight in europe for madrid ie against arsenals kids where he was utterly irrelevant and totally outbullied and outclassed by a bunch of kids when he was meant to be at his “peak”,shall i go on,i havent even mentioned the debacle of euro2004 and those comedy-theatre penalties?
It does indeed as being that age,im also in my 20s btw,you have been literally brought up in the beckham “culture”,where the ludicrous hype,fame and delusions around him simply swamped modern society.Certainly around the early 200s,you went around this country,where people used to know what truly made a great or world class player,and people genuinel;y had bnought into the hype that this was some kind of “great” or even demi-god type figure-it was farcical,cringeworthy.Try asking proper old school football men whether they regard Beckham as a “great” player,try an alan green,a james lawton,an alan hansen,a terry butcher,a chris waddle,i could go on but even better try a sir alex ferguson-his long time manager when he was at his “best”.Fergie,when asked to name the great or world class players hes had in his time at OT named a select few including the likes of Keane and Scholes but Beckham?Nowhere near.Says it all really dont it?
Frankie, if you’re going to be difficult about it, here’s the short version - take it or leave it. The images will keep coming, they’re not for your reading pleasure, they’re for mine.
In any case, thank you for reminding me, I should put up a note about this somewhere on the site.
When Beckham decided to join LA Galaxy, were there any substantial European clubs after him? AC Milan? Nope. Bayern Munich? Nope. He didn’t have much choice: shunned at Real Madrid, dropped by McClaren, and then offered the chance to lap up adulation and fame in America. He made the right choice at the right time.
Pedroella, Beckham was a limited footballer, but he could do a mean free-kick. I remember the last World Cup. He and Hargreaves were the only ones to escape with their dignity. The media made him the scapegoat for the terrible performance, but from what I saw, he was the difference between the 2nd round and the group stage. And he’s the consummate professional. He does and says the right things.
Methinks someone has been misled by the media as well. Just because someone doesn’t have the tricks of a Ronaldo, the bling of a Ferdinand, or the loutishness of a Terry, it doesn’t mean that they’re rubbish. They could just be really, really hard-working pros who’ve been blessed in on one particular part of football and have nurtured it accordingly.
You seem to harbor a rather large grudge against someone you’ve never met.
I’m Ipanema Bob.
A question to Ahmed: why are you putting up photos on other people’s posts? She’s a very pretty girl, but shouldn’t Jan Maniyar have a say in who graces his posts?
A question to Frankie: how sheltered who a nine year old kid have to be to be corrupted by the above picture? It’s very tame. I think you’re trying to stir up controversy.
Well I’ve made my argument, and you have made yours. You cannot contest some of the fantastic goals he scored, nor his importance to teams in terms of goal assists. They are facts. You have chosen to base your opinion on an infatuation with the media culture and a complex regarding the role of the England captain (since the last few captains have all been exemplary and successful?), as well as some nonsensical notion that Beckham is to blame for everything wrong with a team at a particular moment. Your problems with Beckham’s media personality could easily be applied to Roy Keane, whose public bashing of his fellow colleagues can hardly be considered professional or beneficial.
I can give you countless examples of good, important performances by Beckham against big clubs, both for United and Real Madrid - and it is well-known amongst anyone who has the slightest idea about La Liga that Beckham by no means “instigated” the club’s decline; how you manage to blame him for a club’s flawed transfer policy and the removal of a successful manager is beyond me. Beckham was never a “great” player (how many “great” players are there?), but he was an effective, tenacious one who worked hard and supplied killer passes and crosses.
IpanemaBob - 1) authors add their own images if they wish to, otherwise its up to me as editor, 2) I feel like it
Ahmed:
You state that the (sexual) images “will keep coming” because they are not for my reading pleasure but for yours. You speak of giving it the long or the short versions. Well, here’s the long version: which, to borrow an expression, you too: can take it or leave it.
Your emphasis on “pleasure” seems to be where you might be going wrong, mate. I, and I suspect most people, read the articles in this blog not for “pleasure” (particularly sexual pleasure), but out of interest in football and to engage in debate on football issues. I suspect that most of us, apparently unlike you, would tend to get “pleasure” from pursing other activities, rather than logging onto this blog to gawp at photos of sexually enticing teenage girls. If these photos really give you that much pleasure it might be time for you to get out more often and spend a little more time in the company of the opposite sex.
I accept (as Ipanema points out) that the image above is mild - certainly when compared with some of the raunchier images you have posted in the past. But my real point, a serious one, is why as a matter of editorial policy you think you need such images. Flippant responses from you like “I feel like it” don’t do you credit. By and large the articles on this blog are interesting, provocative and informative. There seems no need to resort to sexual images which are entirely unrelated to football.
You are an able writer, and have shown ingenuity in developing Soccerlens. Don’t become over-defensive and let your ego get in the way of your continuing to develop a fine product.
Pedroella:
You are vitriolic, splenetic even, about David Beckham. Your views, skewered and unfair, are at times indistinguishable from gibberish.
I can agree that in terms of dribbling skills David Beckham is a limited footballer. But in terms of what he has added to each team he has played for, he has been a very effective footballer. Everyone remembers that United won the Champions League with two late goals within a couple of minutes of each other. Fewer remember that it was David Beckham who delivered two pin point corners which led to the goals.
Aesthetically we all love to see a man beaten by a dribbler, but if you can take out the defender with a well delivered cross and place it on the head or at the feet of your centre forward then in the interests of the team, that is just as effective. Whether you like Beckham or not, and you clearly don’t, most of what he has achieved in life has come not as a result of innate natural ability, but from hard work and application. That is to his credit. Very few of us are born geniuses or have the ability to become a genius or “great” in any walk of life; but what we have got is the capacity to achieve things by working hard. Beckham has the capacity to pick himself up and work hard to achieve his “goals” (no pun intended) in bucketloads. He has always tended to bounce back from set-backs in his life. That is the aspect of David Beckham’s make-up that I respect. I’m apparently not alone in thinking so. Fabio Capello has recently spoken of his respect for David Beckham as a man and a player (First English Press Conference, 17.12.07). Capello said:
“I had a contrasting relationship with David Beckham at Real Madrid. In the end he demonstrated himself to be a great man and a great player.He is also the kind of person who, when he sets himself something, he will achieve it”.
I think I will set a little more store by the views of Fabio Capello, than yours Pedroella.
Youre nothing short of a joke Frankie,and youre the exact representation of everything i despise in the clueless modern “soccer” fan.You utterly propostrously mention corner kicks,as if you could tell me any other goals that have been scored in european cup finals or major championships from the corner kickers perspective-laughable.Just how far will people like you trace back to link “becks” with a goal.Infact why am i even asking,youve already done it.Correct if im wrong but how exactly does sheringhams equalizer in the CL Final in `99 where the ball ricocheted sevral times,went outside the box,back in and finally deflected into Teddys path equate to the goal being scored because of an “pin-point delivery”?Just how brainless and comedic do you look when you say shte like that and the fact you cant see it sums you and the rest of the Beckham-lovers up,its crongeworthy.Added to this i notice you elected not to mentio Ferguson being forced to give Beckham a chnce in central midfield in that game due to injury and suspension and the old managers utter disbelief at how severaly and quickly Beckham was sinking in that enviroment in with the big boys.Fergie had to move smartish and haul Beckham back onto the wing before united sustained evcen more leakega ethrough the centre.He never made that mistake again of thinking Beckham was a player of enough stature to mix it with the top players of europe where the true battles were won and lost,in the centre.
What you dont get pal,is having such a singular “weapon” is not enough when you face coaches and defences of quality as you are easily pinned out the game.Beckham was hopelessly relient on being allowed time and space and hitting one type of kick and ball to a particular place,even his free-kicks were virtually all the same and that tells you why his ratio was so appalling when the hype is wiped away.Do you honestly,seriously consider it all to be one “great mystery” why the likes of Scholari had him so easliy contained and sewn up across 3 major tournaments of non-achievement against decent quality opposition?Thoise who have no understanding of our game such as yourself would be putty in beckhams hands,the kind of clueless cre tins hes fed off for years,youd have been a perfect opponent for him,utterly mesmerized by his “gifts” which any true football man could nullify in their sleep.
Is that the same fabio capello who banished him for more than half a season of wanton failure mate?The same fabio capello who had to drag beckham off the pitch to save his title and reputation in the final match where beckham was collapsing yet again?Funny,one notices how madrid are simply walking away with the LA LIGA this season and are crusing through europe for their 1st challenge on the big ears for,oh yes,4 years isnt it?What a coincidence.Its always been the same with beckham,people like you,the new-age lot,the glossy media who mke money off his fame and celebrity.You try and paint a small run of 8 or 9 games versus some la liga also rans where he finally starts to play as a team player after 3 and a half seasons of complete failure as some sort of “triumph”.The same cre tinous “arguement” that sees his failure ever to prove anything against a 1st world team in international football as not as relevenat as him managing an “assist” or 1 free-kick out of 100s v some tin-pot nation who wouldnt qualify as league 2 standard in domestic league football.As one esteemed scholar put it,at very best beckham was the big man for the small occassion,but never up to being a big man for the big occassion.Sums it up rather well dont you think?Still,i agree,he is the “most famous footballer in the world” and his hair is really lovely……..
Pedroella:
You express unrelentingly extreme emotions. You liberally use very strong words like “despise”. Have you heard of the word “balance”, or “objective” or “reason”? If you have you, then you might want to think about those words before your next “contribution”, it might just help you make rather better sense (although I am not about to hold my breath).
You mistake rabid abuse for argument, and the use of pseudo concepts like “the clueless modern soccer fan” for profoundity. It is neither profound nor clever, if anything it is pretty damn funny. A guy going off his head over David Beckham… goodness me. Now here’s something pretty profound: some might think that deep down you secretly carry a torch for David Beckham. Why else all the passion, mate? Has the metrosexual image got to you? Are your internal struggles over David that tough?
Unfortunately, your latest offering of vitriolic gibberish is no improvement on your previous posts. Try again. Next time use short, simple sentences, and don’t let yourself become so emotionally overwrought. However, if your symptoms persist you might want to give that he-man Joey Barton a call and join him at Sporting Chance. As Sporting Chance, like The Priory, is a clinic for fruitcakes with anger management and other psychological issues there’d be little chance of you not being made to feel at home.
no i wont “try again” as its obvious you have no answer to the points i already made.Why is it if someone dares to drift from the “party line2 that beckham is some sort of modern saviour,that they instantly get hit with the “jealousy” tag-what is it that makes his “supporters” so precious?Maybe deep down even they know this was a slightly embarrassing age for our sport in this country when we actually “annointed” this overgrown little boy as some kind of god-like great,and they dont want to face what theyve done and what theyve been shown up for.We can all “go deep” pal,not just “pseudo” intellectualls who think they can outargue football people on the basis of grammar or quality of academic education.Like brain clough said,i may be thick but i know the game.Coneversely you may be highly intelligent but you dont,thats the reality.
your such a prick pedrolla looking for the worst in a man who has played for the biggest clubs in world football, captained our national team winning virtually every domestic trophy and winning respect from virtually every player he’s played with. This is a guy who could score from the half way line when he was just a boy and outclassed any other player in his position being included in everyones dream team at his peak.
You seem to think anything good he did was merely a fluke but easily blame a teams failure solely on one man. what a joke! do you not think maybe Real Madrid didnt do as well as their ‘dream team’ before beckham was their were getting on a bit and Barcelona had bought a player that turned out to be the best in the world along with employing one of worlds top managers helping mould an unbelievable football team! or that players like Lampard and Gerrard aswell as basically everyone else had underperformed playing underneath incompetent managers Erickson and Mclarren!
This man has picked himself up and wiped away criticism from people like you all his life but still you dont have the courtsey to acknowledge any of his achievements. If Beckham had the same pessimistic view on things as you he would also be typing insulting comments on a website instead of becoming a great football player and achieving things outside of football aswell such as numerous charity work, setting up football academys and spreading the appeal of football to millions more people.
He is an idol to millions not just because of his looks or the media but what he does for humanity, his respect for the game which we see running out and his never say die attitude that no amount of pessimists like you can ever take from him.
Against switzerland will be his 100th cap which only around 5 players have achieved for england. This is not a fluke or scandal but an honour to a great man who deserves to be classed in that league.
Pedroella,
Just as well I didn’t hold my breath!
Best wishes mate. I’ve enjoyed the exchange.
your post is typically cringeworthy and laughable “Lawsy”.He doesnt,and never will be regarded along with those other players in the 100 club-real football men know this,alas,you and your like never will.He never,ever “outclassed” anyone,he was outclassed on numerous occassions,even at his “peak” v arsenals kids,he was simply out his depth.He ll go down in history as nothing more than a 5 times tournament flop who did nothing whatsoever to improve real madrid cf as we can see by their record pre him and now post him and his celebrity-fuelled circus.All he “wiped away” pal was tears of self-pity and failure on that bench in Getmany of a boy who so desperately wanted to be good enough but alas never was or ever could be.His times done,time to look forward to the future,his age of image over content for which he so perfectly led should now be consigned to history where it belongs and a new era be created.Bentley in our starting line up immediately after Beckhams final piece of vapid “showmanship” along with merchandising extras v switzerland in february.Just think,in 2010,we may just achieve something,never happened under “becks”,but then some of us always knew that would be the case.Onwards and upwards.
some extra points “lawsy”.Figo-a player of a different class altogether than mr one-trick pony “Becks”.
Matty Taylor-scored a technically far harder goal on the full for portsmouth from the half-way line-is he now also a “world great”?
21-a “kid” is it?I guess the likes of wayne Rooney are still “kids” then but of course rooney and ronaldo have already at their age managed to make major impacts on one of the big tournamets.Why,i ask in all innocence,has the mighty “becks2 not managed this at 32 and after 5 goes at it?It couldnt just be that he was a tad overhyped could it?By people like you with no depth of knowledge on this game whatsoever is it?im only just starting if you want to carry on,isnt it?
i dont understand it seems asthough u think that playing for ur country 100 times is a result of media attention and winning respect from the fans who watched him week in week out at Real and Manu is because his hair looked nice!
Ur stuck on the smaller picture and not looking at the fact that he has used his media attention to almost all positive advantages and not just waved his hair around down a red carpet. we can see what fame does to people without a strong character such as to George Best and Gasgoine. I understand your point that maybe zidane, Pele and others are a class above him and everyone else but you cant deny his unique achievments and drive to achieve.
I like the fact that we share an enthusiasm that England can achive in years to come but i cant agree that he was a waste of time. He has the same pride and love for the game that ‘real football men’ have and is a valid member of that illustrious club. It could have been completely different for Beckham if he didnt have that undisputed drive.
Anyways i have to get some sleep. Us bone idol football fans or whatever u think i am need to get our sleep!
p.s. no offence taken!!
Lawsy,its merely a strong and serious sense of perspective was never kept,thats my major issue.Of course he wanted to be the great hero but he never had the ability or depth of game to be that and that delusion should have been bagged away long before it got out of hand.He was confined to what he could do and unfortunately even that was exposed as not being strong enough to provide it against the top teams.Even if he was a winger worth his place,he wasnt acaptain,he wasnt a leader,he wasnt a penalty taker,he wasnt a central midfielder,he wasnt a thinker,he wasnt a world level talent that could take teams apart,he fundamentally wasnt anything the ridiculous hype and fame allowed him to be hailed as.And that cost england,cost us dear.The entire philosophy was bankrupt from this perspective and we were always going to be shown up when it truly counted.I have barely scrathed the surface and could go further into it if you so wished but all i ask is those delusions finally cease,were allowed to move on as time,if nothing else,demands and then we can debate the past but thats where it is.Beckhams eternal,and i mean eternal desire to prove to be something he clearly isnt does england no good service whatsoever and as likeable as the boy is,he needs to be put out of his misery before we can truly move on from him and and an era he,more than any other,almost completely represented.You have to see this,as does anyone who wants to see a bright england future to climax in 2010 and beyond.
Pedroella:
Man, you still carrying on!
Well, I will add this. The real difference between us is not, as you suggest, grammar or academic education. It’s much simpler than that. I and other contributors have chosen to engage you in argument; you have chosen to level vitriolic abuse at Beckham, me and everyone else on this blog who has dared to express a view contrary to your own.
You could have made all the points you wanted and they might have carried some weight had you been able to control your emotions and refrain from bitter and unnecessary insults. You might care to reflect on that thought as you retreat behind the artifice that you are some kind of Working Class Hero. You’re not. David Beckham as a result of his extraordinary achievements on and off the football pitch has a somewhat greater claim to that accolade than you.
That said, I note that in your last two posts you have toned down the abuse and the emotion, with the result that your argument is thrown into sharper relief. This is progress, although I still believe your basic premises about Beckham are still wrong.
First, getting back to the title of this post, David Beckham may have been a big “loser” in 2006 (thrown out of the England squad, dropped from the Real Madrid starting 11, told that he would not play for Madrid again), but he was certainly not a “loser” in 2007 (regained place in starting 11 for Madrid, won La Liga, regained England place).
Second, Beckham deserves credit for his strength of character and determination in dealing with set backs in his life, in a way that some notable footballers of fame have not been able to (e.g., Maradona, Best, Gascoigne etc.). His response to the effigy burning and hate campaign in England after the 98 World Cup was to produce the form of his life and help drive Man Utd to the treble in 1999; his response to the set backs in 2006 were the achievements of 2007. Anyone who cannot see that David Beckham is a man with an extraordinary strength of character must have bought a one-way ticket to cloud cuckoo land.
and yet what a pity you couldnt have refrained from your very own beckham-infused cuckoo cloud yourself frankie.Scholes,giggs and certaionly Keane “drove” united to that treble in 99 mate,despite what you may have read from the glossy mags or the new-age media who suddenly cottoned onto “soccer” post 96.You dont need to believe me,just ask any true long-standing united fan who will tell you beckham was their 4th best midfielder in that side and its successes.Ferguson himself,not wishing to borrow your own words,but he himself never rated Beckham as anything approaching the genuinley great players hes had at OD,and id take his words above ytours,anyday.
Propostrous beyond any reason to attempt to compare(youre not are you?)Beckham to the likes of maradonna,Best,Gascoigne,Rooney etc.These charachters are geniuses,flawed ones sure,but then thats what often comes with genuine genius in any field.At very best Beckham can be shoe-horned in with the david platts of this world,limited players who worked hard on thier ability but were never going to reach “greatness”.Difference is the likes of Platt recognised this and made the best of what he had,whereas Beckham just basically lost the plot and ended up with a far inferir record to the likes of Platt viewed from any perspective.
I may no comment on his 2007 but it did alas end with a quite typical piece of brainless play where he prsented the ball perfectly for croatia to score the goal which sent us out of euro2008 when as an “experienced” player he should have been capable of weighing up the situation and getting the ball out of danger,not playing to the “hollywood” script to the last-that was the problem all along,the beielf he had that this was some “fairytale” for a little boys mind that would always end in “glory”.Well,if he thinks this 100th match is his “crowning moment2 then absolitely fine,let him and you and the glossy mags believe and write what they want but aslong as he and you and they are statisfied,then we can finally move on and start to create something that actually means something substantial and real and not based on fantasy and your very own cloud cuckoo land.
Anyone who cannot see that David Beckham is a man with an extraordinary strength of character must have bought a one-way ticket to cloud cuckoo land.
———————–
funny frankie,that “extraordinary strength of character” must have taken a short vacation in his final world cup appearance when it decided to sit there in its own misery and self-pity and unleash tears of disappointment.Again funny,but the very least id expect of a national “captain” is to show some form of self-restraint and to have the capacity to consider the feelings and desires of others who still had their dreams intact at 0-0 in a quarter-final match.Alas that was far too much for Beckham,obsessed with his own faded expectations as he was.It all beacme obvious what his true motivations were in that era defining moment in Germany,the like sof you will never be able to take that truth from the records.
Hey frankie,im trying to reconcile your claim of beckhams “extraordinary strength of character” with my recollections of the euro2004 tournament when he was meant to be at his “peak” at 29 and,fast frowarding through the ballooned and bottled penalties,through the desperation to appear in as many other goalscoeres photos as possible to being a liar as to why he so badly bottled the eevent by blaming his coahcat madrid,i cant quite see it.Infact your arguement that he has this “extraordinary strength of charachter” coupled with my images of his pathetic collapse of constitution every time england faced a big opponent in one of those quarters or elesewhere,leaves me contemnplating reaching for the cyanide as either you dont know what youre talking about or ive just imagined these events when they never really happened.Which is it friend?
Frankie: The debate on the images has happened before - like I said, I’ll add a note explaining the thinking / policy behind images on the site. Some will feel strongly, some won’t. Like you said, the site is on its way to being a fine product, so I’d ask you to trust my judgment here, and yes, thank you for the feedback, I know how the images make some readers feel and I take that into account.
Pedroella: I’ll end this debate for you. Take the cyanide, because the delusions don’t seem like they’ll ever end.
Ahmed, that’s a fair response. Thank you.
See “becks” went to see gordon brown.Wow,Beckham and his people organising that,the “award” show,asking eriksson to speak on his behalf and getting his face in every publication and newspaper they can find just as Capello arrives in england to start his job as england manager.Who would have thunk it eh,im extremely shocked by these turn of events and am captivated by the sheer coincidence of it all.
Ok,enough of the comedy now.serious question.Why doesnt this man just let his football do the talking and if hes good enough,and if the coach thinks he is,he ll get his only desire-his 100th cap?Why do people,supposedly in an advanced and intelliegnt nation sych as ours fall for it like sappy little puppy dogs that were born yesterday?Does nobody seriously see throughall this?Final question.When,just WHEN will my national team be free to go back to being just a football side again,shorn from the naff neck-chain of the “Becks show” and circus?Ive had enough of this little boy who got way out his depth and is still fooling empty minds who have no understanding of our sport whatsoever.Ive had enough of his 5 tournament flops where what some of said about him and his ridiculously limited talent would be exposed-and it was,time and time again.Ive had enough him thinking hmslef as some sort of “world star” or “great footballer” when hes nothing of the sort and doesnt have the remotest talent to be.He cant keep putting off the passage of time and when history looks back on this era and him,it will report on an age where vapid and hollow celebrity and image and fame masked genuine depth of ability.Yur time in the limelight is almost done david,you proved to be as hopelessly limited as those of us who know this game said you were.Go to america,to la,where you belong,where amongst a legion of people with image and celebrity as their calling cards over any real basis of talent,youre at home more than a hamster on a turning wheel is.
Pedroella,
Who would you have in place of Becks? I doubt you’re imaginative to pick someone surprising, so I imagine you’ll plump for one of Lennon, Wright-Phillips or Bentley. Am I right? If so, let’s run through the options:
Lennon - he’s fast, fast, fast, and can’t cross for shit. McClaren has tried him and found him wanting.
Wright-Phillips - he’s fast, fast, fast, can’t cross for shit and plays for Chelski. He WAS Lennon three years ago, but time spent in Chelsea reserves have seen his stock plummet.
Bentley - he’s slow, potentially a good player, but hasn’t been proven at the highest level (Champions League). No doubt he’s got the potential to a good footballer, but is he ready for international football? Right now?
And so, to Becks. Apart from your obvious distaste for him, what is so wrong with him? Solid pro, good crosser. Can’t beat his man and is quite slow. He won’t be around for 2006.
Realistically, they aren’t great options. But I can’t see Beckham as any worse than the alternatives.
Bob,dont just slag off players and pick up on individual mistakes as Beckhams had plenty of games,nah,tournaments where he hasnt been able to cross for toffee,the only thing hes meant to be “good at”.Remember world cup 2002?Oh yes od course,he was “injured” wasnt he.Euro2004 and world cup 06,he apparantly wasnt “match fit” either his supporters tell us.What would be the excuse in 2010,his age?Dont bet against it,theres always an excuse for Beckham,everything else but the truth that hes a fatally flawed and limited player who got exposed when the truest tests arrived time after time.
Did you see swp on tuesday?Excellent display in the richest team on the planet.He didnt perform brilliantly with england its true but he scored key goals and made key defensive contributions,dont base every potential replacement for beckham on the right purely on crossing,its not the only requirement of the position.And seriously,why dont you list all these crosses Beckham produced from that right-hand side for the likes of Owen across all his years and games.If you try and find examples,youll be shocked by the sheer paucity of them.Owens best moments came from other players delivering the ball or him making goals for himself,Beckhams much vaunted delivery was remarkably non-existant when it mattered.Did he provide the through ball for owen v brazil in the 2002 world cup quarter?No,he did nothing but jump out the way of a tackle which led to their equalizer.Did he provide the ball for owen to score v portugal in 2004?No,owen made that goal himself.Did he provide anything in his final quarter-final,his last chance to deliver on that stage?No,he was hopeless,his replacement Lennon almost winning us the match by setting up Rooney who should have scored.No doubt if “becks” had of done that,you and your like would be on here mentioning it at every opportunity.
Bentley on the basis of form is the man that should be picked and bedded in before the qualifyers come around.Hes playing great football week in wekk out in the premier league,your champions league point is utterly propostrous.He plays for blackburn,how can he possibly prove himself in the cl?And is Beckham performing at CL level,would you compare the MLS with the CL?And did he prove himself worthy of that stage in his last 4 seasons there with real madrid?From my recollection his last real memeory in that competetion is being thoroughly outfought and outclassed by Arsenals kids in 2006 where he sunk without trace.
Get real sir,Beckhams time is done and its shameful that he has to launch this artificial campiagn to pressure the new coach in his 1st week in the job-its so obvious,youre not that naive are you?Whatever we think of Beckham,and i guess my views differ from yours substantially,its patently obvious that weve seen the bestof him,hes had his time and england have to move on from him and the always unwelcome circus he creates around himself which has done us no good in recent years.Weeve witnessed another dose of it this week and its frankly beyond belief that some pople are falling ofr it all over again,its like a bad horror movie.
Becks - “hes a fatally flawed and limited player who got exposed when the truest tests arrived time after time.”
Doesn’t the above comment apply to EVERY England player? No need to single out Becks because he’s pretty and has money. I actually thought he played quite well in the 2006 World Cup. Him and Hargreaves were the only effective players, in my mind.
“And seriously,why dont you list all these crosses Beckham produced from that right-hand side for the likes of Owen across all his years and games”
How many games has Owen played in the past few years? And he’s more of a poacher, not a big target-man type. How many crosses has Beckham provided for Heskey, Crouch, etc.
“Bentley on the basis of form is the man that should be picked and bedded in before the qualifyers come around.Hes playing great football week in wekk out in the premier league,your champions league point is utterly propostrous.He plays for blackburn,how can he possibly prove himself in the cl?”
I agree. Bentley should be given opportunities to prove himself. He’s a good Premier League player. CL football, however, is of a higher level. It’s not Bentley’s fault he doesn’t play it, but… you can’t tell if he’s of the quality unless he plays. Catch-22. Which means he may not necessarily be better than Beckham. Think back to SWP at Man City, the clamour for him for England, and the resultant disappointment. Yes, SWP had potential, but he wasn’t ready back then. He lacked the nous to cope with international football. He wasn’t exposed in the Premier League, but he was found out in international games.
Look, I agree Beckham’s been hyped beyond his talents in the past. I find the media circus around him distasteful. But I disagree with the current backlash against him. Just as he wasn’t the best player in the world circa 2000, he’s not the worst player in the England side now. He’s still what he always was - a good right winger who’s great at crossing, and worth his place in a mediocre England squad.
I’ll leave you with this excerpt from the Daily Mail. It’s from an article about Arsenal’s academy players, and has a reference to Beckham’s current training stint at London Colney:
On this issue, David Beckham’s recent presence has proved a real bonus, with the coaching staff hugely impressed by the way their guest has gone about his fitness work, showing great desire and professionalism.
On the day I popped in, Beckham had just spent practising free-kicks with young Randall. What an experience for the lad. More importantly, what an example to set by England’s former captain.
Bould can only agree. “If he’s doing that at his age with all that money and nothing left to prove?…?Who knows, a little bit of that attitude might rub off on our lads.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml;jsessionid=W30D0HR0AGX4BQFIQMFCFFOAVCBQYIV0?xml=/sport/2008/01/09/sfnars109.xml&page=1
Telegraph, not Mail.
sorry,how can anyone who witnessed the world cup possibly suggest beckham played “well”,it propostrous.Even in the ecudor match where he scored when the game stopped,alan hansen said thats fine but should england carry a player just on the off hope hed score a free-kick every 2 years which is what his record bares out at.He was non-existant once again v the only 2 football teams worthy of that name we came up against in the event,sweden and portugal.He was poor,end of.
If youre going to say things like “crosses to heskey” then give me examples,there should be contless ones if even a miniscule fraction of his hype had been born out.There simply isnt.
how can bentley prove hes cl quality when he doesnt play for a cl side?And what is cl quality anyway?MLS?is Beckham playing at cl level or did he prove he was up to that standard at any point while at europes biggest club real madrid in his 4 seasons there?No.How would Beckham ever have got his chance in 96 if others hadnt stepped aside when the time was right for him?
No-one says hes not a hard tryer,he always has been,except for a 3 or 4 year period around 2002-2006 when he frankly lost the plot over his ability and truly believed hmself to be this “great” player who had “destiny” in his sights.Thats why ferguson got him out his club and thats why eriksson shouldnt have indulged his every whim to the ludicrous and cringeworthy degree he did with england,it did us no goood whatsoever and our 3 weak exits filled with appallingly useless Beckham non-shows in each and every quarter proved this absolutely.
2010 now,we dont need the hassle and fuss weve seen around the Beckham circus this week distracting us anymore,its simply not worth it when hes receeding so fast as a power and when even when at its peak,that power always had a very low ceiling of achievement and level where it could prosper.
you cite the Telegraph Bob.I had a little look at that publication and come across an excellent piece which has,in sharper manner than i can,cut through all the garbage invented around Beckham and his real achievements at international level,and merely told it as it is.Take a look sir.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=A1YourView&xml=/sport/2008/01/10/sfnhen110.xml
Pedroella,
Seriously, dude, did you even read my post, or are you just arguing for the sake of arguing? I already said that Bentley should be given a chance to prove himself. I also said that he’s not proven himself at a high standard (and I don’t believe Premier League is a high enough standard). Until he’s played consistently at that level, you’re just pushing his claim on the PRESUMPTION that he’ll be good enough. You’re swallowing the hype that’s currently building around him, that used to be around Lennnon, and SWP… and Beckham.
And yes, for what it’s worth, I thought Beckham was one of the few effective players for England in 2006. Anyway, you’re forgetting that England AS A WHOLE played poorly. What Beckham was picked to do, he did well. If you’re playing lump-it-to-the-big-striker football, you need a guy who can cross accurately and reliably. Beckham gives you this. He doesn’t give you much more, but he gives you this. What you SHOULD be pissed off about is that Lampard needs a team built around him, Gerrard runs like a headless chicken, Rooney has a temper, Owen is always injured, Ferdinand loses concentration, Robinson is crap, A.Cole is an a.hole, and Gary Neville is STILL the best England right-back.
Also, you refer to an article from Michael Henderson about the startling fact that Beckham isn’t a “great”. When did I EVER say he was a great player? I just dislike this attitude that he’s either the best ever, or utter crap. Why don’t you do a google search on Michael Henderson’s articles? I’ll bet that he was one of those lauding the “Golden Generation” and “Goldenballs” when it was cool to do so. Tabloid hack.
(and I don’t believe Premier League is a high enough standard).
————————
what gets me is that you write drivel like this seemingly forgetting that Beckham himself got his chance in what 96(?),when he wasnt even a premier league established player and certainly hadnt played in the cl or at any higher level than our domestic league.So i ask you,why is playing at premier league level “not good enough” for bentley but was ample good enough for Beckham to be selected?Where the hell is you and other Beckham obsessives consistency?One thinks back to how fortunate the young Beckham was that he didnt have an old Beckham infront of him desperately trying to hang on to the fading flame of fame and attention.
Garbage that Beckham was “affective”.Eriksson played to a style mainly to be able to carry and accomodate Beckham-note alan hansens disdain at this method and his view that it would come a cropper as soon as england came up against a opponent of genuine stature.He was right.Sweden arrived,portugal arrived-and Beckham disappeared.It was of no surprise to some of us who read the game and what was going on.
bob, pedroella’s just looking for an argument and will say anything and attack anything to keep it going. why indulge?
Ahmed, I like arguing with idiots. It’s therapeutic.
Pedroella,
I’m not forgetting Beckham got a start in ‘96. I’m ignoring it because it’s a stupid point. Once again, try READING my comment before you type. I said that Bentley SHOULD get HIS chance to prove himself - in games with ENGLAND in INTERNATIONAL MATCHES. I don’t think BECKHAM should play again, because he won’t be around for 2010. But I DO hate band-wagon detractors like yourself, who jump on a guy because it’s becoming fashionable to do so, and who have the gall for thinking they’re independently-minded in doing so.
I admit, Eriksson did go along with that stupid “quarter-back” idea. But look again at the rationale behind it - England players can’t retain the ball, and they need someone to lump it accurately the forwards. Lampard and Gerrard aren’t creative midfielders, and won’t do that. Actually, the idea of a deep-lying creative midfielder isn’t that stupid - Pirlo does a similiar thing for Milan. But Milan have better players, and can play a more sophisticated brand of football. And they’ve got Gattuso are running around like a shaggy terrier. England, can’t, don’t and the best they could come up with was Beckham’s crosses.
And it’s “effective”, not “affective”. It’s rude to attribute “quotes” that I didn’t type, but if you do, don’t use the wrong word.
i have to tell you you couldnt be more wrong with regards labelling me a “band wagon jumper”.Back in 2002ish when it was akin to being a atheist in mecca,i stood back from the legion of poinltess celebrity-based hype that had spun up around Beckham.Just because hed managed to strike 1 free-kick from around the box on target in injury time out of 8 didnt make him a player worthy of “affecting” games at the highest level v the serious nations of world football.It was folly of the hihgest order to base our entire structure around such a one-dimensional and limited player and to basically hand over the running of our set-up to Beckham and his “culture” and what we got was 5 years of steady decline epitomised by the “WAG” era he so instigated and led.
What disappoints me is someone like you claiming englands “only hope” or only tactic is to play to the beckham mould,carry the guy as we did through world cup 02,euro2004 and the last world cup on the basis that he has a free-kick record of 1 successful strike every 2 years and occassionally finds a single “assist” v a tin-pot non-professional standard opponent.Its so feeble and blind thinking to assume that way of playing was the “only” way.Even under that wally mcclaren,when england were forced to change their style due to injury for a run of qualifiers,we saw a coherance,a shape and a style of play twice as “effective” as anything seen in the last decaying days of the eriksson regime.V russsai,v israel,it wasnt just the 6-0 aggregate,it was the fluency of some of the play with equality on the pitch and it appeared a world away from the moribund style wed become ccustomed to under the eriksson-beckham axis.Thats the way we should have gone about things from long agao,with players of genuine substance and true technical ability such as paul scholes being our lynchpin,not the faboulously famous yet fatally flawed Beckham.Eriksson was locked in his victory or death pact with his golden ticket to the celebrity world he so adored however and would not have dropped beckham or thought of another angle in a million years,thats why he was so easily and regulary out-thought and out-coached by the likes of Scholari.
All these deabtes are on the past however and at least you and i seem to agree that the past is where it all belongs and after giving beckham his “big day”,i really think its in all our interests to make it clear to beckham that his time has come and gone and he has to accept his place in history and handle his 5 failures and not delude himself that he has any chance whatsoever for a 6th go at redemption on that exhalted stage where only the truly great propser.