David Beckham

... andbody see Sunday Supplement this morning.
Henry Winter put it in nutshell why he wouldn't take Beckham to South Africa - Pace. Its ok when you come on in games that have all the urgency of a testamonial stroll - the world cup will be different - the bets teams will be fast one touch in your face football, Lennon, Walcott, Milner,Hargreaves, Joe Cole - any of these should, by next April, be ahaead of Beckham.
He has a great cross on him agreed, but no way should that grant him a ticket on the plane - another thing that grate sme is his automatic role on taking any freekick?? - his record at taking then for England isn't great, its probably not even good, take the Greece and Columbia one sout and I'm struggling - 'if' he does somehow make it to SA then mix the free kick taking up... Gerrard, Lampard they've both scored regulary for their clubs with free kicks ... ok this is getting tedious now i know i know

 

Lennon, Walcott, SWP.

All the same player. Fine, they have pace. What if they come up against a faster left back? There's no variety.

Beckham all the way for me.

Not saying he should start, not by any stretch. But to bring on at 0-0 to put one on Crouch's nut? There's no-one in world football I'd rather have.

And lets face it, if you're 0-0 against, whoever . . .Ivory Coast for example, there's 15 minutes to play and we are making a sub. Their players look across and Lennon is coming on . . . so what?

They look across and David Beckham is coming on . . . different story . . .

 

Sorry - Just dont agree

... In my opinion he slows the whole game down - if we have to resort to 50 yard hollywood passes then we're dead in the water anyway.
Milner offers a much better option in my opinion, i wouldn't take SWP but i would lennon and walcott.... if we have the luxury to take one player who we can throw on to turn a game it wouldn't be beckham - it should be owen.
I know we need a plan B and C but in my opinion if a team saw a 35 yr old coming on who would lose to the ref in a 10 yard sprint as oposed to lennon or walcott - i'd be very happy

 

Beckham has to be included

He is the best 'crosser' of the ball in football. Vital to the team either as a starter or sub and his
experience will rub off on the team.

 

RE: Beckham has to be included

We have a team packed with experience...
Gerrard, Lampard,James,Ferdinand..etc etc

 

It sounds like you aren't taking into account how many assists beckham gets. When he isn't on the pitch we waste set piece after set piece - it's not all about his shooting when people refer to his free kicks.

Saying that Michael Owen can change a game is also slightly of the mark...owen is a good fininsher but if you want to change a game you need someone who can create chances. If you've ever seen Owen play in the flesh he is completely ineffectual - he just takes the chances he gets. That's not me slating him, that's what has made him a proven goalscorer.

We should take Beckham to the world cup. The likes of Lennon and Walcott will start ahead of him...but if we find that they aren't creating chances we can change it and play a completely different style. Against the physical african teams having someone like Beckham is priceless...his passing is too good for them to get close to him.

 

RE: Beckham has to be included

I'd take Beckham (still the best delivery), SWP (has a finish whereas Lennon hasn't), Walcott (versatile and can play up front as well) and Milner (most improved player in squad). I'd leave Lennon, Joe Cole (probably won't be fit enough anyway) and Ashley Young (not good enough...yet) at home.

 

ridiculous

by that argument we'd pick Bolt ahead of Beckham (if he was English!)

 

Are you for real?

... or are you supposed to be impressing me with your rapier like wit!?!?!

It was a reasoned footi discussion - but you got me doubled up with your responce - top draw - absolute class... no really thanks for that, just quality. well done mate

 

Lighten up dude

Just cos you're taking a reyt bashing in this thread

 

he he...

... thats a fair comment mate.
It appears me and my mate Henry are swimming against the tide here.

But Mr Bright never fails to annoy me

 

Becks for me

Got to go in my opinion ( H )

 

Not my fault

Football isn't just about speed was the point I was making - it's an obvious one! In fact many of the best players over the years are those who have instant control, speed of thought and great passing ability rather than being able to run fast.

Beckham or SWP? No contest - got to be Beckham.

 

The fact that he is part of the England Squad

is a worrier for all others....

 

Totally agree tagi teli. Stan collymore was bang on the other night when he said the problem with us as a nation is our inability to see past Beckham. I'm sick to the back teeth of this guy now and it must be so hard for the young players with him hanging around. Beckham PLC is only interested in breaking the caps record, nothing more. If he was on 70 caps he wouldn't be travelling around for England. There is enough experience in the team without him. He's a selfish egotistical over the hill player with no pace and the better teams will be loving it that we still rely on him. The short sited fans who crack one off over him are just as bad. I wonder if they will still get hard for him when we are dumped out at the quarters cause we have no experience down the right and saint David can't cut it. Some England fans and pundits need their simpleton fecking heads looking at.

 

We are in the minority on here matey....

and i dont know why?? - but - football's all about opinions I suppose.
Let me clarify this for brighty .... pace is important, even more so in beckhams position.... when beckham got by with his lack of pace when he was in his prime but he'll be 35 next year ffs - in the crunch games if he's all we have to turn a game then we've had it.... being able to put the occasional good cross over and score one freekick in thirty aint gonna cut it.
can anybody name one game he physically changed, actually changed by a hollywood pass or cross from coming on in his 15min cameo role.... we need two people for every position so if he's our back up to walcott or lennon then heaven help us....
As for a team in the semi final or quarter final being terrified if we bring becks on... please - didn't see the top teams clamour his services in january?? AC MILAN?? - more commercial then anything, and look where they are in a poor seria A

 

not a fair comparison...

Beckham in his prime was never a walcott or wright phillips and was never one for going at a man and beating him, offers something different from those two, he may be coming up 35? but whenever he's played his fitness has never been a problem often doing more graft and covering than walcott and phillips, as for a game which he has turned one off the top of my head is v greece at old trafford when he scored to get us qualified, he can also cross a ball and find a player with a pass which walcott and phillips both struggle to acomplish.

 

'ridiculous'

...the best players over the years have all those attributes you mention... and pace over 10 yards... the few exceptions like Bergkamp etc etc were light years ahead of beckham even at his prime, never mind 35yrs old.
In Beckhams position how can you dismiss pace?? He's a brilliant crosser of the ball but its no good from 15 yards outside the penalty box..... all opinions i know but taking everything into account I'll stick with my 'ridiculous' statement thanks