Beckham's shot-to-goal ratio is nothing to write home about. I think his reputation as a free kick taker par excellence stems from very selective memory of his media fuck buddies and the fact that when he's in the England team nobody else is allowed near the ball for a deadball. He also only has one technique, the right-footed bender.
Lampard and Ballack.
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Beckham's shot-to-goal ratio is nothing to write home about. I think his reputation as a free kick taker par excellence stems from very selective memory of his media fuck buddies and the fact that when he's in the England team nobody else is allowed near the ball for a deadball. He also only has one technique, the right-footed bender.
Refused as fuck
"ethnic pakistani tosser"
Aye, at least he has one.
stupid kid
...
Kinda helps when you have one free kick to send a team to the world cup and you score it though. Also he's as good as anyone at putting the ball in the box from freekicks. Also, the meejia have happily crucified and villified him more than probably anyone in the playing squad for as long as I can remember.
I've never really understood your peculiar hatred of Beckham stavros. The majority of your points are balanced but this seems like a real bugbear that you're never quite able to justify.
Sometimes it seems to get to the level of the sheer nonsense that's churned out from revol on a daily basis (see above) or the perfectly pitched wind-ups of the long since departed mmmskyscraper.
that may well be true... do you ever fancy making the "pilgrimage" to the "theatre of dreams"? I reckon it'd be slightly different to Larne, altho better or worse I couldn't say.
At least it'd shut us lot up.
I keep blearily reading that as "Lame"
Monkeygrinder's Organ
Dodgy geezer swilling vapid lager
How does your theory account for Jon Arne Riise?
I guess it's the way he's symbolic of the change in what a footballer is. Primarily, he seems to be a professional celebrity and a part time footballer, which seems more like a hobby. I think my venom towards him was really created by Sven Goran Eriksson, and his bizarre obsession with him. This extended to other players (Gerrard and Lampard together for example) but Beckham seemed to be the apex of the problem. He was never substituted when his trick (singular) wasn't working, and created a horrible imbalance in the midfield with his constant deep positioning and desire to come inside to an already crowded area (Joe Cole does this too).
In terms of his two strengths, there are players who can deliver crosses just as well (his best mate Neville has done some great ones from overlaps), and free kick-takers with better hit rates and greater variance (Sinisa Mihajlovic, Ronald Koeman, Gianfranco Zola, Krassimir Balakov). There has always been far too much focus on these two things, without people ever really recognising his obvious weaknesses.
Deareg
Well-Known Member
that is an english thing, not just a manchester thing
That's what I suspected might be the case but in truth you're conflating two, IMO, distinct criticisms there. There's the angle of his worth as a footballer and the angle of his celebrity and it's easy to see why one would try and merge them together. That is after all how he managed to build his cult and his wealth.
But I still think that Beckham has been, on balance, our best footballer of the past decade. Fair enough, he has a limited range of ability but what he can't do (beat a man) he makes up for in his undoubted work rate and specific skills. I think there's a couple of things to bear in mind here. Is it valid to blame England's perceived underperformance principally on Beckham and was there anyone else good enough to come in for him?
I think the answer to both those questions is categorically no. In 2002 we were fielding people like Danny Mills. In 2004 our only effective forward and point of reference for the whole of our attack was injured early in a crucial game. And in 2006 the entire team looked like they'd forgotten how to practise their profession. In point of fact, although Beckham was not good in 2006, he was a long way from being our worst performer. Furthermore the only reason we were at 2002 was because of Beckham.
Then lets look at the alternatives. I cannot think of a single candidate right now, or in the recent past, in the whole of England who could justifiably be labelled as an international right midfielder or right winger. Despite what the FA's marketing men would have you believe, we had and still do have a very limited pool of talent to choose from and none were, or are, better than Beckham in his position.
Beyond that I think you have to look at his record at club level. He was a crucial part of a superb United team who fielded one of the most effective midfields in recent memory. That is no mean feat.
In successive seasons he was the only reliably effective member of an incoherent, bloated Real Madrid side. Ironically you level the accusation that he forgot he was a footballer first and foremost. During his brief time as a Galactico, it's more than possible to argue that he was the only Galactico who remembered what being a footballer meant and how to go about it.
In his final season he was dropped for alleged disloyalty and then regained his place through unstinting professional standards and demonstrable excellence. Qualities that managed to change the mind of a manager (Fabio Capello) who is famous for his readiness to undermine and cast out 'stars' who he believes do not have the focus or the committment to the team.
History will surely judge Beckham as our most successful footballer of the modern era, and not just for his trophy cabinet. The fact that he made an awful lot of money doing things that you may find morally or socially dubious shouldn't obscure that.
The Champions League ?
EDit:- Sorry - just another muppet who can't tell Portsmouth from Chelsea. My (sincere) apologies to ALL Pompey fans !
Diamond, with regard the best England player of the last decade, I would put Neville, Scholes and Owen above Beckham in terms of consistency.
As to alternatives, I think part of the problem is we didn't try many. Lampard, Gerrard and Ashley Cole are examples of failure to replicate club form for England, and in converse some players outperform their club selves on the international stage. I think from memory of David Platt, and also of Alf Ramsey telling Jackie Charlton he was only in the team because he brought out the best in Bobby Moore. England, in truth, produce few internationally world class players, so it is often necessary to fill holes with those who can bring out the best in our true quality players (a la Charlton with Moore). Beckham's sole open play trick of the deep right footed cross was far better suited to England when we had Shearer still playing, but Owen and Rooney perhaps don't have the same presence to constantly feed on those.
As I said, I think Beckham personifies the ultimate of what is wrong with top players these days, and his career path, that is off the field, has been aped to large extent particularly by Cole and Rooney. I wouldn't single him out as the sole reason for England's lack of success. I simply don't think we have that good players on the whole, and the difference between heavily the biased Premiership structure and that of the more cultured international game is marked. Perhaps I do overly lay into Beckham as representing this, but it does have to be said he puts himself in line to be shot at.
As to alternatives, I think part of the problem is we didn't try many. Lampard, Gerrard and Ashley Cole are examples of failure to replicate club form for England, and in converse some players outperform their club selves on the international stage. I think from memory of David Platt, and also of Alf Ramsey telling Jackie Charlton he was only in the team because he brought out the best in Bobby Moore. England, in truth, produce few internationally world class players, so it is often necessary to fill holes with those who can bring out the best in our true quality players (a la Charlton with Moore). Beckham's sole open play trick of the deep right footed cross was far better suited to England when we had Shearer still playing, but Owen and Rooney perhaps don't have the same presence to constantly feed on those.
As I said, I think Beckham personifies the ultimate of what is wrong with top players these days, and his career path, that is off the field, has been aped to large extent particularly by Cole and Rooney. I wouldn't single him out as the sole reason for England's lack of success. I simply don't think we have that good players on the whole, and the difference between heavily the biased Premiership structure and that of the more cultured international game is marked. Perhaps I do overly lay into Beckham as representing this, but it does have to be said he puts himself in line to be shot at.
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