Call time on the drama queen

[pabird]

Surely we have had enough on the football pages and TV reviews of anything to do with the idiot England captain that is other than comment on playing perfomance

A self publicist who is no more than a good class international player he does a diservice to the game with his continual verbal drivel and drama queen actions that derive from his belief that he is up there with "world class" players and in some way important

He has never said anything important, he has never performed at the "special" level of world class players when presented with world class opposition

His manner and lack of balanced thinking or natural grace determine he must be the very worst choice possible as England Captain, give it to Lampard or any other true pro with more than two grey cells

[CIFC - Y.A]

Sorry, but I disagree. Let's face it, he didn't actually do that much wrong. It was a bit of good ol' rivalry, he regretted it and apologised.

 

Had it of been any other player on the team I don't think this huge controversy would of even started.

 

That's just my opinion and I bet 99% of people disagree with me, I think he's treated unfairly because of his "captain" status. Fair enough he hasn't shone at times he's needed to, but everyone has their off days.

 

"he has never performed at the "special" level of world class players when presented with world class opposition"

 

Neither has Lampard though...

[Merv]

Seems to me there is far more of a problem with our press than there is with any of our players. In an attempt to sell papers they go for anything titillating, slightly dodgy or events that can bring otherwise respected people into disrepute. The Becks have had to take a whole load of crap from dirt diggers who are supposed to be journalists and, on the whole, I think they have dealt with it very well. Every England manager since Sir Alf has had to undergo the character assination from Fleet Street (or is it Wapping, now?) and you just know that what these parasites really want is for England to fail because that will sell more papers. There are some very honourable and very readable football journalists but they don't sell as much copy as the sleaze merchants who write mainly (but not exclusively) for the tabloids.

 

SVEN IN THREE IN A BED SEX ROMP will always out-sell ENGLAND THROUGH TO QUARTER FINALS. Sad, but true.

 

I think that what Becks said about the suspension incident was very unwise, stupid even, but I really don't think it dererves the 'World Exclusive - Read what England captain said on pages 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,34 & 35' type of coverage that it got.

[pabird]

Merv our press are what they are and will not climb out of the gutter

They must be dealt with for what they are and DB just does not have the grey matter to cope, he is a self publicist on a continual ego trip

Lampard may not have performed at that special level (nor has DB ) but he earns his fixture in the eleven and does have the wit to deal with the media and to take personal decisions with acceptable levels of dignity, there other acceptable choices but the point is DB is not one of them if you add his potential for drama queen acts during games he locates himself outside of the group

Lets consider that England need to move on from quarter finals because its at that very level that DB has proved to have hit his ability ceiling both in his behaviour and his performance on and off the ball

So,lets move on??

[Dan Sampford]

Yep

[A Non E Mouse]

Agree with Merv - the real issue with the England team and British sport in general is the press and media.

 

Why would an industry, predominantly owned by an Australian, want to slur English sport? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

 

At the end of the day Beckham claimimg that he undertook a "professional foul" doesn't suprise me. The game has changed over the years with people diving in the box etc. and are ways in which the game has evolved - I'm suprised that Becks had the intelligence to put it all together. Sorry - but I can't condemn what he has done in a professional sports environment.

 

I don't think most England fans are that worried or even that concerned by the game - we are told that we are concerned and that it goes against the grain by the press who are there to solely make money.

 

I'd like to think I am clever enough to form my own opinion without the need for the media to wheel out Goff Hurst to condemn what has been done, when he earnt next to no money and didn't have the speed, pressure, money and success of the modern game. Probably why Owen didn't condemn what Becks done.

 

I'm sure decisions, simlar to that made by Becks are made at club level every weekend by managers or players - they are just not blown out of proportion.

[ken]

our press are doing a job (its a rubbish one but a job none the less) people obviously read it or they wont print it. its that simple, as far a bechams problems with them goes its entirely his fault. he chose a public life and has to except the consequences, scholes never has the problem because he doest choose the lifestyle. if you use the press to build your carrier you will have to have the price of them trying to knock it down.

 

as far as becalms performances go, you would have to be crazy to say he isn't world class. his performances and effort have been up there with some of the best this country has ever had. the trouble comes that his effort and performance has dropped of late. he has also never really performed in a competition.

 

As far as the deliberate yellow card goes, it was terrible and cant be condoned, you should never deliberately foul another player. Now I know this goes on but that doesn’t make it right, diving goes on and that is not expectable. Maybe bechams biggest crime was admitting it (almost gloating) but he has to be punished. I personally would ban him from the next England game.

 

Im sure he will be back to his old self, but lets not forget that it wasn't to long ago that he was the nations hero.

[pabird]

Read todays London Evening Standard where in the reports covering last nights game the headlines are reference DB, they should have been about a youngster making his (competetive) England debut and other aspiring youngsters making their way

As for world class not yet and possibly never, to say world class you are putting him in there with Bobby Charlton,Jimmy Greaves,Bobby Moore,etc etc to name only world class English players

He hits a very nice ball from his right foot over 3 yards to 60 yards and very accurate with a curve to the right

Cannot head a ball, dodgy left foot cannot tackle not pacey and cannot beat an opponent, proven iffy temperment and more seriously fails to perform against top sides, not once but on every occassion, that is unless you rate Greece or Wales as world class

Lets be serious about world class, Paul Scholes very possibly yes, Rio F-Wayne R-Coles-Gerard and maybe a couple of others have the potential to be world class, Owen the jury is out but most importantly they need to go one step higher than our usual quarter final failures to be able to prove they are world class

[ken]

he my only be a one trick pony but that is what he is in the squad for.

"He hits a very nice ball from his right foot over 3 yards to 60 yards and very accurate with a curve to the right"

he is the best in the world at that.

are you going to say pele wasnt world class because he couldnt defend that well or gorden banks wasnt world class because he couldt cross a ball. becham did the job he was ment to do and he done it well untill recently

[pabird]

Please only discuss the players you have seen I.E. Pele could perform any football skill at the very highest level and tackled like a top class defender but more important than that he demonstrated total world class skills at the very highest level across many years whilst scoring his 1,000 goals at senior level, Pele never flunked-bottled the big games but like all truly world class players gave his best performance in every big game

I do not knock DB for any other reason than his performance when needed at its best is always (Brazil,Arge!s,France and one euro game for MAN.U )at its worst, but where do I do him an injustice having already stated he is a good class international (but no more)

 

Please do not insult the likes of: Shackleton-Giles-Mannion-Brady-Hoddle-Robson-Scholes-Haynes-Logie all proven to be more effective per game than DB will ever be but not one of them a drama queen of the DB proportions

[ken]

stop jumping on the media bandwagon. I am one of Beckhams biggest critics but you have to give credit where it is due. David Beckham is one of the best crossers of the ball and free kick takers in the world. this is a fact, there for he is a world class player. lets not forget this is a man who has been voted the second best player in the world twice. fair enough he as an extravagant lifestyle and hasn't played with the energy or conviction lately but to say he isn't world class is just stupid. stop reading the sun at once. remeber all those times you have cheared him.

[Guest]

You cant compare Pele and Beckham.

 

Beckham cracked 2 ribs and made sure he missed the next match but Pele played with 2 cracked ribs in that awesome game against Germany.

 

if you dont believe me then just go and rent out

Escape to Victory!!

 

Pele wins hands down!!

[ken]

i wasnt comparing them

 

beckham could never have scored an overhead kick to seal victory for the allies

[pabird]

Free kicks both Rooney and Lampard shared the duties and DB could not have improved on either, corners you have a look and see how many times he fails to clear the first defender

The Sun never purchased

Among best two players in the world?????? he would not make best two at Man U if he were still there

Strangly you may feel but I do like him as a player but in the real world he does a job and does it well, not a man the pro!s call a "player" that is reserved for the likes of Scholes, Zidane, Ronaldino, Keane, Rooney etc

[Merv]

Pabird has hinted at his favourite players of all time, but shows his lack of real football knowledge when he omits Sylvester Stallone - one of the greatest goalkeepers I have ever seen. Without him the Allies would have been in real trouble. I realise he only ever played one game, but what a game it was.

 

Photo by Ian - Match report by Merv

[Guest]

great action shot Merv.

 

Sly was one of the greatest keppers of all time!!

 

Sly, we salute you!! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/bow.gif" alt="" />

[Big J R]

Isn't that the film where Steve McQueen tried to jump over the crowd barrier on a motorcycle ?

[South Mouth]

I reckon the Germans should have shot Sly personally for crimes against film and that stupid face he pulls every time he does something. Looks like he having a sh*t!

 

Although Rocky was brilliant! Slightly off topic i know.

 

Back to Beckham!

 

I think Becks is a great player and deserves praise for his performances. I mean, i would rather have him in the team than out, even against opposition like Azerbaijan.

 

But he has brought all this trouble on himself. For years he and that ugly thing that he's married to have put themselves in the limelight, sometimes for no real reason whatsoever. They have openly looked for this kind of status, but when things dont go their way, they moan and complain.

 

As for the booking situation, for a player that kids and even adults are supposed to look up to because of his status as England captain, he does make a mess of things. Especially by making comments about the booking. I know he's not the sharpest tool in the box but surely for a grown man that was bloody stupid!

 

In normal life, i would be flabbergasted by comments like that but being a footballer is another world where rich grown men turn into morons! Nothing surprises me any more.

 

I say give the captains armband to Gerrard when he's fit. I know he's injured right now but that was a freak accident and not down to his old injury problems and i dont think it would be a problem with the captaincy.

[CANV EFM]

beckham.. heheh what a c..k.. loads of player 'strategically' get booked to get banned from certain games, bloody hell loads of players at lower levels do it to get xmas off.. but you have to have a special kind of dimness to brag about how 'brainy' you are to do it whilst captaining england..

as for the media giving it to him.. i have no sympathy, live by the press, die by the press.. as it ever was it ever will be..

now onto his football.. world class? well by definition if you get in an international team you are 'world class' like say robbie savage.. but does he compare with the greats.. er no not really. in his prime he was effective out wide on the right and did take a great free kick.. he has never performed in a championship normally carrying an injury or in the case pf portugal admitting to carrying some extra weight n not being totally fit!!?? good effort , forget the euros where on did we?.. in fact the world cup where he got sent was when he really could have shone...

now he is fairly ineffective, terribly short of pace (has he ever taken a man on.. ok i mean thats not his game but you'd think he do it at least once just to give the oppo midfielder or full back soemthing to think about) i reckn i can run faster than him now..

he cant head a ball that well and his tackling is borderline comedy..

his penalies havnt been that convincing recently either..

i'd stick him on the bench for the next game as he does have experience and with that boot up the [****!!****] may actually get his [****!!****] around the park a bit if he is bought on for the last 20 ..

 

persanally i hope he gets dropped as he gets on my tits..

and that last tattoo?? what was he thinking... oh er yes well that explains that then

[pabird]

We just use different words but you nailed him there Canv in particular reference his footballing "abilities"

He should be stripped of the skippers role and banned for the next England game which just happens to be a friendly against Spain on his home ground

However at his best there is a role out wide similar to the role (left side) that the dutchman that Bobby Robson employed at Ipswich where the ball was played in early and differing angles to he norm (cannot remember his bloody name)

But he (DB would need to get his act together and I doubt he can fully achieve that if his ego is twitched in being treated like the "reasonable International" he has never risen above when it mattered