Beckham dropped

[Jambo]

Bizarre - press reports suggest Beckham dropped not only from the upcoming squad, but has also been told he won't be picked again.

 

Think what you like about Beckham, but to forcibly retire him is utterly wrong - no-one can cross or hit dead balls like him. He should certainly be in the squad. Bloody Steve Maclaren trying to make his mark, signal a 'clean break' from the Sven era and impress his mates in the press. How pathetic.

 

Might all be tabloid b******s mind...

[Cooldude]

If so, it's a gutsy and right move. They gotta play for the future, for Euro 08 and World Cup 10.

[libero]

Thought he was injured for the Greece game???

 

Typical tabloid press 2+2= twelvty.

[Cobs]

be surprised if this was true

[Bjarkinn]

pennant is better

[owenthomas]

McClaren's a w***** but if he does this i'll be made up.. one down, about 10 to go - then i can start thinking about going out and enjoying England games!..

[fred milne]

Think what you like about Beckham, but to forcibly retire him is utterly wrong.

Nah. Its brilliant.

[Gilps]

be surprised if this was true

 

It won't be.

[RP]

Doubt it's true but wouldn't be that surprised if it was.

[Stevie H]

Nah. Its brilliant.

 

yes! totally.

 

although i'd be amazed if mclaren has the balls to drop beckham from his first squad, despite there being at least four better right midfield options than him out there now.

[Jambo]

It's certainly kind of funny, but from a football point of view I'd say it's totally unjustified if true - smacks of grandstanding.

[Guest Anders Honoré]

how old is beckham now?

[Cobs]

how old is beckham now?

an ancient 31

[Guest Anders Honoré]

33 at the next major tournament then. With the alternatives available, I can see the logic of not picking players in the qualifiers you aren't planning to use at the actual tournament anyway.

 

I am not sure Beckham is the kind of player who is gonna be much worse as he gets older as he has never relied much on pace, but I can see the logic of it.

[Knox_Harrington]

According to the Guardian Beckham started a friendly last night for Real against DC United.

 

Can I ask again who reckons the substitution in Germany might have been a bit suss?

[Cobs]

Can I ask again who reckons the substitution in Germany might have been a bit suss?

adayinthelife

 

 

do i win £5?

[fred milne]

Whilst Beckham still has his merits as a footballer (although he's a shadow of the player he was in the late 90's/early 00's), these are outweighed by the distracting media circus that follows him and which he revels in.

 

One of the best decisions Hoddle made as England manager was to cut Gascoigne loose. I think ditching Beckham would bring a similar benefit to McLaren.

[Cobs]

think dropping Gazza was one of Hoddle's worst decisions (amongst some pretty stiff competition) of his England reign.

 

What benefit Rob Lee brought to that squad/England's chances of winning the tournament over Gazza remains a mystery to me

[Cobs]

BBC reporting it now....

 

[Guest Anders Honoré]

Hoddle's worsts decisions were not the footballing ones.

 

He had England playing very well, imo.

[Cobs]

Hoddle's worsts decisions were not the footballing ones.

 

He had England playing very well, imo.

did the words 'one of' and 'amongst some pretty stiff competition' slip under the B9radar?

[Andy @ Allerton]

The only thing I remember about Hoddle being in charge was the amount of diving that the England players did - and Owen coming back being a cheating c*** diving all over the f***ing place.

[Guest redfromtubebar]

Excellent news.

 

Maybe we can actually have a proper football team now and not a media circus led by a publicity whore.

 

So long Becks.

[Guest Anders Honoré]

did the words 'one of' and 'amongst some pretty stiff competition' slip under the B9radar?

 

No. I don't think dropping gazza can qualify as one of his worst decisions when he a very functional vision of how to handle the footballing side of the job.

 

Rob Lee may not have added much but that doesn't neccesarily mean that taking gazza would have had a positive impact.

[Cobs]

No. I don't think dropping gazza can qualify as one of his worst decisions when he a very functional vision of how to handle the footballing side of the job.

 

Rob Lee may not have added much but that doesn't neccesarily mean that taking gazza would have had a positive impact.

he was a very positive impact in us qualifying