Comments on: Beckham and the Century-Makers http://mtmg.wordpress.com/2008/04/01/beckham-and-the-century-makers/ James Hamilton on... Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:38:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: Metatone http://mtmg.wordpress.com/2008/04/01/beckham-and-the-century-makers/#comment-1234 Metatone Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:41:14 +0000 http://mtmg.wordpress.com/?p=507#comment-1234 I always think that if Beckham had been able to tackle, he could have been the midfield general he sometimes seemed to want to be. And then he would have had his caps with perhaps less controversy. England have had "trouble on t'wing" for most of my football watching life. Much of that time it was the search (which Joe Cole only partially quells) for "someone who really belongs on the left" but the wing position on the right has equally been the receptacle of many people's fantasies. Beckham's popularity started to drain away in part because he couldn't replicate that Greek performance (but as you note, who could?) in part because he was the symoblic player of a generation that were expected to bring more success than they did, but in part his popularity drained as he got older and slower. You see, Beckham has always had a fantastic cross and indeed were it not for some of his vital crosses, England would not even have come close to qualifying for Euro 2008. But, what people want in a wing, is well... Cristiano Ronaldo... or George Best... or Stanley Matthews... and Becks never had that pace or trickery. I think there's almost a case to say that wing is where "creativity" is semi-accepted in the neanderthal English kick and rush, long ball, game. And so, Beckham, over time came to be seen as an older, slower player, blocking the possibility of a more romantic figure playing and entertaining us. In other countries, they invest the central midfielder with creative mythology (Riquelme springs to mind) and so they can see Beckham's value more clearly because they are not busy wishing he was George Best. I always think that if Beckham had been able to tackle, he could have been the midfield general he sometimes seemed to want to be. And then he would have had his caps with perhaps less controversy. England have had “trouble on t’wing” for most of my football watching life. Much of that time it was the search (which Joe Cole only partially quells) for “someone who really belongs on the left” but the wing position on the right has equally been the receptacle of many people’s fantasies.

Beckham’s popularity started to drain away in part because he couldn’t replicate that Greek performance (but as you note, who could?) in part because he was the symoblic player of a generation that were expected to bring more success than they did, but in part his popularity drained as he got older and slower.

You see, Beckham has always had a fantastic cross and indeed were it not for some of his vital crosses, England would not even have come close to qualifying for Euro 2008. But, what people want in a wing, is well… Cristiano Ronaldo… or George Best… or Stanley Matthews… and Becks never had that pace or trickery.

I think there’s almost a case to say that wing is where “creativity” is semi-accepted in the neanderthal English kick and rush, long ball, game. And so, Beckham, over time came to be seen as an older, slower player, blocking the possibility of a more romantic figure playing and entertaining us.

In other countries, they invest the central midfielder with creative mythology (Riquelme springs to mind) and so they can see Beckham’s value more clearly because they are not busy wishing he was George Best.

]]> By: dearieme http://mtmg.wordpress.com/2008/04/01/beckham-and-the-century-makers/#comment-1225 dearieme Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:27:11 +0000 http://mtmg.wordpress.com/?p=507#comment-1225 I saw little of Charlton on TV in Scotland, but what I did see left me pretty unimpressed - time after time he passed the ball square and bustled self-importantly upfield. He had a ripper of a shot but as a midfielder he wasn't up to much on the evidence I had. Perhaps I missed his best years. Now, that Johnny Haynes - that's a midfielder. PS is Mr Rooney going to disappoint everyone by being only a fine player rather than a wonderful one? Too early to tell? I saw little of Charlton on TV in Scotland, but what I did see left me pretty unimpressed - time after time he passed the ball square and bustled self-importantly upfield. He had a ripper of a shot but as a midfielder he wasn’t up to much on the evidence I had. Perhaps I missed his best years. Now, that Johnny Haynes - that’s a midfielder.
PS is Mr Rooney going to disappoint everyone by being only a fine player rather than a wonderful one? Too early to tell?

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