Beckham, how long do we wait

[Icy Gull]

for him to play like an International player again?

The last World Cup and this tournament have seen him perform well below the standards required of an England captain, yet people still defend him. I'm not blaming him for our defeat and I don't want to see a witch hunt against him but surely we have to find a new captain unless Beckham shows a massive turnaround in form?

Living on past glories is no longer good enough, for me anyway.

 

[beorhthelm]

we dont need to find a captain just appoint one - most outfield players are or have captained teams. Id go for Sol myself.

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

He needs to stop being a celebrity and start being a footballer, or retire now - there are players who could do his job, like Dyer, but are not getting their chances because of Beckham's superior position

 

[Skaville]

So how long have we been waiting then? Must be all of six months. He scored FIVE goals in qualifying for this tournament. He had a bad tournament but so has Raul, Pauletta, Vieri, Del Piero, Morientes, Trezeguet etc etc etc.

Kieron Dyer! Get a grip. Beckham is quality and will do it again for England and then you'll all love him again. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

 

[Icy Gull]

So how long have we been waiting then?:

Two tournaments so far

 

[Rusthall Seagull]

So how long have we been waiting then? Must be all of six months. He scored FIVE goals in qualifying for this tournament. He had a bad tournament but so has Raul, Pauletta, Vieri, Del Piero, Morientes, Trezeguet etc etc etc.

Kieron Dyer! Get a grip. Beckham is quality and will do it again for England and then you'll all love him again. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Totally agreed! He was superb during our qualification games and although he did not have a great tournament, he showed many qualities in his captaincy. The people who start talking about replacing him should consider the other options available. Dyer? get a grip!

 

[The Albion Roar]

We need a new captain, someone who will rally the troops when England are under pressure like they were for most of the Portugal game. Not once did I see Beckham geeing the players up, or showing any passion. Give the captaincy to Gerrard or Campbell. And then to blame the spot for his penalty, the other players seemed to cope.

 

[Skaville]

Well he had a broken foot at the last one, but he played the captain's part and tried his heart out. I seem to remember him scoring a rather important penalty as well. Unfortunately, you have to face facts... surrender the captaincy maybe, but England cannot replace Beckham because there is no one else in the same league.

 

[Bob!]

We need a new captain, someone who will rally the troops when England are under pressure like they were for most of the Portugal game. Not once did I see Beckham geeing the players up, or showing any passion. Give the captaincy to Gerrard or Campbell.

Why give the captaincy to Campbell or Gerrard?

Were they 'rallying the troops' during the games? NO

So if they aren't doing it now why would an armband make a difference?

 

[zefarelly]

drop him and make him perform again to win his place back . . .it happens at every club in the world !

celebrity kills talent

 

[Marshy]

Beckham has made more comebacks than most and will do it again.
His skills at pinpoint passing and delivery of a ball are second to none still, we should not forget that.
Sure hes not been at his best, but hes set himself very high standards over the years, and has been our saviour over the last 5 years gettting us out of numerous scrapes.

However i do wish he would come back to England, the sooner the better.

 

[Barnet Seagull]

As much as i agree, Beckham hasn't been up to scratch, some of the blame for his performance last night must lie with the Referee. I lost count of the number of times he got twatted by Valente

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

Kieron Dyer! Get a grip.

I didn't say Dyer should be chosen ahead of him, I said Beckham has a special position in the team that seems to render him immune to replacement. Scolari made the big decison and took off Figo, and it paid off. Beckham was shit, was knackered, yet he stayed on when there were other players, not just Dyer, but Joe Cole, who would have added a bit of effort and enthusiasam to the team. Yet Beckham stays on - he is not above demotion

 

[Skaville]

Hmmm. Can't see Dyer or Cole contributing ANYTHING to the defence of a one goal lead... Perhaps we should have taken James off and stuck Wayne Bridge in goal. After all, he deserves a chance.

Beckham is in the side because he is often inspirational and there is no one better. This man has single handedly won games for England and deserved to be in the side just as much as Owen (who thank god, came good or we'd be having a pathetic Owen or Vassell debate this morning).

 

[Richy_Seagull]

So how long have we been waiting then? Must be all of six months. He scored FIVE goals in qualifying for this tournament. He had a bad tournament but so has Raul, Pauletta, Vieri, Del Piero, Morientes, Trezeguet etc etc etc.

Kieron Dyer! Get a grip. Beckham is quality and will do it again for England and then you'll all love him again. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Spot on, he played a major part in getting us in to the tournament and although he didn't have a particualry good 4 games, that does not mean he should be dropped.