Martin Samuel responds: would you pick Beckham for England?

The perennial debate as to whether David Beckham merits a place in the England team elicited a huge reponse from readers. Our Chief Football Correspondent gives his replies.

David Beckham is still in the top 23 English players, maybe no longer a starter but definitely good enough for the bench. With the exception of Joe Cole, the rest of the wingers fail to deliver dangerous crosses. Beckham could do better with his left foot than David Bentley, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Aaron Lennon. As a substitute in our last qualifier against Croatia his class showed when supplying Peter Crouch. Everyone loves Deco and Paul Scholes and those players don’t have pace, either – if the rest of the team is fast Beckham doesn't need to be. Danny.

Dear me, no. Good professional, works well with kids, not an international footballer any more. Beckham's great virtue was scurrying around like a terrier, always at the centre of the action. That allowed him to hit his Hollywood passes, which sometimes set up goal-of-the-month goals. But his legs have gone, so now he waits for the ball and the opposition stand off him, anticipating the fifty-yard clump that always follows. He poses no threat to an international defence. Mark.

MS: I’m nearer to Mark on this, I think. Deco and Paul Scholes do not have the area to cover that a right midfield player does, so pace is not such an issue. Anyway, it is Beckham’s stamina that is becoming the problem, as Mark suggests. He does not have the legs to get in behind the full-back, or to return to his position and cover his own full-back, so he operates in this midfield no-man’s land, where every cross is hit from a position in front of the defence and is therefore easily controlled. His pass for Crouch against Croatia was good, but he also lost the ball that led to Croatia’s winning goal and England’s elimination; Beckham fans never seem to remember that. I agree that his rivals have failed top seize an opportunity, but maybe we need to think around this issue rather than trying to replace like with like.

Leave him out. He plays in a second rate league, he cannot manage more than a trot at full pace and is tied up across the globe with various commercial and ambassadorial commitments. I love the guy, as many do, he is a charismatic sporting legend. His commitment to England cannot be questioned and I was overjoyed when he was welcomed back into the fold. Sadly, on the basis of his recent offerings, the killer pass is increasingly elusive and his lack of pace is embarrassing. Simply, he is too slow for international football. If anything, he gets in the way. His old head may warrant a squad berth, bringing international experience to the dressing room but it is time to change the guard. SimonK.

MS: The problem is that because Beckham polarises opinion, you are either in his camp or against him, when in fact Simon’s opinions reflect the views of many, which is that they are fans of the man and of what he did for England but think time has caught him up. The best teams at the European Championships were quick, England look slow, slow, slow. Beckham adds to that weakness, he does not alleviate it.   

In every team, he has only been the third or fourth best midfielder. Stop loving him so much. A free kick against Greece and a penalty against Argentina and you want to canonise him. Mark Eggleton.

MS: No, he was better than that, Mark. He should have been the Footballer of the Year in season 1998-99 for starters. 

End this mythology about Beckham’s free-kicks. This is a man who went for goal from around the box time and again for England over 12 years and more than one hundred games and is yet to score against a leading football nation. He is one of modern sports greatest myths and I cannot believe empty minds keep buying it. James.

MS: Yes, the fact that Beckham’s only goal against what would be termed a major football nation is the penalty against Argentina is surprising when you consider he has had a monopoly on free-kick taking for so long now, but the goals against Greece, for instance, and Ecuador were important, even if the opposition was mediocre. You can’t take that away from him. 

I don't think his lack of pace is too much of a problem. Italy, Spain and Germany are the most successful European nations of recent years and select players that are adept at keeping the ball. In club football, Chelsea and Manchester United do not have lightning pace in midfield, but dominate through intelligent passing and movement. Play Beckham as one of the midfield three, his quality delivery and passing more than merits a place in the team in this role. Jamie King.

MS: Spain’s midfield was lightning sharp at Euro 2008, Jamie, that is why they passed around Germany in the final. Italy were slow and poor. As for Chelsea and Manchester United, I beg to differ. Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani are like lightning, while Chelsea’s pace now comes from very quick full-backs, Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa. Yes, movement is the key to it, but that leads us into the real problem with Beckham now, one of stamina, not pace. He is not mobile enough and it is damn hard work playing in a three-man midfield.

I am sure Glenn Hoddle could deliver a decent free-kick if we picked him for England against Croatia, but nobody is asking for his recall. Ben.

MS: Spot-on Ben. Beckham will still be able to deliver a fantastic corner or free-kick when he is 60. It is waning athleticism that forces retirement, not loss of ability. If we use his delivery of a dead ball as the sole criteria for his selection, Beckham will still be collecting caps and a pension.

He should be there simply because no-one else is standing up, saying: me, me, me. That includes Bentley, who has not grabbed England games by the scruff of the neck. Wright-Phillips might be the one now he has returned home to Manchester City. He's always looked the most likely successor, fast, direct and fearless at his best. Dave N.

I read that the reason for Beckham’s continued selection is that no-one has stepped up and managed to oust him permanently from the team, but hardly anyone was given the opportunity to do so. McLaren tried Gerrard out wide initially, before chopping and changing Wright-Phillips, Andy Johnson and Lennon. He then took the easy road and recalled Beckham. When Capello took over, he picked Bentley and was rewarded with a promising performance against the Swiss, but dropped him again. This can hardly be labelled a serious attempt at finding a long-term replacement. You cannot pick a player on potential then leave him out because he is not the finished article. Martin Gale.

MS: Agree with you about Wright-Phillips, Dave. He had his moments with England last season and regular first-team football could be what he needs. Whether he will get it now that Manchester City are set on becoming the Chelsea of the north, is another matter. As for McClaren, his plans fell apart when Lennon got injured and missed his opening matches. Gerrard could easily have worked there, but McClaren lacked the resolve to stand up to the big players, hence the various short-term experiments. I did not think Bentley did particularly well against Switzerland, but had Capello persevered along that road in a few more friendly games he might have grown in confidence. His current form does not bode well, unfortunately.

I think the most saddening thing in all of this is how a respected coach, Fabio Capello, is so utterly seduced by the celebrity of Beckham. The guy shouldn't be anywhere near the national squad. How many other part-time footballers get to turn out for their country, outside of San Marino and Andorra? Darren Heath.

MS: I do not think Capello is seduced by Beckham’s celebrity, Darren, more by pragmatism. He has not had much time with this team. It is far easier to get a player to create a goal from a set-piece than it is to develop a pattern of play that unlocks the opposition by more subtle means.

A consistent argument in favour of Beckham is his ability to cross the ball, either in play or with a dead ball. As this is surely among the most basic skills, it only emphasises the absence of technique among English players. Faustino.

MS: No, he’s better at it than all the foreign players, too. Better than anyone at Real Madrid in his last season, for instance.

David Beckham shows passion and commitment for England, which is missing from the England squad now. Capello was courageous when excluding Michael Owen, but Beckham has constantly been professional and kept in good shape. He is a role model not just for the supporters but for the players, too. James M Crust.

MS: If it was all about passion and commitment, James, anyone could win a tournament. What do you think happened to Spain this season? They all woke up one morning and decided to try? Or they had a better team than in previous competitions? As for Beckham’s professionalism, if you can give me an explanation for why he was not fit for the European Championships in 2004 or sluggish at the World Cup in 2006, yet looked like a 21-year-old again the moment he got dropped by Capello at Madrid and Steve McClaren with England, I’ll buy that.

England’s under-21 team is flying. It certainly would be interesting to see them play the full side in a friendly and might reignite some passion within the senior team. It would be worth the admission just to see why Beckham should have hung up his golden boots at number 100. Adam.

MS: The kids would get annihilated, Adam. Absolutely annihilated. Capello is not a fool; if there were better players in the under-21 team, he would be picking them. And now, some letters from America.

Beckham walked away from English football when he opted to play in an inferior league. He could have chosen a lesser Premier League team or a club elsewhere in Europe but went to America because he could earn mega-bucks, and his wife could hob-nob with the glitterati. No way can you then be conditioned for top flight football. I live in the United States and watch the MLS and it does not prepare you for playing in Europe. The speed, skill, anticipation and discipline are not there. It will take a good ten years, if at all, for the MLS to prepare players for top flight football. Rdiddy.

When LA Galaxy signed Beckham, it was on the understanding he was finished in Europe. Now, England frequently conscript Beckham often for matches of no importance. When Beckham isn’t missing, he’s tired or hurt. MLS supporters feel cheated. Sam.

Take it from somebody who actually regularly watches the MLS and particularly Los Angeles Galaxy: Beckham has been awful. He cannot handle being closed down, rarely does he come inside and link up play, all he does is get the ball once every five or ten minutes and play a Hollywood pass, the majority of which never come off. At the start of the year he hit some good crosses but even those have vanished as his legs have grown weary. He has scored one free kick this year, out of roughly two attempts each game. Galaxy have not scored from a corner, either, and Beckham takes every one. He is not one of the top hundred English players at the moment, let alone 23. Doug Johnson.

MS: Still, chaps, at least you got him on the cheap. (Giggles).

Beckham should have been retired after his 100th cap, merited because of his service over the years. Other players are just as accomplished with dead ball play, as they demonstrate each week in the Premiership. Bryan.

MS: Personally, I don’t think service merits a specific number of caps. If he was to be stuck on 99, then so be it. Agree with your second point, though. Now that Beckham is back with England, only one person takes the free-kicks and corners. Steven Gerrard does the job quite adequately for Liverpool, as does Frank Lampard on occasions for Chelsea.

Anyone else who does not play regularly against top class opposition would not be considered. England's biggest advantage against foreign opposition should be the speed at which we play. Ces.

MS: Capello said recently that England players would have to be involved in regular first-team football and I agree that Beckham’s MLS career contradicts that, due to its impoverished standard. I don’t think playing at speed is necessarily an advantage for England, though; if anything the hurried approach makes us careless and wasteful with the ball. The problem is that in their build-up play the best foreign teams go slow to then go quick, whereas England of late go slow to go slower.

Do you know the sad thing? We're going to beat Andorra 2-0 in a scrappy, horrible game and both of our goals are going to be heavily down to David Beckham. Tom.

MS: Tom, get a bet on, quick. If you don’t and this comes true you’ll be kicking yourself all weekend.

He has not warranted a place in the team for over four years. Can't journalists find anything more topical to write about than an ageing media star who was never much of a player anyway? Andrew.

MS: So why contribute?

Having other players take free-kicks and corners would be just as effective as many England players deliver fantastic set-pieces for their clubs. This would then free up space on the flank for Ashley Young, who created more goals than any other English player in the Premier League last year and was second only to Cesc Fabregas. Jesse James.

MS: Sounds good to me, Jesse.

I wonder if Beckham could be used again in the holding quarter-back role. Dan.

MS: The one that worked so well in defeat to Northern Ireland? No thanks.

The inclusion of Beckham serves no long term purpose and the idea should have been abandoned long before he won his 100th cap. Capello is there to give us all hope. Relying on a talisman is as useful as burying a dead animal behind the goal to ward away opposing strikers. On The Bench.

MS: Quite right. Better to bury dead animals in front of the goal, then the opposition might trip over the mound. But enough frivolity: it’s slit your wrists time.

England are so bereft of chances created from open play that picking a dead ball specialist is a necessity. If Beckham is the best deliverer then he must be in, regardless of how modest the rest of his contribution. It is a sad reality, but one or two wicked corners and a free-kick that draws a save could be more effective play than several team-mates can muster. Peter.

Is including an aging, static player whose only redeeming factor is his set piece delivery indicative of how one-dimensional and blunt our national team has become? Piers.

MS: Yes.

People seem to be fixated by the fact that Beckham doesn't go past people but his delivery is such that he doesn't need to: his passing ability is not limited to crosses. SB.

MS: But he does need to, SB. And this is why. The magic box, the late Ray Harford called it. Draw a line from the top right corner of the penalty area to the touchline. The square that is now formed with the penalty box to the left, touchline to the right and by-line at the top, is the area that is best for crosses. Whip the ball in from there and it is very hard for a defender to attack it without dropping too deep. Any statistical analysis will show most goals from crosses are scored when the supplier is in that space. The right sided player has to go beyond the full-back to enter it and it is the area that Beckham no longer reaches. He can still play a fantastic early ball from deep, but that is easier to defend against and the best defences expect it from him now, which is why his influence against the top teams in the biggest competitions has been steadily dwindling. The second problem is that on the rare occasions Beckham reaches the magic box – as he did against Croatia at Wembley – he no longer possesses the engine to return and cover his full-back. He is 33 and having put in so much work up and down that flank for so many years lacks the stamina. Being a responsible player he knows this, so he hangs back and operates in a no-man’s land between the half-way line and penalty area. He still takes a good dead ball and every now and then one of his deep crosses reaches its target unmolested as will happen against the inferiors of Andorra on Saturday (Crouch’s goal against Estonia from a Beckham cross bounced in the penalty area), but there is no room in football for a place-kicker. Certainly, there is no room in a team that is looking to play at tempo.

In 2010, David Beckham will have been playing in the MLS for three years and will be 35. England need to build towards the World Cup and Beckham won't be able to offer anything then, so shouldn't be relied on now. The next two seasons should be spent developing a team and a system that will utilise England's potential. Patrick Rennie.

Beckham will not be at 2010 and Capello needs to be playing those that will. Lee, Brighton.

MS: No, Capello needs to play the players that will get England there, and then worry about what the team looks like on arrival. Just because a man will not be up to it in 2010 does not mean he should be dropped in 2008; the debate should solely centre on what he offers right now. Having said this, it is worth noting the last two players to represent a European country at the World Cup, while playing for clubs outside Europe league: Zeljko Milinovic of Slovenia and and Jacek Bak of Poland. In 2002, Milinovic of Japanese side Jef United started for Slovenia in all three matches, finishing bottom of Group B, with no points. And in 2006, Bak from Qatari club Al-Rayyan captained Poland to a first round exit, winning one game in three, against Costa Rica. Bodes well.

By retiring his England captaincy and then opting to play in America, rather than coming back to the Premier League, Beckham appeared to have conceded that he was no longer up to it at the top level. Tomred.

MS: I agree. I think Beckham made the most telling statement about the status of his career when he went to the MLS.

Comments

[Jack]

So,you are the the better Sports Writer...tell me why Owen should have play yesterday. The facts said you're wrong. I think you have to study much more football...Capello ability to manage the squad, first of all. Take a look to his past years as club's manager: we could contestate the way he reach the result...but he reach the result. In Italy this is what really care..in England?

[peter french]

Would I pick Beckham ? Only possibley. His selection should be matched to the selection of the other strikers . The whole stupidiy of Capellos picks for Andorra was playing an out and out ball crossing winger (Downing)with two of the smallest strikers in the Squad. Cross after cross seemed to be the tatic utterly negative and wasted.
If Beckam was picked it should be with Hesky and or Crouch (but hes not there ) plus Owen( and hes not there) i know he,s small but smart and used to playing with Beckam.
Sorry but is Capello really any different to he,s predessesors?
Quite often the players are blamedbut Cappellos tatics , if you can call them that wer initally barren. He redeemed himself by the changes at half time. Croatia will be the test of him and the players.

[stefan]

beckham should be in th england team no matter what because he is the best crosser in the world and he's balls gives the defenders a very hard tym .

[John]

It's a real shame to say it but Becks doesn't have it in him anymore. He's playing for pay cheques now, the same as Best, Pele and Eusebio did when they went to the US.

As for a replacement I think Wright-Phillips is a good candidate. I'm getting sick of seeing Joe Cole being lavished with praise for every mediocre play he makes. Honestly, you score one fluke goal and you're an England regular? Are things that bad with English football? Bring Wright-Phillips in, and Gareth Bale for that matter too. They both outclass Cole and Lampard, who are way too complacent with their first team places for my liking.

[Glyn Ward]

Beckhams sole puropse int he team for a number of years have been to generate money for the FA. Beckham will go down in history is one of the most over rated players to ever play them game.

1 free kick against Greece (after 6 missed atempts) is all people can come up with for the positives. Years of hollywood balls to no one that are forgotten. Endless drifting out of position and exposing our right back and other defenderds are forgotten.

Yet SWP or Bently miss one cross and people say the should be dropped. Pathetic.

[fred]

Beckham was more successful at passing the ball last night than almost any one else,watch the replay and count.He is no longer a great player but is better than anyone else we have on the wing.I thought JT was awful as captain, getting himself into several incidents is not leading by example!
i got back this morning very disappointed with the overall performance,Beckham was one of the better players!

[Julian]

For years and years I've known Beckham being anywhere near an England squad is a dangerous liability.

I agree with all the comments regarding his free kick taking etc being one big myth.

For the last ten years I've taken note of his contributions in an England shirt and those contributions have been very very poor.

But as I read recently, if someone takes every free kick and corner then they are going to get a few assists now and then!

The sad part is, the england team has been built around Beckham for the last ten year's, and that's why we have failed to shine on the international stage, no fluid movement, just balls pumped in from wide and deep on the right........

It's a disgrace thats this uber self publicist has somehow become the biggest con trick in sporting history!

PS: I watched the Greece game the other night, he was just as slow then as now!
And one free kick is going to go in every now and then when you take three a game for 104 caps!

[Paul Blackwell]

There are so many of us that are sick sick sick of this compulsive attention seeking exile from NeverLand whose contribution to England over the years has been grotesquely over exaggerated and at whose feet direct responsibility for failure at two, possibly three (if one includes the sending off in 98) can be directly laid.

[Matt]

Leave him as a sub. As Martin says (and as I've said for a while now), he will still be able to hit good freekicks etc when he's 60, but he offers nothing else now. Sorry, but 60 yard passes are only good in the right situation, but its become the only thing he does now.

Now for the alternatives that people say have failed:
SWP - played a successful part of the SWP-Gerrard-Barry-Cole midfield that played the best football under McClown, despite not being a regular at Chelsea. He will now be getting regular first team action at Man City

Lennon - played mostly on the left in his few matches. hasnt got the final product though

Bentley - one start, one good performance. in the next few matches he's given 10 minutes each to impress, which isn't very helpful at all.

Gerrard - played pretty well on the right, but unfortunately got little support from midfield (the whole point of an attacking midfielder, Mr Lampard, is to get up the pitch!)

No one has really 'failed' to impress on the right imo. I would chose Bentley for now as he offers a more all-round game, but who knows, SWP could get into the form of his life this season.

[ben]

Beckham has been okay for la galaxy! started off well but mid season has been tired! went to a real salt lake vs la galaxy game and he scored 2 perfect goals! one free kick and one chip! He is the only player that is flying over to play for england! That is dedication! He should come on after half time so he get some part of the game!

[Kenny Moore]

Why not retain Beckham as a sub solely for his still very good ability to stroke a free kick? It could be just the ticket in a tight important match. Plus his attitude towards playing for England is second to none.

[Aaron]

I feel Beckham still deserves a place in the England squad. But not for a starting role. I say Capello should be giving the younger kids a chance (Bentley, SWP). They have tons of potential. The important thing for Capello to do is not to drop them just because of inconsistent performances. Once chances are given, players would tend to give their games a better shot.

Perhaps Capello should even continue Gerrard on the right-wing, not to play as a winger, but as a wide-striker that allows him to drift in-goal to take a shot.

These players have the pace and stamina to wreak havoc on international defences.

Beckham brings tons of experience to the England camp and judging by his MLS performances, is still able to whip a delightful cross or a free-kick to win a game.

(P.S, although, I a United fan, I'd say Capello should have given the England Captancy to Gerrard. He has led Liverpool from the depths of defeat single-handedly. I believe he can do the same for England.)

[jakespear]

well, enough has been said about Beckham's abilities on the pitch. I think a major factor in the debate is the england team as a group. As soon as Beckham is playing he is given license to do as h pleases. Pick the ball up where he wants on the pitch...take whatever free kick HE wants to take. I watched the friendly against USA and owen hargreaves went up for a free kick...and was sent away by beckham. why? because beckham still commands great respect on the field for some strange reason..above other players.

[Mike]

Beckham should be a substitute if not a starter. He more than warrants his place in the team due to his ability and attitude, and the lack of viable alternatives.

The major weakness when Beckham is playing is the lack of a mobile right wing back - Beckham's impirical excellence at Man Utd had much to do with the way he dove tailed with Gary Neville.

[Richard]

Beckham may not be at 2010 because England may not be at 2010- it's by no means a foregone conclusion that we will be there. Here we go again dreadful assumptions built on thin air. Croatia are a unified team that rank 5 in the world, and the chances are we'll have to scrape through in a play off. That's when experience is needed.

[Richard]

There's maybe only 6 players out of the present 11-13 that I'd keep and Beckham is one of them. He's also there because no one else has made that position their own. He has great composure and may have been the best crosser/dead ball specialist of all time. It's a pity he hasn't taken to a deeper role, or indeed the full back position as I feel his days on the flank are now numbered. But for now a resounding 'keep Beckham'.

[james]

which is why his influence against the top teams in the biggest competitions has been steadily dwindling.
-----------------------
dwindling from non-existant in 98 to,er,non-existant in 2006 you mean Martin?When,WHEN in all his years and endless opportunities did Beckham ever show he was of a standard or constitution as a player to hurt the best opponents?His career isnt complicated.He was cushioned by far more pivotal playes at United such as Keane,Scholes and Giggs but managed to hold down a place as that sides 4th most important midfielder for a time before he was shipped off to Madrid by Ferguson to fail quite comprehensively to prove himself across 4 years of underachievement there.Followers of Madrid concede,if privately,that hiring Beckham and firing Makelele was one of the worst footballing decisions their club has ever made and they paid for it with a lacklustre Beckham being exposed at the highest level of the game once again,the CL,over 4 seasons with them.

[Jarrad]

No mention of the fact that, in his insistence that he takes every free-kick and corner no matter which side of the pitch it is on he ruins the shape of the team? His constant wandering inside doesn't help either, nor his loss of stamina and non-existent pace meaning that he cannot get back to cover?

[Ste]

Martin, you make a point regarding Beckhams stamina, but look at the alternatives. There is still no one else that can actually deliver anything despite how much running up and down they do. Wright-Phillips, Bentley, Cole et al, all have demonstrated endlessly that they can't actually do much - other than run around a lot to no great effect.

[theweatherman]

Beckham`s freekick taking skill a myth???The crap that people come out with, like he `missed` 4 freekicks before the one he scored against greece. As if he is expected to score every free kick he takes!! Most teams have a set free kick taker, and the best of these like zidane, juninho, mihajlovic etc. score at a similar rate to beckham. His freekick taking skills arent a myth, and perhaps it is those that think it is a myth that have the `empty minds`.

As for Capello buying into Beckham`s celebrity, seriously, do you actually know anything about football??? DO you know who Capello is or was his appointment as England manager the first time you heard his name. Not only is he well know for being a no nonsense manager, he famously dropped beckham for underperforming and then re-selected him based upon his performances in training at Madrid. How ignorant can you be?

[MH]

I feel sorry for Wayne Rooney amongst others that have to deal with his often failed hollywood passses from just beyond the half way line.
We certainly are not going to win the world cup with Beckham and his style of game continually being the centre of attention. Its deplorable that he is still in the squad. Whats worse is that through much of the media its still celebrated (Wes Browns header in the last game almost got no credit- all about one out of eight corners that Beckham got right) . England need to find a pace and movement game that they mean to go to the World cup. Im afraid that does not include weary Beckham and the madness that seems to follow him.

[Jaberwokie switzerland]

At one time he was England finest, now he plays for a pub team in America. Let him stay there.
However, there is one thing Beckham has done since he left for the states, that is to poise and pose when he is about to take a free kick....are the cameras watching me?

[SKC]

I am personally alarmed that no-one in England has called out Capello and pointed out that his starting 11 is virtually the same as Macca's and look how that turned out! Beckham was a great servant for England, but as a player on the pitch his time has clearly come. By all means arrange some form of testimonial game where much to do can be organized for his glorious 60 minute substitution and the tremendous roar and applause following - then day good bye. However, as dedicated as he is, surely he could add to the England squads technical staff and help guide his apprentice in training and help England move forward and no longer stagnate in it current bog of perfomance.

[TONY]

Simple. Fabio Capello cannot find a better alternative. End of story, end of English hype. Best league in the World, foreign owned, foreign managers & players. That shows a weakness not strength, unless your intrest is money.