Spot on post there Evil_bastard. Considering beckham scored crucial goals in the world cup from free kicks and help set another ones up against T&T its amazing how he can be dropped.

Probaly not good enough for starting 11, but definitly should be in the squad.

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I honestly believe we'll score more from dead ball situations without him. In his last two years at united they only scored from one corner! Gerrard, Lampard, Joe Cole, Rooney etc... are all perfectly capable free kick takers, and having a player that will actually take defenders on playing on the right wing will open up defences more often than the (very) occasional 50 yard pass that comes off.

I respect Beckham and wanted to love him but it never happened during his tenure. He's 31 plus, can't beat a man and doesn't have much pace. His heart is there but his time has come perhaps. I don't see what's wrong with having him on the bench but it's time to give the younger boys a shot at starting. SWP deserves a chance and Lennon more than proved himself capable.

I like how McClaren has a rebuilding focus and is going for youth. We'll see soon enough if he's on the right track.

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"No offense, but you're stupid"

He never could beat a man though could he. We've been watching him for years and it's never been a part of his game.

We all know what Beckham can and can't do and I don't think his game has changed at all, he's still a very hard working wide player with a great engine who will rarely ever concede possession and who will provide quality consistent balls from deep. He's also adept at switching the play, spraying passes from one flank to the other to open up different options.

England played way too deep in the world cup, as they did in Euro 2004. We should have been 15 yards further up the pitch. Eriksson plied his trade in the Italian league and tried to get the English to play the same way, it never worked. It didn't just restrict Beckham, it restricted the rest of the midfield and espescially the strikers. Beckham is at his most dangerous when there are men in the box or attacking the box, this has always been the way. Of course he doesn't have the pace to burn up the flanks on the counter attack, he's not Thierry Henry.

Use him properly and he's still a major asset to have in the squad. He plays for Real Madrid week in week out but apparently isn't good enough for the England squad. McClaren has dropped the first bollock of his England tenure.

I expect McClaren to make a decent start with England, but ultimately to fuck it up. The players know with a new manager coming in that changes will be made and there will be massive competition for places, with players busting a gut to impress. As Alan Hansen said, England beating Germany 5-1 was the worst thing that could have happened, everyone suddenly thought Eriksson was a genius and the FA handed him a massive contract. Ultimately when the chips are down you look to your experienced players, Italy turned to older heads like Materazzi, Gattuso and Cannavaro when the going got tough, France turned to Zidane, Vieira, Henry. When they had to dig deep those players were there for them. I think Beckham's absence is going to be leave a hole in the England squad, he's going to be a harder act to follow than many people think.

quote:

Originally posted by Az I honestly believe we'll score more from dead ball situations without him. In his last two years at united they only scored from one corner! Gerrard, Lampard, Joe Cole, Rooney etc... are all perfectly capable free kick takers, and having a player that will actually take defenders on playing on the right wing will open up defences more often than the (very) occasional 50 yard pass that comes off.

Off the top of my head I can think of a few moments when he's been there for us in recent times, when we needed someone to step up and produce. England-France two years ago, the game is very finely balanced, we need something special. Beckham whips in a perfect free kick and Lampard steers a header it into the top corner. 1-0. Against Portugal, and England are losing 2-1 in extra-time with time running out. Beckham swings in a corner and Lampard is there at the near post to smack it in. Ultimately we lost both games, Zidane scored twice at the death to defeat us and Portugal beat us on penalties, but the point is that when the pressure was on and we needed someone to produce for us, Beckham was there. (I don't include his penalties in this!). The World Cup, and England are on the verge of an embarrassing draw against Trinidad and Tobago. Beckham swings in a cross and Crouch is left with a comfortable header, our blushes are spared. It's a vital goal, as England avoid a tricky tie with Germany in the last 16. Against Ecuador and England are being frustrated. Ecuador have already hit the bar and the game is not going well for us. Beckham steers in a beautiful free kick and England are through to the quarter finals.

Can you see Lennon producing these moments for us, when the chips are down and we're battling it out with Germany, Italy, Brazil, Spain or Argentina? Is he going to make the difference for us?

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Originally posted by evil_bastard Can you see Lennon producing these moments for us, when the chips are down and we're battling it out with Germany, Italy, Brazil, Spain or Argentina? Is he going to make the difference for us?

Lennon was pretty much an unknown at the start of the last season and even mid way through the season but suddenly matured into a good player very quickly. Its still to soon to say what a difference he will make but his skills and playing style seem very similar to Arjen Robben and if anyone can use pace in their team right now, it has to be england.

I'd prefer Wright-Phillips or Kieron Dyer (if he proves his fitness).

I can see these players not having to rely on stepping up and producing at a vital moment. Wright - Phillips, Lennon, Dyer etc.... all unlock defences with their pace, an option England have needed for a number of years now. I'm sure if we do need someone to step up and produce against the big teams, Gerrard, Rooney, Lampard, Cole etc... will be the ones to do it.

Well, I hope you're right, because we'll need more than pace against the best defences in the world.

indeed we will, but Beckham hasn't been the one to unlock them in the past has he?

I agree with your sentiments, Beckham hasn't set the world alight in the last few years but I put this down more to poor tactics than his own inadequacies. Lampard and Gerrard have struggled too yet they are supposed to be world class players in the peak of their careers.

Something's not right and I don't think removing Beckham is going to solve the problem. We need better tactics and better coaching, we need a well drilled unit, every man must know his role and responsibilities, the midfielders must know each other inside out and they must be very familiar with the type of runs the strikers make and the type of balls they like to receive. We have the players to win a European Championship, we have the players to win a World Cup, but to do so we must achieve these tasks. 11 disjointed individuals will not bring home the world cup, no matter how hard they try. Eriksson was rubbish at this, I think McClaren will be a slight improvement but ultimately we need better, we need much better. I can't stand Venables but he did have us playing some decent football in Euro 96, we haven't played like that for a long time.

I would say Beckham has been disappointing in recent years because of the high standards that he set, but the same can be said of Lampard and Gerrard. Removing Beckham does not remove the problem.

I'ld say he was one of the better ones of the english squad during thr WC but still deserved to be dropped, that pretty much says everyting bout english national football atm.

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