Beckham left out of England squad

[western skies]

According to SSN anyway.

The right decision in my opinion as it's hardly fair to be including him at the expense of Bentley, Wright-Phillips or Lennon when he hasn't played a game since the Croatia defeat.

Doubtless, the tabloids will sharpen their knives to slice Mr Capello to bits if we don't win the match though...

[PAULM03]

Hmmmm, bit of an odd one this.

Meaningless friendly, Beckham on 99 caps, only an heartless git wouldn't play him.

I have to say I feel a bit sorry for him, when called upon he's given it 100% every time (although not always to great effect). McClaren dumped him, which I thought was the right decision at the time but given he's on 99 caps and a century would undoubtedly mean a lot to him would it hurt to play him?

[garyfinny]

Good. On merit, there is no way he should be included - no match practice, and the only matches he has played have been at a terrible standard - IMO worse than Championship level.

Beckham chose to earn the £100million this way, so I don't think he's got the right to moan when he is left out.

I do think that we should get it out of the way, but clearly, Capello thinks there is no room for sentiment and I'd be inclined to agree with him.

[Appy Ammer]

Originally Posted by PAULM03

Hmmmm, bit of an odd one this.

Meaningless friendly, Beckham on 99 caps, only an heartless git wouldn't play him.

I have to say I feel a bit sorry for him, when called upon he's given it 100% every time (although not always to great effect). McClaren dumped him, which I thought was the right decision at the time but given he's on 99 caps and a century would undoubtedly mean a lot to him would it hurt to play him?

Paul he is not fully fit and not played a game since Nov (I Think)...

I know your comment about it being a Meaningless Friendly, but its a new manager and it wants to take the players he wants to see and play..

Now Beckham can go away and once the season starts in the states he can work hard and try and get into the squad for another meaningless friendly - England must have a lot coming up now....

[Punto83]

Originally Posted by PAULM03

Hmmmm, bit of an odd one this.

Meaningless friendly, Beckham on 99 caps, only an heartless git wouldn't play him.

I have to say I feel a bit sorry for him, when called upon he's given it 100% every time (although not always to great effect). McClaren dumped him, which I thought was the right decision at the time but given he's on 99 caps and a century would undoubtedly mean a lot to him would it hurt to play him?

I can see where you're coming from Paul. However, he can only blame himself for missing out at the moment IMO.

[happygooner]

If Capello thinks he's not match fit he's hardly shut the door and maybe Becks does have a bit to give still.

It's probably not going to help his chances to start or come on while not match fit, have a stinker and not get picked again because of it.

Not exactly going to enhance the memory of his fading star either.

Hope he gets the chance in future but for now let's just see who he does play/captain.

I'll be most interested for sure.

[garyfinny]

You have to think about it logically.

Beckham is not match fit in any case. There is no future left in him at this level.

The right-mid slot is up for grabs, as with every other spot.

I don't see the point of playing him for sentiment now, because it would deprive players like Bentley and Lennon the rightful chance to put in a good performance to impress the new manager.

And if he was in the squad, the news of his 100th cap would overshadow preparations, and Capello would seem like the bad guy for not starting him/playing him.

I would suggest that the friendly is anything but meaningless to the fringe players.

[staffy]

Perhaps he is saving him for the friendly against Scotland at the end of May at Wembley.


Ooops that info not been released yet.

[Ebor337]

IMHO, he isn't fit enough or good enough anymore BUT he has been a damned good servant. Give him a half, make him captain, clap him for 100th cap and then we can all move on, instead of this "will he, won't he get the ton" everytime england play in the future and Beckham is available.

[PAULM03]

Originally Posted by Guy Fawkes

IMHO, he isn't fit enough or good enough anymore BUT he has been a damned good servant. Give him a half, make him captain, clap him for 100th cap and then we can all move on, instead of this "will he, won't he get the ton" everytime england play in the future and Beckham is available.

Yes. That's it exactly.

England haven't got a competitive game for ages, plenty of time for Capello to bugger about and look at players. Make him captain and give him a game. Unless he is waiting for a different game, although if that was the case he might have at least made the squad.

[AK1979]

I think this is a really poor show from Capello (i'm on his back already ). What possible harm can it do to throw him on as a sub with 2 minutes left to give him the ovation he deserves. Subs are unlimited in friendlies arent they? He has been superb for England and deserves his 100th cap off the back of THAT performance against Greece. We would have had another summer of scratching our arses if he wasnt playing in that game.

[staffy]

Subs are not unlimited anymore in friendlies. max 5 or 6 I think.

[western skies]

Originally Posted by AK1979

I think this is a really poor show from Capello (i'm on his back already ). What possible harm can it do to throw him on as a sub with 2 minutes left to give him the ovation he deserves. Subs are unlimited in friendlies arent they? He has been superb for England and deserves his 100th cap off the back of THAT performance against Greece. We would have had another summer of scratching our arses if he wasnt playing in that game.

I think picking him would send the wrong messages out right at the start of Capello's reign. It basically would say "yes, this is a meaningless friendly so I'll chuck Beckham on the pitch to give him 100th cap and if we don't perform and the fringe players don't get a chance, well it hardly matters 'cause I'll just pick the England team on reputations anyway, like everyone else has done before me". (except it would probably be said in broken English/Italian to be fair).

If you think about it logically, it's actually a better scenario for Beckham himself. Capello could have picked him, shaken his hand at the end of the game and waved him off into the sunset. This way, he's keeping Becks hungry - just like he did at Real Madrid - by telling him to get match fit and fight for his place. It's actually offering him the prospect of more than 100 caps if he wants to do the necessary and concentrate on his football again (as opposed to the modelling contracts, Brazilian beach football and general media whoring that has taken up most of his time since he moved to LA).

Of course, if Becks really wanted to play for England long-term, he'd be throwing as much cash as it takes at LA Galaxy to buy himself out of his contract and engineer a move back to a European league, so that at least he's playing competitive football at a decent level. But, I guess that would upset the missus.

[steve1966]

Hasn't Becks ben training with Arsenal so he should be fairly fit if not 100% match fit.

IMO its a heartless decision by Capello. He could have put him on the subs bench at the very least and brought him for the last 10 to win his 100th cap.

[happygooner]

Originally Posted by western skies

I think picking him would send the wrong messages out right at the start of Capello's reign. It basically would say "yes, this is a meaningless friendly so I'll chuck Beckham on the pitch to give him 100th cap and if we don't perform and the fringe players don't get a chance, well it hardly matters 'cause I'll just pick the England team on reputations anyway, like everyone else has done before me". (except it would probably be said in broken English/Italian to be fair).

If you think about it logically, it's actually a better scenario for Beckham himself. Capello could have picked him, shaken his hand at the end of the game and waved him off into the sunset. This way, he's keeping Becks hungry - just like he did at Real Madrid - by telling him to get match fit and fight for his place. It's actually offering him the prospect of more than 100 caps if he wants to do the necessary and concentrate on his football again (as opposed to the modelling contracts, Brazilian beach football and general media whoring that has taken up most of his time since he moved to LA).

I tend to agree with this. Let's not forget it was Capello that brought about Beckhams finest form in years so he has a fairly good idea of how to handle him I would have thought.

[happygooner]

Just saw this on football365 and I think it sums thinks up pretty nicely.

Omission Is The Best Possible News For Beckham

Posted 31/01/08 13:31



I'm a big fan of David Beckham.

Everyone knows about his professionalism, passing, delivery etc and so on, but why exactly are people soiling their pants about his omission from the England squad?

It seems that the outraged public have completely missed the point with this decision. Going by the reaction from the Sky Sports News viewers (always a dangerous game, I know), around 80% of the proletariat think that it's an outrage that Beckham has not been given his 100th cap this time around.

'How dare Capello drop this LEGEND?' contributed one dunce. 'Beckham has more right to be in the team than any other' wailed another.

Surely this is great news for Beckham, because it means that he will most likely not only get his 100th cap in a game that might, you know, matter, but also win his 101st, 102nd, 103rd and so on.

If Fabio Capello had picked a half-fit Beckham, who hasn't played a game since November and has been gearing up for this announcement by doing keepy-uppies on a beach in Rio, then it would have been a sentimental choice. The message would have been 'Have your 100th cap, because you ain't getting any more Sonny Jim'.

And if Beckham was really not in Don Fabio's plans, then that would have been an understandable choice. Placate one of the finest England players of the last decade, then send him back off into semi-retirement a contented man.

But as it is Capello clearly does see Beckham in his plans. The Italian reportedly told Beckham that, should he be up to it, there is no reason why he would not be picked in the future.

It would have been patently unfair to select Beckham when there is a queue of more than able right-wingers who are actually playing in the Premier League.

Capello should pick his squad from what he has seen over the past month or so (which is why Michael Owen shouldn't be in the squad, but that's a debate for another writer), and although he will already know Beckham well, he hasn't seen Beckham.

Shaun Wright-Phillips, David Bentley, Aaron Lennon and Ashley Young are all ahead of Beckham in the food chain at present, and until he can prove he is ready then that's how it should remain.

Nick Miller

[WoodyTHFC]

I am pleased with the decision to drop Beckham. Just because he is on 99 caps does not mean that he deserves to play this game and get his 100th cap purely because he is on 99 caps. If he was in form, playing well and regularly then he would be in the squad I would expect but the fact is that he is not and it was his choice to do that too so a good decision by Capello imo. What is not a good decision by Capello is to leave out the best right winger in the country imo in Lennon and put him in the U21s. I am not alone in this, even Maradona agrees according to the papers today. In the World Cup in 2006 whenever he came on for the legless Beckham he looked our most dangerous player even possibly causing rooney's red in an indirect way having fantastically individually set him up only for Rooney to miss and then Rooney, full of anger, got sent off. I do not think he has gone backwards since then so why all of a sudden is he not good enough. He has proved too good for Arsenal and Man Utd at times in recent weeks so why is he not good enough for England, if he was Argentinian they would play him.

[Football-Tipper]

Saving him for the Germany match

Anyway loads of people in the 100 club not many in the 99 club

[ksportz]

I think he should be given a cap out of respect for everything he has accomplished...

Our next tournament is 2 years away and he won't be a part of that so give him is 100 caps and then move on.

Mike

[Valiant23]

Beckham should have been picked.

Simple.

To deny him a chance in this meaningless game is an insult to every other cap he has. For a supporter to say that its right to do so is an insult to every match you watched him play.

Its a sad day for football.