Beckham, Real Madrid Legend.

Raskolnikov

Just caught a re-run of the Real Madrid-Valencia match that was on earlier this evening. A very decent game between two teams who still have a shot at winning La Liga. Madrid went ahead thanks to wonderful van Nistlerooy goal (that was scored outside of the box!). Former Madridista, Fernando Morienties proved he was past it by equalizing. When it looked like that the match was going to be played out to the draw, Beckham came on midway through the second half (to rapturous applause may I add). Shortly afterwards he won a free, which he promptly took, setting by Sergio Ramos to head home. He also set up Robinho for a decent chance which the Brazilian spurned. At one point, he nearly chipped Canizares too! Towards the tail-end of the game, a spectator even ran on to the field, making a beeline for Beckham. If it was in England, you'd have feared the worse for him, but no, he just wanted to give him a t-shirt.

For a player who's been so villified both here and in the UK, it's a sobering thought that he's going to leave Real as he began, a firm fan favourite.

Mossy Monk

Raskolnikov wrote:

a firm fan favourite.

Good to see considering the **** he took in England.

LegacyUser

Beckham is a gentleman. I just feel sorry for him because he could have got a way hotter wife!

mike65

Twas his wife that was his downfall in England.

Mike.

DerekD Goldfish

I personaly dispise Beckham and everyhing he stands for
he is everything I hate about the modern game
he was the main reason I stoped suporting man utd

Sizzler

The ball he played in for Real Madrids 2nd goal was just sheer class, cant think of anybody in the EPL that is capable of such a delivery.

Dont be at yourself

I personaly dispise Beckham and everyhing he stands for
he is everything I hate about the modern game
he was the main reason I stoped suporting man utd

Everything you hate about the modern game? Whatever about his younger years, he's a model professional now and a great role model for any younger kids. It'll be sad to see him leave for the States.

dubmick

DerekD Goldfish wrote:

I personaly dispise Beckham and everyhing he stands for
he is everything I hate about the modern game
he was the main reason I stoped suporting man utd

you obviously were not much of a fan. I've supported United all my life and there has been players that I didn't like but I would never stop supporting United over it.

LegacyUser

DerekD Goldfish wrote:

I personaly dispise Beckham and everyhing he stands for
he is everything I hate about the modern game
he was the main reason I stoped suporting man utd

Why? Because he was a world class footballer, very handsome and the fact every girl thinks he is gorgeous. Yeah I can see how you would get jealous.

DerekD Goldfish

dubmick wrote:

you obviously were not much of a fan. I've supported United all my life and there has been players that I didn't like but I would never stop supporting United over it.

Your right I wasnt
I started suporting utd quite young because all my mates did but the more I got interested in St. Pats the less I cared about man utd.I was a big fan for a number of years but then I just stoped caring about them interestingly the last game I was actualy a united fan and wanted them to win was the 1999 CL Final.

Everything you hate about the modern game? Whatever about his younger years, he's a model professional now and a great role model for any younger kids. It'll be sad to see him leave for the States.

he is a souless comerical whore
If I ever had any kids that behaved the way he does I would disown them
I personaly dont agree with players doing any advertising work outside of thier club at all but I accept that many players chose to do so.
Beckham apears to spend more time endorsing products than he does playing football. I hate the over comericlisation of the game and backham is the prime example of this.

Mitch Connor

Sizzler wrote:

The ball he played in for Real Madrids 2nd goal was just sheer class, cant think of anybody in the EPL that is capable of such a delivery.

Scholes:)

Haven't a Clue

I've nothing against Beckham as a person. Grand, I've got little time for the stick of a wife he has, but he's just making the most of the position he finds himself in with the media. Could any of ye honestly say you wouldn't do the same in his position.

As regards to him being a "legend of madrid", I think that shows the demise of Madrid in the last few seasons when he's being called a legend. A good player, no doubt, but has he done anything in real pressure situations with Madrid like in a cup final? Don't think so.

LegacyUser

The fans adore him because he is such a professional and hard working player. They hate Capello and the real turn on Capello was when he said Beckham would never play again for Real Madrid...Shot himself in the foot.

Haven't a Clue

cheesedude wrote:

The fans adore him because he is such a professional and hard working player. They hate Capello and the real turn on Capello was when he said Beckham would never play again for Real Madrid...Shot himself in the foot.

Yeah, but I could give you countless footballers who're hard-working. It neither makes them great players, nor legends.

LegacyUser

But he is a great player, because he earned the move to Real Madrid and gave his all and played brilliantly for them most the time.

leninbenjamin

dubmick wrote:

you obviously were not much of a fan. I've supported United all my life and there has been players that I didn't like but I would never stop supporting United over it.

you're being a bit hard on him. when i was younger i used be a die hard united fan, Cantona being my favourite player. then Cantona retired, largely because he was disillusioned with the ever growing commercial front of soccer. soon after coincided the rise of Beckham, culminating with Beckham becoming bigger than the team itself, while seemingly he wasn't giving it his all to the team. I promptly lost interest in United too when this happened.

I think for most the derision of Beckham came from the fact he seemed to be the personification of the club (and football in general) moving in a direction many fans did not like, which isn't the same thing as just stopping to support the club just because you hate a player... we made a conscious decision not to support the club because of the direction it was taking.

A few years later i've come back and started watching football again, but i take a much more passive role (i.e. do not actively support any one club) because i do not want to reinforce the financial divide further. Your type of unwaivering fans arguably are worse for the game on the whole, because despite the growing commercialization and the ever increasing financial divide (as well as a growing proensity for off-field matters to over shadow on-field ones) ye've still backed the clubs to the hilt, so please don't tell us we are "bad" football fans.

Dont be at yourself

he is a souless comerical whore
If I ever had any kids that behaved the way he does I would disown them
I personaly dont agree with players doing any advertising work outside of thier club at all but I accept that many players chose to do so.
Beckham apears to spend more time endorsing products than he does playing football. I hate the over comericlisation of the game and backham is the prime example of this.

Right. So seeing his face on a shaving foam advertisement completely cancels out his undeniable footballing talents and work ethic on the pitch? Are you a football fan or a celebrity-watcher?

DerekD Goldfish

NekkidBibleMan wrote:

Right. So seeing his face on a shaving foam advertisement completely cancels out his undeniable footballing talents and work ethic on the pitch? Are you a football fan or a celebrity-watcher?

Im a football fan
The fact he is a souless comericla whore and the fact he is limited signifigantly overated player are completly seperate.
I do note deny he posesses a lot of tecnical ability but I dont think he could ever be classed as great.
70 of his game is his set peice abiity while these do have an impact on a game they are only one aspect to it an exceling at this one area doesnt make you a great player overall.

I think for most the derision of Beckham came from the fact he seemed to be the personification of the club (and football in general) moving in a direction many fans did not like, which isn't the same thing as just stopping to support the club just because you hate a player... we made a conscious decision not to support the club because of the direction it was taking.

A few years later i've come back and started watching football again, but i take a much more passive role (i.e. do not actively support any one club) because i do not want to reinforce the financial divide further. Your type of unwaivering fans arguably are worse for the game on the whole, because despite the growing commercialization and the ever increasing financial divide (as well as a growing proensity for off-field matters to over shadow on-field ones) ye've still backed the clubs to the hilt, so please don't tell us we are "bad" football fans.

Indeed altough I chose to stop "Suporting" Premership Football rather than football altogeter

leninbenjamin

NekkidBibleMan wrote:

Right. So seeing his face on a shaving foam advertisement completely cancels out his undeniable footballing talents and work ethic on the pitch? Are you a football fan or a celebrity-watcher?

what about those days when he seemed to be putting more effort into his image and commercial side than on the pitch? he didn't really play with much conviction in his last few seasons with Utd if my memory serves me, and had an ever inflated ego seeing as he kept harping on about how he wanted to be a central midfielder. I think there was a time when some of those sentiments were justified, although he did undergo something of a revival for Real Madrid.

PHB

To suggest 70% of his game is about free kicks is just laughable.
While now, as he gets older and older, his free kicks are more and more to do with his game, when he was in his prime, he was an outstanding player. There's a reason he won MVP in Europe, and theres a reason United won the CL with him in central midfield in the final. He's a cracking player, and I think one of the United greats.

he didn't really play with much conviction in his last few seasons with Utd if my memory serves me

It's because he was getting old, and the style that United played was no longer suiting him. That said, in case you've forgotten, Ruud and Beckham were perhaps the most feared combination in Europe for a year.

I personally think he is a model pro, and a rolemodel for all future players of the game.

If you really want to rail against somebody and players endorsing commericialism, what about players like Lucas Neil who move to crapper clubs because of the money, or players like Cudiccini, who are happy to sit on the bench taking 70k a year? Why blame players who give it their all on the pitch, and when they aren't on the pitch, make as much money as they can on their image.
Giggs didn't go down the route because he said it affected his game. He then said Beckham could go down that route, because it didn't affect his game.

The people you really have a problem with are the owners and the managing directors.

LegacyUser

Absolutely...just because alcoholic Dunphy calls him a clown, most people think it is gospel. Bull****. The only "puff ball"(As Dunphy called Ronaldo) is Dunphy regarding his views on certain players.

DerekD Goldfish

To suggest 70% of his game is about free kicks is just laughable.
While now, as he gets older and older, his free kicks are more and more to do with his game, when he was in his prime, he was an outstanding player.

he is only 31 far to young to be blaming old legs for his lack of impact on general gameplay. I disagree he was certinaly an effective player but I would never concider him anyway near outstanding at any time in his carear

There's a reason he won MVP in Europe

Yes his celebrity

theres a reason United won the CL with him in central midfield in the final.

Liverpool manager to win the CL with Traore in the team, while im not sujesting he is as useless as him one CL win does not automaticly make him a great player.

Absolutely...just because alcoholic Dunphy calls him a clown, most people think it is gospel

Dunphy is an idiot albiet an entertaining one my dislike of beckham is completly independant from eamons views

PHB

Yes his celebrity

He won it for his celebrity? What, cause Henry was there, hmm, who'll I vote for, oh yeh, Beckham, sure he's famous.

Just to have a look at the list of players who've won that award:

UEFA Club Footballer of the Year[1]
Ronaldo
Beckham
Redondo
Effenberg
Zidane
Buffon
Deco
Gerrard
Ronaldinho

Yeh, looks like a total popularity contest

Twice runner up in the World FIFA player of the year award, voted for by the managers and club captains. Yeh, they were probably influenced by the fame too.

Liverpool manager to win the CL with Traore in the team, while im not sujesting he is as useless as him one CL win does not automaticly make him a great player.

No, but 6 premierships and 3 FA Cup wins might suggest he was a great player.

adox

Beckham lost his way a long time ago,football wise and to suggest he is a legend is laughable.

He was great in his younger years at United but by the time Ferguson booted him out the door he was nothing more than he has been since,an over inflated circus.

Theres many decisions that I think Ferguson got wrong over the last few years,Stam and Van Nistelrooy being the most obvious,but as much as I loved Beckham when he was doing it for United,he was taking the piss for the last year and a half at Old Trafford and couldnt go quick enough for me.

DerekD Goldfish

No, but 6 premierships and 3 FA Cup wins might suggest he was a great player.

He was a good player in a great team

Twice runner up in the World FIFA player of the year award, voted for by the managers and club captains. Yeh, they were probably influenced by the fame too.

The Same award where Van Basten came in the top 10 dispite being retired for 2 years.

awards in any field wheater it be football or anything else do not nesseseraly mean that person is the best in the world

PHB

Nope, runner-up awards especially, but it does suggest that they are bloody well up there.

leninbenjamin

PHB wrote:

It's because he was getting old, and the style that United played was no longer suiting him. That said, in case you've forgotten, Ruud and Beckham were perhaps the most feared combination in Europe for a year.

uh... he was only 28(?), when he should have been in his prime. what the blazes are you on about age for?

I personally think he is a model pro, and a rolemodel for all future players of the game.

so all players should insist on preferencial treatment? their own suites when the team goes to play away, all that off the field crap that went with him? insist on being played in positions that don't suit them? i think it was in the Euro 2004 when nearly every single sentence that came out of Beckhams mouth made reference to how he was captain, as if he was a level above the others. He was never an ordinary player, and never did anything to attempt to take the focus away from him and onto the rest of the team mates who deserved just as much.

If you really want to rail against somebody and players endorsing commericialism, what about players like Lucas Neil who move to crapper clubs because of the money, or players like Cudiccini, who are happy to sit on the bench taking 70k a year? Why blame players who give it their all on the pitch, and when they aren't on the pitch, make as much money as they can on their image.

i'm not saying you shouldn't rail against them. I'm not saying Beckham was the only player to cash in, but in fairness he was among the first to embrace and maximise it to it's full potential. he was something of a trend setter in this area, if you will.

Giggs didn't go down the route because he said it affected his game. He then said Beckham could go down that route, because it didn't affect his game.

yet you say his performances levels slipped which you attribute to age and the team playing differently. Your age argument doesn't make a lick of sense, and he has looked alright in a Real Madrid team that played very different to United, so he is able to adapt somewhat so i think that renders your second argument somewhat redundant also.

The people you really have a problem with are the owners and the managing directors.

you can't just blame on subgroup. The players embraced it, media embraced it and the fans embraced it just as much as they did. But this thread was about Beckham, so I just raised my issues surrounding him.

Raskolnikov

To describe him as legendary is stretching things admittedly, I still think that he's a model professional and in terms of crossing and passing, he's amoungst the best in the world. Another fallacy that needs to be dismissed is that he's done nothing at Real Madrid and the reason for their downfall. First of all, he was voted player of the season for Real for the last two years and has led the assist charts in La Liga last year.

I do however think it is a big mistake leaving top flight football at this stage of his career.

Bateman

Probably his biggest problem is that he has no brain. Moving to the states at this time of his career is awful, and it's even sadder when you see a delivery like the one he gave for Ramos last night.

gustavo

DerekD Goldfish wrote:

I personaly dispise Beckham and everyhing he stands for
he is everything I hate about the modern game
he was the main reason I stoped suporting man utd

How could you stop "supporting" your team based on one individual :rolleyes:

For me Beckham is a consumate professional , to hell with the other stuff , I dont think its affected his ability to train and play for one moment , I hope Real Madrid go on and win La Liga now

~Rebel~

Bateman wrote:

Probably his biggest problem is that he has no brain. Moving to the states at this time of his career is awful, and it's even sadder when you see a delivery like the one he gave for Ramos last night.

Agreed, shows a serious lack of ambition, seems much more like a lifestyle/money decision then a football one.

Its sad cause he obviously hasnt lost his hunger for the game, with the way he's playing in Spain. He could definitely get a starting birth in one of the top tier of teams around europe (Milan said after that they'd def have taken him on, and im sure teams like Seville would have too). I know with money like that its hard to say no, but when he only has a few short years left at the top of the game, and already more money then he can count, i can see this being a decision he regrets when he finds himself up against players so far below the level he's playing at currently. And im not sure how long Yoko lite will be he toast of LA before shes old news, tries to release another album and then gets bored of the whole thing and tries to make him move to Sydney FC or something so she can try her hand at breaking the Aussie market.

PHB

Yoko lite, I like that, totally using that.

Nalz

Question lads - how many freekicks did he score? Tired to google it but wasnt sucessful.

I think he had an unique talent, that most players dont have and never will. He was exceptional at making space for himself to cross the ball, fantastic freekick taker and gave it his all in an United shirt.

He fell out at United becuase of his personal reasons (it gets to the best and worst of players). He joined the most "famous club in the world" in a hope to win trophies...didnt really work out for the guy there but it wasnt all bad.

To the person who went on about his hatred of the modern game, players have been plastering themselves on ads and making themselves up to be the big shots for a long time now. George Best a great example. Sure he was a bit "poncy" and I can see where you're coming from, but you cant' deny any man the chance to make as much money as possible and live life the best way the can and the best way they see it. The media did hound him too. He didnt bring it all on to himself. Whats with the kids names though?!!

Bateman wrote:

Probably his biggest problem is that he has no brain. Moving to the states at this time of his career is awful, and it's even sadder when you see a delivery like the one he gave for Ramos last night.

Its a shame yeah, but this was pure quality of life and financial. He's gonna be the face of MSL football, his kids get to go to school in an English speaking country and will be in a decent climate... they'l lbe financially sound for the rest of their lives.

Well done David and thanks for being there at Uniteds greatest period (94-03). A fantastic player. Legend I'm not sure about, but a very important player in the history of Manchester Uniteds history and one they couldnt have done without during that period.

ntlbell

PHB wrote:

To suggest 70% of his game is about free kicks is just laughable.
While now, as he gets older and older, his free kicks are more and more to do with his game, when he was in his prime, he was an outstanding player. There's a reason he won MVP in Europe, and theres a reason United won the CL with him in central midfield in the final. He's a cracking player, and I think one of the United greats.

Your one of the few posters on here that I actually enjoy reading, mainly it's because I'm a UTD fan, but I like to think it's because your one of the very few that actually know what you're talking about.

But your stance on beckham is laughable!

His passing range was out of this world and was a fantastic dead ball specialist but to say he was one of the UTD greats is pretty insulting to united greats.

He was awful going back, he couldn't defend for his life, he couldn't pass players, he couldn't dribble a ball he couldn't go beyond some of the slowest left backs in england.

his finishing from open play for the most part was awful.

People say he had a great attitude I think a lot of the time his attitude was awful and carried on like a spoilt child.

Putting Beckham in with names like best, cantona and keane is just wrong on so many levels.

Aquos76

dubmick wrote:

you obviously were not much of a fan. I've supported United all my life and there has been players that I didn't like but I would never stop supporting United over it.

Would have to agree with you, Who will forget those dark days when Sir Alex brought in Walter Smith as an assistant and even worse, Andy Goram on goal.

ntlbell

Aquos76 wrote:

Would have to agree with you, Who will forget those dark days when Sir Alex brought in Walter Smith as an assistant and even worse, Andy Goram on goal.

what was dark about mark robbins and that man with a deadly eye for goal...LEE MARTIN.....GET IN?!

PHB

He was awful going back, he couldn't defend for his life, he couldn't pass players, he couldn't dribble a ball he couldn't go beyond some of the slowest left backs in england.

his finishing from open play for the most part was awful.

I don't disagree with much of that, although is finishing wasn't awful, just poor. And defensivly, he did enough to ensure our right flank was pretty covered.

Beckham had about 5 things to his game.
Incredible Vision
Incredible free kicks
Incredible Range of passing.
Incredible determination and love for United
And finally, an incredible ability to move the ball into a tiny space to get the cross in.

That's pretty much all he could do, and he was incredible at it. For me, he was a great player, and as a system, working alongside a pacey traditional winger like Giggs, together they were the best winger combination in the world.

Putting Beckham in with names like best, cantona and keane is just wrong on so many levels.

No, I wouldn't put him up there. But I'd put him up there with Ruud, with Bruce, with Irwin etc. Not one of our best players ever, but he was one of the great United players.

astrofool

I think if someone rates a player on his mentions in heat magazine, he's not really a football fan.

Beckham was always great on the pitch.

event

Raskolnikov wrote:

Just caught a re-run of the Real Madrid-Valencia match that was on earlier this evening. A very decent game between two teams who still have a shot at winning La Liga. Madrid went ahead thanks to wonderful van Nistlerooy goal (that was scored outside of the box!). Former Madridista, Fernando Morienties proved he was past it by equalizing. When it looked like that the match was going to be played out to the draw, Beckham came on midway through the second half (to rapturous applause may I add). Shortly afterwards he won a free, which he promptly took, setting by Sergio Ramos to head home. He also set up Robinho for a decent chance which the Brazilian spurned. At one point, he nearly chipped Canizares too! Towards the tail-end of the game, a spectator even ran on to the field, making a beeline for Beckham. If it was in England, you'd have feared the worse for him, but no, he just wanted to give him a t-shirt.

For a player who's been so villified both here and in the UK, it's a sobering thought that he's going to leave Real as he began, a firm fan favourite.

no it wasnt

DerekD Goldfish

gustavo wrote:

How could you stop "supporting" your team based on one individual :rolleyes:

For me Beckham is a consumate professional , to hell with the other stuff , I dont think its affected his ability to train and play for one moment , I hope Real Madrid go on and win La Liga now

I was a united fan I was never a proper suporter buts not start the fans of forien teams arnt real fans argument again. I stop suporting united becase I because disalisioned with the premership one of the mian reasons for this was the comercialisation of the game of which beckham played a big part.
as for the post that said I should blame the directors for this I dont its thier job to make money for shareholders/members its a footballers job to play football.
Endorsing products for money in my opinion makes you a whore you may as well sell your body on the street this goes for people of all professions not just footballers.
as ive siad before my hatred for beckham as a person is different form my opinion of his as a player.

astrofool

Well, this being a football forum, is all about the player on the field. I'm sure there's a gossip forum you can find out all about his personal life and what socks he's wearing today, so you can copy him and then say you did it first and he's copying you. You had a mohawk before him didn't you?