Odds and Sods

There’s only one David Beckham, and he has officially been recalled to the England squad.

The former England captain and scapegoat was dumped unceremoniously after the 2006 World Cup by new manager Steve McClaren. The move was seen to be symbolic of Second Choice Steve’s desire to distance himself from the reign of Sven-Goran Eriksson and move England forward in a new direction. Unfortunately, for McClaren England’s new direction was straight into the toilet.

The 4-0 thumping of Greece in an August friendly was not a harbinger of things to come for England. They currently sit 4th in what was thought to be a rather benign Group E for Euro 2008 qualification (only the top two advance) on 11 pts, six of them coming against lowly Andorra. With a tough run of matches remaining, the match against Estonia in June is a must win for England’s realistic qualification hopes to remain alive. Their desperation combined with Beckham’s recent resurgence at Real Madrid has forced McClaren to back track and call Becks back into the Starting XI.

Having Beckham on the squad should have been a no brainer tactically. He is England’s best technical player by a country mile. Even though he has lost a step or three, he is still at the very least in the top 20 available players that McClaren had at his disposal. He has shown in Spain this season that he can still drive the attack forward and he can still change the face of a match with one free kick. He still positions himself well defensively and plays intelligent football. Though he is not the player he once was, he remains a more compelling option than an out of position Gerrard or Tottenham sprinter Aaron Lennon.

He also should be a stabilizing influence in the lockeroom as well. Second Choice entrusted the reigns to the next generation with woeful results. John Terry has spouted the right maxims, but has failed to become the compelling captain of people’s fantasies (too busy cheating on his wife to bother). Gerrard has looked impressive at times, but been unable to inspire others to follow him. Fat Frank Lampard has been too busy sulking over insults to his autobiography, his contract, and anything else under the sun to care. I don’t think anyone is expecting Rio Ferdinand or Ashley Cole to step into that void any time soon.

Fifteen years playing for Manchester United and Real Madrid and 94 England caps give Becks a wealth of experience to which the puerile adolescents on the squad should defer. The pressure and media attention will all be deflected on him rather than the daily soap operas of Lampard & Co. His professionalism and dedication as an athlete should rub off well on a bunch where players pop off to the clubs until 4AM before England training. Most importantly, he cares and has a fire lit under his ass to perform well, which should do more to inspire the lads than Terry’s Churchillian diction.

The switch to MLS may also be a benefit rather than a hindrance to Beckham’s International performances. His legs will be fresher with the lighter schedule (a factor which certainly helped Owen Hargreaves in 2006). If he hangs on until Euro 2008, he will be in mid-season form while everyone else will be recovering from a long season. He gets the added advantage of being accostomed to heat and playing in the Summer in MLS. He trains hard and it is doubtful that his technical ability will further attribute. It shouldn’t make him worse as an international footballer, and very well may give him an advantage down the road.

Whether or not he can get England’s qualification campaign back on track, Beckham has already had his vindication. In the fall of 2006, his career in Europe appeared dead with him losing his England captaincy and his first team place at Madrid. However, almost a year later, he has forced his way back into the fold at Real Madrid and led them on what may turn out to be a title campaign. He has made English football pundits who have derided him for years backtrack faster than the British forces at Isandlhwana. And, perhaps most importantly for him, he is forcing Steve McClaren to eat a shit sandwich and beg him back to save his job. Where it once looked like he would skulk out the European back door, he can now strut through the front with his head held high.