David Beckham not selected for London 2012 football squad

[Allezfan]

A lot of Real Madrid fans rated him, to be fair. I wouldn't say he was wildly viewed as a flop there.

 

[Deloodid]

Im not sure if its been said, but its unfair on a generation of fans who wanted to see Beckham play.

i have a lot of hate for Pearce, i have a lot more now.

 

[Kurt.]

Beckham was the epitome of making the most of your ability. Personally I think he was a fantastic player, nobody in world football could do what he did better than him. He had his flaws as a player which everybody is aware of but he realised this himself at an early age and worked hard on his strong points to make them the best that he possibly could. Manchester United, Real Madrid and AC Milan.........you don't get to play for these teams if you don't have ability....and for people to say he was not all that...wake up and just appreciate what you have seen him do. Never ever came close to being the best in the world, but he was the best in the world at what he could give to a team.

 

[toffeejack]

Total appearance :684
Total goals:122
Total assists: 94

If you look at those stats they're not exactly mind blowing, which is a shame as I was going to wiki some awesome stats to blow nigel out of the water but I've failed and proved his point a little bit here!

But them's the facts up there. I think of him the same way I think of Freddie Flintoff, an absolute legend who's stats didn't compare to the greats but on his day was unplayable. The difference I guess is Beckham exceded his own limitations, and Flintoff never met his potential.

was brilliant in 2005 ashes though, of course his lifestyle didn't help but yeah reached nowhere near potential

 

[toffeejack]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18642132

Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell says he wanted David Beckham to be picked for Great Britain's Olympic football squad.

Beckham, 37, failed to make manager Stuart Pearce's final 18-man squad.

"Everyone in the squad would learn from David Beckham. He is a legend," Rodwell, 21, told BBC Radio 5 live.

Rodwell, who may miss out himself because of injury, added: "I think everyone is a bit surprised but the manager obviously has his reasons. I'd like to have seen him in the squad."

"Stuart Pearce is sure to feel a weight of criticism for his treatment of the enduringly popular Beckham for such a global event and many will believe his absence will damage the tournament.

"On purely football grounds, however, it is a decision based on sound logic."

Former England captain Beckham made Pearce's shortlist of 35 players but will not be one of three permitted players over the age of 23 picked to compete in the Olympics.

Pearce, who watched Beckham play for Los Angeles Galaxy in the United States last week, picked Manchester City defender Micah Richards ahead of him.

Richards has been included alongside Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs and Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy as the three over-age players.

Former Wales midfielder Robbie Savage backed the inclusion of his countrymen Giggs and Bellamy, but criticised Beckham's omission.

"It's appalling. He helped Great Britain get the Olympics," said Savage.

"To have him on the shortlist and string him along, effectively, is quite poor.

"He deserves more respect - he's been a fantastic ambassador for British football and has put the name of Britain across the world. With David Beckham in the Olympic squad, they would have had more of a chance."

Beckham, who signed a new two-year deal with American Major League Socccer (MLS) side LA Galaxy in January, was part of the Olympic flame handover ceremony in May, bringing it to Britain for the torch relay.
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He played a major role as a sporting ambassador when London won the 2012 bid, and made no secret of his desire to captain Team GB.

But former England midfielder Peter Reid backed Pearce's decision to exclude Beckham, who played 115 times for England.

"I'm surmising Stuart Pearce has picked the three [overage] players to give him the best chance of winning the gold medal," he said.

"From a pure football point of view, I tend to agree with the manager. David is playing in the MLS, which isn't the highest level of football.

"Ryan Giggs has more class on the football pitch than David Beckham, in my opinion."

Beckham had widely been expected to be selected, but ex-Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp said Pearce was prepared to take criticism for his decision.

Redknapp told The Sun : "There is no doubt Stuart will have upset a few in high places. They would have loved to see Becks in there. I am surprised and sad that he isn't.
Beckham for club and country

"Stuart can kiss goodbye to a knighthood but credit for being brave. He is the manager and should be allowed to pick who he wants."

Former England striker Rodney Marsh said Pearce was in a no-win situation.

"He's always been football first and team first, and that's the way he played the game," said the ex-Manchester City player.

"David Beckham has made it difficult for everybody because he has been public about how much he wants to play. It's made it hard for Stuart Pearce and in my eyes, he's more of a man for making that decision."

The British Olympic Association expects to receive the final 18-man squad from the Football Association by early next week.

Team GB were drawn in Group A at London 2012 alongside Senegal, Uruguay and United Arab Emirates.

They begin their Olympic campaign against Senegal at Old Trafford on 26 July before facing the UAE at Wembley on 29 July, and Uruguay at the Millennium Stadium on 1 August.

Each squad must contain 15 players born after 1 January 1989.

 

[njligernj]

Funny how that article frames it as Richards being picked ahead of Beckham (not Bellamy) and that Giggs has more class on the pitch than Beckham (again not comparing Beckham to Bellamy). Regardless, even if I jumped in with the anti-Beckham crowd I still wouldn't think putting Bellamy into a team of under-23 players was a good idea. Beckham aside I'm sure I could come up with 100 players I'd pick ahead of Bellamy (please don't ask me to actually do this).

 

[Deleted member 28206]

Has the team even been announced?

 

[ScouseBlueBoy]

Agree with most of the posters here: for all the work Beckham has put into the Olympic bid - and I am sure many more things too - it wouldn't have hurt to have selected him, or had him in a coaching/ambassadorial capacity.

A bit mean really.

 

[toffeejack]

Funny how that article frames it as Richards being picked ahead of Beckham (not Bellamy) and that Giggs has more class on the pitch than Beckham (again not comparing Beckham to Bellamy). Regardless, even if I jumped in with the anti-Beckham crowd I still wouldn't think putting Bellamy into a team of under-23 players was a good idea. Beckham aside I'm sure I could come up with 100 players I'd pick ahead of Bellamy (please don't ask me to actually do this).

to be fair to bellamy he does take a lot of pride in playing for wales and possibly there will be a few young welshmen in the GB team and he will help bring a togetherness?? just hoping pearce doesn't jam it with english players because that's what he's use to coaching. Giggs should never be in ahead of beckham though, bad decision, people saying beckham is loosing his main attributes but giggs only had pace to make him a good player, now that's gone he does very little when he does actually play, despite the rave reviews

 

[billycopper]

Giggs- He'll have to play in central midfield, since Bale will be on the left. He's 18 months older than Beckham. Does he have the legs and is he the best that we have available in that position? What about Lampard or even Scholes? Giggsy is quietly spoken if he's meant to be there as a mentor to younger players and his reputation has been tarnished by his affairs. I'm not so sure I'd have picked him.

Bellamy- Again he normally plays on the left but will have to switch to the right or upfront because of Bale. He's been injured for much of the season for Liverpool, he's generally a disruptive influence and he broke the embargo by telling the press that he was on the shortlist. I don't think I'd go with him either.

Richards- He misses the U23 deadline by months. Why not use the overage spots for players in their peak? Kelly, Jones, Smalling, Walker, Gibbs, Bertrand and Rose all qualify, so it's not as if we're short of options.

I can appreciate if Pearce feels that the standard at which Beckham is playing at is comparatively low and there are concerns about his fitness, especially as it's only an 18 man squad. It makes sense too if he feels that Becks would over-shadow his teammates. But as a thank you for his contribution to the Olympics and to English football, the excitement that he would help to generate amongst players and fans and his knowledge of the game at the highest level I would take him as a player-coach.

The overage players that he is likely to pick show a lack of balance for the squad too. His goalkeeping options are very sparse for one thing and Butland seems to be about the only decent candidate. Could he have persuaded someone like Foster, Robinson, Green or Carson to play? It might have seemed like an olive branch, but Ferdinand could have marshalled a defence that consisted of his United club mates Jones and Smalling. In midfield he could have picked Brunt as his token Northern Irishman. His attacking options are limited to players such as Rhodes, Phillips and Goodwillie. He could have gone for Fletcher, Holt or Zamora to lead the line.

I'm presuming he'll end up with something like this:

__________Butland
Richards Smalling Hanley Rose
Albrighton Ramsey Giggs Bale
_____Bellamy Goodwillie

Subs: Rhodes, Phillips, Allen, Spearing, Wilson, Sinclair, Amos

I'd probably have gone for:

----------------Butland
Jones Ferdinand Smalling Taylor
Beckham Ramsey Spearing Bale
------Fletcher Rhodes

Subs: Amos, Sinclair, Albrighton, Goodwillie, Cathcart, Gosling, Rose

 

[nigelcoyb]

Oh you and your big words. I bet you have a degree or even a masters hanging proudly over your fireplace. We can all only dream about that I suppose.

So my 'flawed' argument is pointing out that in massive high pressure games he was able to deliver the goods.

And you dismiss the fact he played for Real Madrid purely because they wanted to sell shirts. That is a few shirts they need to shift at 40 pounds a pop to make back 25 million pounds. Not to mention the enormous wages he was on.

I don't need to read any newspapers.

I was at Old Trafford that day England played Greece and I was at the subsequent World Cup. If anyone at that point would have said Beckham was a myth (your words) the whole stadium would have pissed themselves.

You are embarrassing yourself, not for disagreeing he was a top player, but for stating his whole career has been a glorified shirt selling stint. As I said, get off the Beckham hate. It's so 1998.

The emotion you attach to this one game is remarkable, it's either a Greek thing or you are devoted to the man's perfume or perhaps his...... erm......underpants.

Your devotion is concerning TBH.

To understand better the reasons may I ask do pics of him adorn your bedroom wall? Is he in a football kit ? OR - how can I put this - is he "modelling"?

 

[teppic]

The emotion you attach to this one game is remarkable, it's either a Greek thing or you are devoted to the man's perfume or perhaps his...... erm......underpants.

Your devotion is concerning TBH.

To understand better the reasons may I ask do pics of him adorn your bedroom wall? Is he in a football kit ? OR - how can I put this - is he "modelling"?

Yup, well spotted. I'd already booked my tickets for the Far East and it looked like England wouldn't be there in the tourney. Huge relief when he slotted from 30 yards.

If that is an attempt to popcorn on GOT by suggesting the preference for male modeling, you have not been here long enough mate!

 

[ste1989]

big shame for David Beckham and Stuart Pearce as the respected for making the footballing decision that not many people would be able to argue with

 

[Slavan]

Stuart pearce, despite being a proven awful, negative manager, has now made the biggest mistake of his career by taking the olympics serious.

 

[Elong]

Anyone see Beckham playing for LA in the week? Looked absolutely pissed the whole game, they lost 4 - 3, ended up kicking the ball at a player faking an injury on the ground and squaring up to most of their team, haven't seen him like that for a long time.

Reckon Pierce isn't getting an Xmas card like.