Like the other players
Like the other players.”It feels an uncomfortable compromise, especially with players such as Michael Carrick, who could easily provide that central midfield discipline following the demise of its last incumbent, Nicky Butt, watching from the sidelines. And Beckham knows it.”My favourite position is both of them,” Beckham said yesterday when asked where he preferred to play. “On the right I can put in the crosses, but in the middle I have the chance of passing to the left, the middle and the right.” He continued: “If I am asked to play a different role, then I will play there The manager, if he comes to me and says so, I will do that. He will only continue to improve this season under Jose Mourinho.
Beckham looked lost and soon he even stopped running, too.Matters improved only when he was shipped out of that position and back across to the right. Madrid experimented with Guti, then bought Thomas Gravesen and then paired him with Beckham. Tellingly this summer they have bitten the bullet and acquired two Uruguayan hardmen to provide the ballast and bite, Pablo Garcia and Diogo. Hardly galacticos, but vital.For his club then, Beckham will stay in the middle, but shift to the right, and although he has defensive duties, he will not have to cover all areas. Unfortunately for him, Gerrard will occupy that role in the national side.Beckham has to find a niche and so may, having just turned 30, have to persist with something that is alien to him to keep his place in the side ahead of the coming, express-force of the younger, quicker, trickier Shaun Wright-Phillips. He became a focal point, more defensive yet still driving from deep. His distribution was excellent – analysis showed an astonishing 90 per cent of his passes hit their target But then things began to dip Beckham kept on running – but often to no purpose.
Forrest Gump, the Spanish press called him, harshly ridiculing his inability to grasp the nuances of what is one of the most specialised, technical positions in a team. “Of course, he is a great player, but I am not as defensive as him, but I can play that role I played it for Real Madrid. I am not the most defensive player around, but in the Madrid team I have to be.”By default, then. Indeed Beckham’s arrival at the Bernabeu two years ago was swiftly followed by Makelele’s departure to Stamford Bridge, with one reason being the new arrival vastly out-stripped his salary. Into the void left by the disgruntled Frenchman stepped Beckham – partly because he craved a more central role, partly because Madrid simply had no one else willing or able to do it.At first it worked.
Spool forward to yesterday and the message was no different, if a little less candid. “There is more of a defensive role in central midfield, there has to be, you can’t have a load of central midfielders who all go running forward,” Beckham said when asked about England’s change of formation and how it will accommodate him, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in that area “You have to have that defensive part in your game. It is last April at Las Rozas, the Real Madrid training ground, and David Beckham is talking about the “frustrating” times he has endured when asked to play the defensive role in central midfield. It’s not natural to him, the England captain says, it’s not how he plays the game It curbs his attacking flair His instinct. It would complete another strange England fortnight to watch Eriksson defend the abandonment of a winning formation he has spent so much time arguing was all his own idea.* Ashley Cole’s solicitor confirmed yesterday that he will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the Premier League punishment for his part in the Chelsea “tapping-up” scandal of last season.. The Wales manager, and striker John Hartson, have spoken about the unfortunate timing of England’s 4-1 defeat to Denmark and the repercussions that may have for them .Even if Eriksson’s 4-5-1 system proves successful today, it will most likely be junked when Michael Owen returns against Northern Ireland next week.