Becks: But I dont wanna go home!!!!!!
By: Dave Martinez | February 16th, 2009
Just when you thought “The Don” shut the door on more transfer chatter, in sweeps AC Milan and David Beckham to fan the flames.
AC Milan is basically saying that any deadline imposed by the Galaxy is simply a negotiation tactic. Their first offer, as reported in multiple publications, was a skimp $3 million. And the Galaxy are the ones working tactics, right?
And what about Becks? Well, SBI has the kind of quote that makes Beckham haters wet their collective pants:
As for Beckham, he isn’t exactly saying things that would make a return to MLS a smooth transition.
“I hope that things will go the way I want them to and I have already said it is my desire to stay at Milan,” Beckham said. “Having clarified that I want to stay here, it might be difficult to go back to playing in the States.”
“It will be difficult to go back to playing in the States.” Which part? The adoration from Hollywood or the millions of dollars that have been forcefully shoved down your pants? The thousands of fans that come to see only you in city after city, or all the positive press that you have to shoulder in the process (do you remember the nightmare that was England?!)?
And if it is the competition that you seek, MLS has grown by leaps and bounds just before and since his arrival. It is no Serie A (for sure), but each season, there are stronger, deeper squads to contend with. Beckham hasn’t even conquered one season in MLS; he can’t climb the MLS hill, but he sure as hell can scale the Serie A mountain! There is something wrong with that.
Sour grapes? Not at all. I am the type of person that holds onto old school values. Honor your contract; work hard and play hard; give your all no matter what. That kind of stuff. Even if Beckham is sick of being five-tuple teamed, even if he is sick of being surrounded by college kids and wandering Willies on his squad the past two seasons, even if he regrets the fact that he wanted to be the poster boy for AMERICAN soccer, he has made a commitment. And respect your current employer, who by all means has bent over backwards for you from day one. If the Galaxy want you back, be a man about it. If they don’t, then you got your way. Again.
Now, with all that said, I believe a transfer is the best thing for Beckham and the Galaxy at this point. Bruce Arena has a hard enough job cleaning up after Alexi Lalas (again). A distraction of this magnitude will not win him over this young and developing squad. And lets face it; with these quotes, do you think the Galaxy team will welcome him home with open arms? Somehow, I don’t see the likes of a Dema Kovalenko turning the other cheek.
Looks like The Los Angeles Galaxy are in for another Hollywood, rollercoaster season.
Share your thoughts with us.
 |
MLS Forums | MLS Results |  |
 |
Category: 
Subscribe
|
Print
|
Share
      |
Comments
-
Mrs. Posh Spice has made it public her and the kids don’t want to leave LA-LA land, so I am guessing we see Becks in a Galaxy uniform this season.
Posted from
United States
-
Well, I am sure it will be ” . . . difficult to go back to playing in the States.” Work is hard. It’s hard going to work each day. But that’s what we do! We go to work for the people who pay us.
You are right, Dave, it will be best to sell him to AC Milan. He has no integrity and no intention of honoring his contract. He will be worse for American soccer than he ever has been an asset.
The part of the bigger story that irritates me is his remark that MLS is ten years away from legitimacy. That was unnecessary, and it was only meant to hurt the sport when he wasn’t getting his own way.
Every player who has come here from Europe (Beckham included) has said repeatedly that the level of play in MLS is much higher than they expected and much better than European players think.
I’m sorry I was ever a Beckham fan, as I now look forward to his demise in Italian soccer. If he thought the play was rough in MLS, wait until they hold of his shins and ankles for an entire season in Italy!
I close by reminding everyone that Beckham was a failure in MLS. He was not a good player, he complained about clean and fair tackles repeatedly, and did nothing more for the sport than to display his beefcake for the television cameras after each match. One only need watch a single AC Milan match (yesterday’s derby for example), to see that officials pamper AC Milan players; Beckham needs to play for a team in a league where officials will shield his vagina from the agressive, athletic play he so fears.
Posted from
United States -
IT amazes me how everyone wants to blame Becks here, did he not play hard for the Galaxy!? How would you feel if you were surronded by an inferior team incapable of playing defense, with an owner/GM (lalas) who cares more about selling jerseys than Uncle Fester at AC Milan? The man was setup up to fail in the MLS, not to mention, the MLS knew full well they were not buying a “game changing” superstar, they were buying a role playing right winger who help a team not carry it. No one goes to the electronics store and buys a sweet navigation system and throws in a 1988 corolla, it doesnt make sense, and that is what the MLS did with Becks. Sure that nav system will get you from point A to point B pretty slick, but the rest of the corolla is a piece of shit…
Posted from
United States -
Galaxy fans should be lininig the streets to say thanks for trying, but they won’t even notice he is gone…
Posted from
United States -
Gian, there is no excuse for phoning it in the way he did last season.
Posted from
United States -
jo, i agree, but you know as well I do that being the captain of a sinking ship makes it hard to fight tooth and nail…
Posted from
United States -
Gianfranco-Becks perhaps learned far too much from his short time in America. This type of moves reeks of a TO like move where he is stomping his feet and holding his breath because he’s unhappy with how his team is doing. The fact is that his name is on a little piece of paper that says that he plays for LA. If they don’t want to sell him for anything other than what they think is a fair value for him then they don’t have too. AC Milan and Becks arrogance is disturbing to say the least.
Posted from
United States -
Matt, I like the MLS, I watch, I attend, and root for RBNY. But I am not blind to the fact that the MLS is a small fish in a big pond, they need to negotiatetly properly and with some class in a situation like this. You don’t put up arbitrary deadline days and act like a child when there is money to be made here. MLS needs to realize that they can get some money back for Becks, save face, and quite possibly make a much needed ally on the European Continent, instead they are coming off as ball busters. Do you think a guy like Henry will come here if he knows he is stuck in some contract he can’t even get out of. What about a young guy who wants out to better himself, what happens then, you cite your contract and say no deal, you didnt meet our deadline! It just doesn’t work that way, and by approacing things like this MLS looks ignorant and imcomptent in front of the whole World here in this case. Sell him, take the best deal you can get, and say thanks it was fun while it lasted, if not you have a disgruntled player with no value come the end of his contract. I don’t want to say I condone the TO style tantrum, but I don’t think it is to that level, but I also can’t condone a league for what they have done with the Galaxy, it is shameful, they bend and make rules to make sure they suceed, and in the end they are dead last.
Posted from
United States -
Lets face it. The MLS isn’t much better than the USL. The guy is still young and made a mistake signing for LA when all he needed was a 6 months off.
Let him GO! FREE DAVID.
Posted from
Canada -
The MLS Playoffs were exciting and fun to watch… especially the semi-final match between Real Salt Lake and the New York Red Bulls. Yes, Beckham brought a lot of people out to watch MLS games that would not have otherwise come out, but the league will continue to develop whether Beckham is on the Galaxy or not. What MLS needs is solid and exciting overall play.
The Galaxy will mend fences with Beckham if he comes back and Beckham’s publicity machine will go into high-gear to make sure he ends up smelling like a rose. In the end, it would be better if Beckham stays at AC Milan and the Galaxy gets some good-money to spend on some great strikers and maybe even a top-flight defense and keeper. Losing Donovan will be more of a blow, not becuase of his ability to get fans in the gate, but his ability to put the ball in the back of the net.
Posted from
United States -
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/soccer_america/02/17/angel.dp/index.html?eref=T1
an excellent contrast done by sports illustrated. I HIGHLY recommend you all read this.
Posted from
United States -
Thanks Gianfranco, your last point is am important one that most people are not thinking about. (Although you could sign my name to any of your comments). Most of the world wants to see a player do their best. They hate one of their own if they move to a RIVAL team, but otherwise are happy for them if they do well elsewhere. The reason Beckham only sounds like he’s winging to people in the US is that to the rest of the world he is simply being honest that he has rediscovered his best form in Milan and asking the clubs to work out a deal. IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. If Galaxy/MLS want to look like big actors on a big stage they would show some class and sell Beckham.
I believe that much of this also comes from a lack of emotional understanding in the US about how important the World Cup is in the rest of the world. It is not just the fact that Beckham is enjoying his game and good form at Milan. Both players and fans in the rest of the world would be critical of the Galaxy if they prevented Beckham from going for the chance to possibly play for his country in another World Cup. The England manager is becoming even more strict about how and where his players work. It’s clear that if Beckham stays in LA his chances with the NT are gone, and that is something that would likely create more bad will than they realize.
Let the guy pursue a dream that he thought was over before he signed for LA, and one that only a very, very few player have a chance to experience. LA will come out looking better by wishing him good luck, and going on to build a team that can compete. As Dave says, work is hard, its hard work to build a “marquee” team based on its accomplishments rather than on the fame of one player. On the other hand, its easy to blame the team’s failures on one player and it certainly has been handy to have Beckham around for that.
Posted from
United States -
This is ridiculous. There is no reason in the world to not let DB go to Milan. If MLS drags this process on too long, they risk losing interest from other potential players down the line. Why would MLS want to keep this guy around when he obviously doesn’t want to be here anymore? Just let him go. The guy did his job and raised the profile of the league considerably.
Posted from
United States
Comments are closed
Home 
