***Offical*** English Football Season 2004/05

[Neil Pickup]

So long as he's fit in September.

Not far away from sealing the ink on the plane tickets to Germany now

 

[Scaly piscine]

Hmm... BBC's website had Beckham as 'STAR MAN', on the ITV news they said Beckham had a "fine performance".

Does the media ever actually watch the game or does it just show a few highlights to some halfwit journalist who then makes up a story out of it as I suspect?

Nearly forgot, that late goal Wales conceded was hilarious...

 

[marc71178]

I personally think it won't be too long before Wright-Phillips should be getting in the team ahead of Beckham.

I hope not - he's never done anything to impress me yet.

 

[marc71178]

That was more pathetic than I dared imagine, god only knows why the geordies cheered/applauded Beckham when he was subbed because he was rubbish - he wasted so many dead ball opportunities, then he's so dense he gets himself suspended for the next game (hopefully someone decent can take the free kicks, corners etc. against Wales and Wright-Phillips will probably show him up if he takes his place).

Personally I thought Beckham had a very good game and was probably our best man on the night.

 

[Tom Halsey]

BEckham hit a few good crosses, took his goal well and did nothing else as far as I'm concerned. And his booking was ridiculous, he clearly has no grasp of the rules. And his attempt to take a throw from behind the advertising boards wasn't much better. So I'd say he had an average night.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Just because someone gets the ball most of the game (probably because he was always cutting in-field and taking Lampard/Gerrard space) does not mean he played particularly well. Just look at how Owen got so many chances and failed to take them, it's the same with Beckham. Beckham had at least a dozen corners and most of them were poor, slow floating rubbish that was too far away from a feeble punch-happy goalkeeper for anyone to score directly from. He also had loads of opportunities to put balls into the box from open play and managed the odd good cross but again they were mostly rubbish, free kicks weren't any better. Since the guy has no pace, can't take anyone on his delivering of the ball should be pretty good to make up for it - it wasn't.

 

[Neil Pickup]

BEckham hit a few good crosses, took his goal well and did nothing else as far as I'm concerned. And his booking was ridiculous, he clearly has no grasp of the rules. And his attempt to take a throw from behind the advertising boards wasn't much better. So I'd say he had an average night.

Why shouldn't he take a throw from behind the ad-boards?

Out of interest - who had a better game than Beckham?

 

[twctopcat]

I'm so glad we've got rooney that's all, he was head and shoulders above anyone on the pitch last night, yet again.

 

[Pratters]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/4393149.stm

Very good news indeed.

 

[twctopcat]

Doesn't really mean a lot though, the fine is peanuts and they still have the same 11 on the pitch, didn't think anything major would happen.

 

[marc71178]

I'm so glad we've got rooney that's all, he was head and shoulders above anyone on the pitch last night, yet again.

I felt that yet again Rooney was average - 1 or 2 flashes and the rest of the time he offered very little.

 

[Tom Halsey]

1) Why shouldn't he take a throw from behind the ad-boards?

2) Out of interest - who had a better game than Beckham?

1) Just ridiculous. No rule against it, but I'd have thought he could be bothered to step over them, taking into account the ref might pull him up (which he did).

2) IMO, most players apart from Owen.

 

[Tom Halsey]

I felt that yet again Rooney was average - 1 or 2 flashes and the rest of the time he offered very little.

Agreed, but I wouldn't say 'yet again', as it's the first time in a while that I can remember.

 

[superkingdave]

Robinson, Ferdinand, Gerrard, Lampard, J Cole and Rooney were all not as bad as Beckham.

Terry was about the same as Beckham.

A Cole, Neville, Owen were worse.

The thing with Beckham is, it was his crosses and free kicks that made him as a player, then he ran around a bit, and if he wasn't playing well generally he could always make it up with his crosses and free kicks. He's not the same, his crosses are average, where once players would be desparate to close him down lest he get a cross in, they are now much more prepared to give him a bit more room because the danger is not the same, his corners have become almost a joke with the number of times he fails to beat the first man, and his free kick taking is definately not what it once was.

Still just about worth his place in the side though - if he learns how to play right midfield again, a by product of his drifting in last night was that Neville had about 40 crossing opportunities, and his crossing is a joke.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Neville had a crap game last night, but he did hit a few good crosses.

BTW, top post Dave, agree with pretty much everything.

 

[marc71178]

1) Just ridiculous. No rule against it, but I'd have thought he could be bothered to step over them, taking into account the ref might pull him up (which he did).

That contradicts itself.

 

[marc71178]

Agreed, but I wouldn't say 'yet again', as it's the first time in a while that I can remember.

First time in a whole 4 days, yes.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Neville's crossing is usually quite decent I think (probably all that practice he gets punting the ball 50 yards when he plays for Man Utd).

 

[roseboy64]

Beckham's been playing in two different positions for club and country. That would explain. I think he's switched back to the wing for Real Madrid though.

 

[marc71178]

And I thought the news that Franck Queudrue becoming Irish was the craziest thing in Football today, but no Lee Bowyer and Keiron Dyer have taken the prize.