Whither Beckham

By: DAS | February 8th, 2011

I think Posh said it best in Spice World, “When you know exactly what is supposed to be happening, would somebody please let me know?”

Beckham today extended his training stint with Tottenham until the end of February, instead of joining the Galaxy now for pre-season training. Ever inclined to see the bright side, I hope that Tottenham simply have a very good training program and he wants to be more prepared to play for the Galaxy. But the creeping cynic in me says it looks like a lack of commitment to the team and denies him and his teammates a couple of weeks in which they could be learning to play together and working out their midfield puzzle.

Beckham remains one of the best players in the league. His long, bombing, pinpoint passes are unrivaled. His curling free kicks remain the stuff of legend. In all this time, this will be the first year he seems poised to play a full season with a credible team and coaching staff surrounding him. It really could be the breakthrough year. And frankly, if after 5 years with Beckham the Galaxy fail to win the MLS cup his stint in out league will be seen as little more than an outright failure on the field.

I’m left to wonder, how badly does he want it? I was at the Dallas playoff game. I saw as Beckham lingered on the field, the only Galaxy player to watch their opponents get the conference trophy. I didn’t see anger on his face. I saw desire. I saw a man who wanted to be where his opponents were standing. But does he really have the drive and the character to help lift this team to the MLS Cup? Though it’s far from definitive, two more weeks in London certainly doesn’t help me to think he does.

I remain positive. I believe he can make a difference. I believe he can come late to the pre-season and still bring it. I believe the Galaxy have the tools needed to go all the way this time. I believe Beckham badly wants that to happen. Do you?

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nTm

Put me in the No MLS CUP=Failure camp. I realize this is a really harsh view to hold given the dynamics of a squad. Still, Galaxy had no business losing to that FC Dallas side and in the mind's backwards-looking eye it will be all Beck's fault. I mean, didn't he get a lot of flack for the Galacticos not winning? They had more than just Dave Beckham, too. Eh.

On the field he you can see the world-class ability. He definitely makes the team better. It is harder to quantify the cumulative effect of his celebrity on the collective psyche of the squad, however.
Jose P

if anything i think european players should stay in europe. not that there's no room for them over here, but the MLS should start to see this league as being theirs and not for worn-out/aged superstars who have seen and done it all. i am a life long Juventus fan and even though i enjoy when Alessandro Del Piero plays (he's 36 BTW) i don't want him to come to the USA.
DAS

I think MLS's primary purpose is to develop American players and I'll write a separate screed on this. But there is a real value to importing European players, especially the older ones. Well two values actually. The first is that they lend experience and can give guidance to the younger players and help them develop. The second is that they sell jerseys to help the business.
jeff

Apparently the whole reason Becks is there is because AEG & Tottenham are trying to push through the olympic stadium deal. If it goes through, AEG might buy Tottenham, and having becks train over there (a loan would have been better for them) is saying "Hey, if we get the stadium over west ham BECKS will play here next year!" I think the extension to the end of feb coincided with tottenham's waning bid and the extension on a decision for the stadium past the end of jan. Whoever wins the stadium is going to get big $$$.
DAS

That makes perfect sense to me and suggests the whole thing has little to do with how Beckham feels about the Galaxy. I've seen a lot of people trashing him on the internet. But I saw his look when he lingered on the field after the conference final. He didn't seem like a guy who doesn't give a damn.