Congratulacion....David Beckham

David Beckham has now equaled Sir Bobby Moore’s record of most England caps for an outfield player. A fantastic achievement indeed, considering he has always been criticized of being a one-trick pony. Whatever his shortcomings, and yes there are many; he deserves every bit of praise coming his way. Sir Bobby is a legend, and Beckham going past his record will not diminish the legendary status he enjoys amongst football enthusiasts.


The criticism directed towards Beckham has always struck me as a bit unfair. When Beckham plays, England have that much more in them; he always gives his best; his work rate is one of the highest in the world and because of the blessed right foot, he always presents a real threat to the opposition. He may not be able to tackle, or burst along the wings, but he makes it up with the brilliance of the right foot. Anyway, there are very few players who are equally good on both feet, so saying he does not have a decent left foot is stretching things a bit too far.


He has been relegated to the bench in many of his recent appearances. This is only natural considering his age and the need to find a consistent player on the right side of midfield. Let’s face it, Walcott is prone to injuries, Downing, Lennon, Bentley and Wright-Philips are frustratingly inconsistent. Even Walcott is a work in progress and his ability to perform well in crunch situations remains to be tested. The game against Spain has only underlined the fact that England do not have a good player on the right apart from Beckham.


Let’s not delude ourselves. England were pathetic. They had only two real chances, one of which was provided when Beckham came on as a sub. We must applaud a very good player and appreciate what he has done for football, not moan about how he is undeserving of the honour.