david beckham - the name brings to mind the image of a young lad in red man u shirt, playing his heart out to get the best for his club. Manchester United - the club he supports with a great passion since he was a toddler, since he started to realise the emotions of a true football fan.
so what went wrong? was his ability in question? dont think so. was it his commitment on the field? no way. his dedication to the cause? never. why o why? you may then ask.
well to put things in perspective, sir alex is the boss at man u. if there is one person who can claim the honour of bringing the club to where it is today, it is him. he has been the guiding light which has seen this middle-of-the-table english side turn out to be contenders for the champions league. deservedly, he has the final word at old trafford.
beckham brings with himself the skills of an astute crosser of the ball. he has perfected the art of dead ball kicks. and he is a consummate team man, a natural leader and motivator. but thats not all. he is an traveller carrying excess baggage. apart from the skills set above, he brings with himself enormous media publicity. he brings unwarranted attention of the world which crosses the traditional limits and ventures into the area called ’distraction’.
this is where precisely things started going wrong. marriage to victoria was an universal drama. he made news for his shopping for victoria and for the naming of his son. sir alex, rightly intolerant of such antics pulled in his weight. football after all is a team game. and if one person gets more attention than sum total of all others, it would surely not be warmly welcome.
did man u need him? whatever sir alex or anyone might say, the answer is yes. not only because the corner kick goals have dried up, not only because ruud is not getting the ball where he wants, not only because keano cant be the sole motivator all the time but also because of his zeal and passion he brought along. are man u missing him? well read this excerpts from press for your own guess:
sir alex has groomed ole gunnar solskjaer to take over beckham’s role on the right flank
ryan giggs’ free kicks will compensate for beckham’s departures
ruud can become the new icon - the new face for man united
christiano ronaldo - the new number 7, is an ideal man to take over beckham’s position both on and off the field
darren fletcher, the new kid on the block, is showing the signs that he would be the new star - a la beckham style
chris eagles is the beckham in waiting. the latest product of man u’s youth system, is poised to fill the void caused by beckham’s departure.
well if you read what I am reading, man u are missing beckham. so many trials to match the skills of one person?
well dont get me wrong. man u are still pretty much strong and healthy. can they win titles without beckham? - they surely can. can they win titles without sir alex? hmm, not so sure. yes they miss beckham, but they will surely find ways to compensate for his departures. the team is too great to be built around one person. yes they would go ahead and win and I will be cheering for them all the way
but still as old trafford used to sing:
david beckham, king of the cockneys;
one david beckham, there’s only one david beckham.