So, where's his big Galaxy news? Sucks about Miami. The last thing we need in this league is more stagnant, goat-level franchises dragging the league down. Here's something from Fergi about Becks: http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1...-david-beckham-focus-changed-football?cc=5901 "“I couldn't believe that he goes to LA Galaxy. I couldn't believe that. I couldn't understand that. I would never do that, you know?” he added. “If I was going to go, I would be making sure he would go to the best, and Real Madrid was the best, I would say, and United."
Notice that this doesn't come from Becks at all. I think I would rather hold on to his speech in Hong Kong than some news in the media coming from "the source". I couldn't take Fergie seriously (and lost a little respect to him) when it comes to Becks especially when he said something like, "he's lost focus the moment he got married to that Spice Girl...but then I saw him in Real Madrid and he did really well!". Then he goes..."he's an amazing guy, a really incredible guy bla, bla, bla...the way he turned himself around is incredible bla, bla, bla...".
The Spice Girl thing isn't news. Fergie said that a decade ago in his previous book. I'm not sure why ESPN seem to think this is a new quote. In fact, we saw a fair bit of the self-indulgent celebrity in his early years here. You know all the stuff that went on behind the scenes in his first couple of seasons? It was similar at United as well. He supposedly went from being ultra-focussed to letting his celebrity lifestyle affect things. A big one was Beckham missing training, due to his kid being sick. He's called up the club and explained his wife had important business to attend to so he needed to look after Brooklyn. The next day, Posh was photographed at some fashion party. It was a schmooz-fest that Fergie felt was far less important to her business than training was for Beckham and Man United, so he disciplined him. Then she started bitching about Fergie in public, especially after the "flying boot" accident. I think what SAF is saying is that he lost his focus and didn't get it back until after he faced the shock of his boyhood club deciding they didn't want him anymore. I think you're also missing the timeframe of "turning himself around". In 2007, Beckham was on Madrid's bench and out of the England squad, which was part of why he signed for LA in the first place, then as we all saw, he played his way back into the Madrid line-up and the England squad.
I didn't read it the same way. Fergie seems to be admitting he was wrong about Becks, admiring how he sort of proved him (Fergie) wrong. Fergie even said one of the biggest lessons he learned over the years was not to hold grudges. Maybe that's something he learned in part from his dealings with Becks. He sounds like he is being down to earth, open and honest.
Fergie is possibly (arguably) the best club manager of the last 50 years. He's a genius with ManU, and I think the crash of ManU (which will continue with or without Moyes) is going to really drive that home. That said: he's an elitist who doesn't give a darn about the USA or MLS, he can say whatever he wants because of his level of success, and he can be a jackass from time to time. I don't really care that much what he has to say about MLS or Beckham coming here. He lives in a different world with different priorities and he's just plan not relevant to us.
Guess you're missing my point. I've been an avid Becks fan for the past 15-16 years, so I'm aware of what's being said in the media and MU/SAF's point of view about MU scandal with Becks. I didn't talk about Becks' "turning around" timeframe so I won't touch on that. What you said are basically what's being written by those who believe MU/SAF stories on Beck's departure. But read what SAF said in this interview again. It seems like he's actually realized that he's wrong with his judgment on Becks, but with his super big ego he wouldn't even admit it and still insist, lamely, that it was Victoria's fault that Becks was being sold from Man U. I mean...does he seriously believe that if Becks was married to someone else, someone like Coleen Rooney who he approved of (IMO she's worst than Victoria), that Becks wouldn't change his focus at all and kept training for 12 hours a day without regards to his wife and son at all?? Becks was missing training for only one day out of the 20 years he played there and it did not effect his playing or his dedication to the game at all. Becks was in fact one of the best players in his last season at Man United. They won EPL for that year for God sake. He was even one of the best players in the UCL/Real Madrid game. Oh yeah...actually the info you had about Victoria being at a fashion party when Becks was at home taking care of his son was the twisted one, as she was actually in Mark & Spencer shopping for Brooklyn's food at the time. There was an interview about this and Victoria said she was not at a fashion party at all and there were pictures to prove it. SAF seemed to realize he's wrong in his "believe" (if he really did believe that) that Becks lost focus on football or whatever, hence his comment, "but I saw him in Real Madrid and he did well". But as I said, he would never admit he was wrong at all. (Why didn't he just straight away say that he hates the celebrity world or everybody from the celebrity world, or just admit it already that the only reason why he didn't (still doesn't) approve of Victoria is because she's a celebrity and he hate them? Idk...maybe SAF already got somebody to be matched with Becks, but Becks went on and declare his love to Victoria to him. LOL!) Even if you said Victoria was not the issue, that what SAF meant was that Becks simply lost his focus on football because he's got married, did he actually preferred Becks to not get married at all during his peak? That's ridiculous. Or, if what SAF meant was that Becks lost his focus on football simply because of he became a celebrity, well...he would still be a celebrity WITHOUT even married to Victoria. He was already a football star after 1997. Well...I guess my point is...leave Victoria out of this as she's got nothing to do with SAF's stupid decision to sell Becks at all. Ronaldo has done far worst than Becks when he's there, or even Rooney, but he didn't do anything to them because he knew they are no better than Becks (in fact Becks is/was much better than them in terms of loyalty, hardworking and dedication to the club and football). Ever wonder why Phil, Butt and a few others left MU too after Becks left? Or why MU didn't win anything for 4 years after Becks left? At least MU still won 3 EPL trophies after Becks got married when he's "supposedly" losing focus on football. p/s: if I was Victoria I would bitch about SAF too after what he's done to Becks and scapegoating him - when Becks was the most hardworking and the most dedicated Man United man, not to mention one of their best players - just because he hates me.
This is exactly my point and how I read his asnwer in the interview. Only that my view is he does not and will not admit his fault at all. If he really had learned his lesson of not holding any grudge, then he would've taken Becks back to retire with him in Man United...perhaps along with a few other footballers he sacked controversially. But I think his ego is too big to even take Becks back as long as he's still with Man United, as that would seem like an open admission that he's wrong about Becks all these time. Also...SAF as being down to earth, open and honest? LOL! Hardly!
Haha, well, given that I don't know him at all personally, and have barely even watched him in the media, I'll concede your point. I just thought the part where he criticizes Becks in the interview about losing focus after getting married (which I have little doubt was true), and then going to play in MLS was just him being open and honest. Not trying to sugarcoat anything and give false platitudes like so many others in his position would.
I'll try (and probably fail) to make this concise: Beckham didn't play for Manchester United for 20 years. He signed on as a youth player in 91 and left in 2003. Man United didn't win anything for four years after? They won the FA Cup in 2004, the League Cup in 2006 and the Premiership in 2007. Their three year Premier League title drought also coincided with the Arsenal "Unbeatables" team, which featured Thierry Henry in WPOTY form, on top of Abramovich's purchase of Chelsea, huge bankrolling and the introduction of Jose Mourinho. Beckham wasn't the best player on our team during 2002-03. After coming back from injury, he struggled to hold a starting spot. Despite this - as you correctly pointed out - we won the league anyway. Sure he was a footballing heart-throb celebrity, the same way that Ryan Giggs was earlier in his career. But if you think he'd have become the most recognisable football player in the world and a pop-culture phenomenon without dating and marrying a prominent member of one of the biggest, globally best-selling pop-groups in history, at the height of their fame, I think you're deluding yourself. As for Becks missing training, that was merely a flashpoint in a deteriorating coaching relationship. It wasn't the only thing. Beckham is hardly the only person under Ferguson that was married with kids. I think he would know the difference between shifting lifestyle priorities and a loss of focus. And Posh Spice's 'alibi' doesn't make any sense. The fact that she had to go shopping at Marks and Sparks doesn't constitute an important appointment which warranted Beckham missing training. The truth is very likely what Fergie said: he lost focus. Given what Beckham at his best provided the club with on the field with his play and off it with his commercial value, what reason would he have had to let him go if there wasn't an issue? The petulance I saw from Beckham with the Galaxy opened my eyes because I too had memories of him as not just a great player but a team player and a loyal hard worker. His 2008 season went against all of that.
Beckingham palace sold http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbi...12-million-bid-45-million-mansion-London.html
David Beckham's endorsement income rises to $26 million http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/20131007/david-beckham-endorsement-dollars.ap/
nothing much new in this article. Becks still linked to Miami. http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1...-ross-linked-mls-david-beckham-source?cc=5901
Nice to have good publicity for the Galaxy... http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...vid-beckham-steven-gerrard-liverpool-and-more
SAF on Becks http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...n-book-David-Beckham-chose-fame-football.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...Wayne-Rooney-David-Beckham-Rio-Ferdinand.html
Piers Morgan takes swipe at Sir Alex as former United boss 'demolishes' Beckham in new book http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/a...-United-boss-demolishes-Beckham-new-book.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...es-autobiography-books-want-written-next.html
Becks has never stooped to Fergie's level and I'm sure he won't now. Roy Keane is taking care of the dirty work, as usual, to take Fergie down a peg.
Becks at venice beach http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbi...-motorbike-goes-sight-seeing-Los-Angeles.html
I hope Fergie's book doesn't make him come across as badly as it seems it might. At the same time, I'm a little surprised that Becks is getting so much support from Galaxy fans, seeing as the things mentioned echo some of his attitude during his initial period here. As for Roy Keane and Piers Morgan taking swipes, that's absolutely incredible. I've read Keane's autobiography and he tore into a number of people himself. He's also been a complete jackass as a manager and treated Dwight Yorke like sh1t because he got back into the T and T squad and Keane didn't want him to accept the call-ups. Piers Morgan has edited most of the major red-top tabloids in the UK which absolutely villified David Beckham in the wake of France '98. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. He was a key senior figure in that industry when phone-hacking was believed to be rife. While he never admitted to doing it himself, he certainly knew it was going on, apparently knew how to do it and while he never revealed the source or admitted to hacking himself, he admitted to writing an article based on a voicemail Paul McCartney had left for Heather Mills. All this, plus the fact that his career in the tabloids involved writing and publishing as a matter of course, the kind of thing he's bitching at Fergie over, makes this as stunningly hypocritical as anything I've ever heard.
David Beckham 'crashes outside LA home http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbi...-outside-LA-home-Brooklyn-passenger-seat.html
Only two days ago, my wife and I saw a show outlining the kinds of 'accidents' staged by celebs for publicity and product placement opportunities. One of the most common? The fender bender. The celebrity gets the attention while the vehicle manufacturer rides on the coat-tails of the story. I wasn't even sure he still had a home in LA or what car(s) he owned until 30 seconds ago.