Thanks for the memories, Becks

Fabio Capello has gone from hero to zero. Following the debacle in South Africa it seems that his every media utterance, his every move and every decision are questioned. This week I’ve read articles questioning his command of the English language, his delegating of responsibility when it came to phoning Paul Scholes before the World Cup and his decision to end the international career of David Beckham.

Let’s get the football out of the way first. Capello is a manager with a proven track record who has the best qualifying record of any England manager ever. Under his tutelage our footballers stormed through qualification for this summer’s championships. We failed abjectly when we were there for a multitude of reasons (some of which I’ve discussed in a previous blog). It will suffice here to say that he was tactically inflexible and that the players failed to perform as well as we might have expected. But so it goes.

In the wake of England’s inglorious failure, the media and the public alike demanded that heads roll, international careers be ended and new players and youthful exuberance be introduced to the first XI. And on Wednesday night - in front of a surprisingly large crowd – Capello did exactly what we required of him. The England team played flexibly, moving from a 4-2-3-1 formation to 4-4-2 and back again. Players were employed in the positions they feel most comfortable in and this paid dividends with Steven Gerrard playing in the swashbuckling style which Anfield regulars are accustomed to. He scored two wonderful goals in a captain’s display and looked far more comfortable than he is when stationed on the left. But the most promising feature of the game was the blooding of a number of young players: Kieran Gibbs, Adam Johnson and Jack Wilshere made their debuts. Ashley Young gave his best performance in an England shirt, Theo Walcott looked revitalised and Phil Jagielka (the least youthful of the bunch) looked comfortable at centre-half. Yes, the game was against a poor Hungary side, but given a chance these players suggested that they could add the dynamism which our sluggish side lacked in the summer and Capello showed that he is not as tactically inflexible as we thought.

As for lacking the language skills to manage the team effectively, I have my doubts. It seems that the Italian is quite happy to hide behind his limited English when it conveniences him, but the language of football is a simple one. Learning to speak that particular language is relatively easy compared to the nuances of conversational English and Capello clearly managed to talk tactics pretty effectively as he made an immediate impact during the qualifying campaign.

Perhaps a lack of confidence in a more informal conversation is what prompted Capello to ask his assistant, Franco Baldini, to telephone Paul Scholes to ask him to end his international exile. And if that is the case, it’s a shame. But let’s be clear about one thing – Scholes is a thirty-five year old footballer who retired from international duty eight years ago. It was always a long shot expecting him to end his self-imposed exile and it was no surprise when he turned down the offer.

The fuss over Beckham is even harder to understand. Yes, he’s a former England captain who has drugged the Three Lions through games, has scored wonderful goals and led his country with distinction. But he’s currently nursing an injury which might end his career, playing in Major League Soccer and is 35 years old. The same media who were demanding Capello choose youth are now chastising him for ending the career of a one-legged man in the twilight of his career.

Perhaps letting this decision slip in an ITV interview was ill-advised. But since then it has emerged that Beckham’s agent already had wind of the decision before it was broadcast to a watching television audience. This ought to dilute the sense of indignation which seems to have gripped the callers to radio phone-ins and the contributors to online football forums. It hasn’t. Sadly, the lionising of Saint David has continued unabated. People have called for a ‘testimonial’ for the player – something which our World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore, our all time top scorer Bobby Charlton or our top appearance-maker Peter Shilton never received. I’ve also heard it said and seen it written that Beckham deserves ‘better than that’. Better than what exactly? Better than some honesty? Capello feels he’s a bit old and has little left to contribute and when questioned about it, he said so. What’s the big deal? I imagine that Gary Neville, a player who has represented England with distinction and who has almost 100 caps can also be bracketed with Beckham in the ‘too old’ camp – he’s unlikely to be picked again but I can’t see anyone clamouring for him to receive a full and private explanation of the manager’s wholly justified and logical decision.

It seems to me (and probably many other jaded cynics) that this whole circus has nothing to do with football and everything to do with celebrity. As the game’s most recognisably iconic figure David Beckham capitalised on the flood of money which entered the sport in the mid-nineties and marketed himself more effectively than anyone ever has. He combined good looks, a famous spouse and a bucketful of talent to become a sum far greater than the total of his parts. He rose from the ashes of his sending off against Argentina in 1998 to become the archetypal family man, England captain and role model despite the fact that from the moment he left Manchester United in 2003 his career has been on a downward trajectory. His cameo roles for Milan and England in recent years have been fairly impressive, but at the top level he is finished and has been for some time.

That he transcended football to become such an iconic figure is testament to an excellent marketing strategy, good timing and great bone structure. That his footballing worth is so vastly overestimated is due to a public for whom he has disappeared from everyday life – they see and remember only his value to Manchester United and England in days gone by. Hidden from view is the diminishing ability of the player himself, disguised as it is by the distance from England to Madrid, Milan and Los Angeles.

Thanks for the memories, David, as that’s all we have now. And let’s leave it at that, eh?