David Beckham: Good but not Great...

David Robert Joseph Beckham

Like many people from my generation, David Beckham was one of the first footballers I grew up idolizing. Back in 2002 when I was a spiffy ten year old, ‘Beckham Mania’ for lack of a better phrase was spreading vehemently across the world. It was hard to not be bitten by ‘Beckham Mania’ growing up and naturally, I too was smitten.

It became all the more difficult to turn my attention away from David Beckham.

He was everywhere and well on his way to superstardom.

David Beckham’s free kicks in particular mesmerised a generation. While his oft changing hairstyles appealed more to the feminine gender, to the male gender, Beckham was what made every high school kid who managed to slot a free kick past me, pretend they were the man from Leytonstone.

Beckham was a good player, I agree.

But he was never a great player.

This is not demeaning Becks in any way. Not to say he hasn’t achieved great things in his career. Not many names come to mind when I think about players who’ve won league titles in four different countries. Beckham’s done that, he's the first Englishman to win titles with Manchester United in England, with Real Madrid in Spain, with the LA Galaxy in the United States and most recently with Paris Saint-Germain in France.

In fact take another look at the clubs Beckham played for – United, Real Madrid, Milan, and PSG – you have to be exceptionally gifted to play your football career at top clubs across the globe. I for one, like many others won't ever have that honour to suit up for the best in Europe. But Beckham did that. During his off season training stints at Arsenal and Tottenham, Beckham often received praise as one of the finest professionals and greatest influencers of the game of football.

At an international level, David Beckham has been a better marketing campaign rather than a football player. But don’t get me wrong, he’s achieved success with England too – that free kick against Greece at Old Trafford in 2001, singlehandedly sending England to the World Cup 2002. But like a bunch of his England team mates during the “Golden Age of English Football” he was missing when 

he was needed the most.

What did Beckham do against Argentina at World Cup ’98, against Brazil at World Cup ’02, or against Portugal at Euro ’04 and at World Cup ’06?

Next to nothing; the English came out beaten on every one of those occasions.

What did David Beckham win with the England National Team? Nothing!

It’s true that without Beckham’s corner kicks against Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wouldn’t have written his name into United folklore. The Premier League wouldn’t have been as exciting as I remember it back in the early 2000’s had Beckham not been running up and down United’s right wing, knocking in a few very memorable goals.

"Beckham soares, Sullivan off his line..."

That goal against Wimbledon on opening day of the 1996/97 was symbolic of Beckham's legacy. He had the talent to mesmerize every ten year old. He had the stage, the biggest of them all. And if you think Beckham's goal against Wimbledon was a one off thing, he did it once again, in 2008, with the Los Angeles Galaxy against the Kansas City Wizard.

Talent.

Don't get me wrong, David Beckham will always be one of the first footballers I adored. Absolutely adored. And if you think he did nothing after leaving Real Madrid, you definitely have it wrong. Beckham did what Beckham does best: market the sport. He wasn't all flashy in most games I remember watching, even with just Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan as the stars on the team. He was extremely effective off the pitch though, and largely the reason why Thierry Henry and players like Torsten Frings and the likes came to North America. In my mind, it’s a move that even helped rescue Beckham from his state of obscurity. He was once again the star; once again the man of the moment. David Beckham, the way David Beckham likes it.                                 

David Beckham brought football to America, and like his goal against Greece in 2001: it'll never be forgotten.

Eighty five Manchester United goals in total; but his name was never in the forefront. That honour went to his teammates, in particular an enigmatic Frenchman Eric Cantona. Beckham was part of Manchester United’s famous ‘Class of 92’ that former the heart and soul of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United side. However, it’s fellow teammates Paul Scholes, who announced his second retirement this summer and the evergreen Ryan Giggs who remain truly legendary. Even in Madrid, Beckham was overshadowed by the likes of his teammates Zinedine Zidane, Raul, Luis Figo and a certain Ronaldinho, around who rivals Barcelona built their team after Beckham turned them down in 2003.

I’ll give Beckham credit once again, he did make the jump to the MLS, a move that drastically changed the fortunes of football in North America. The MLS is a thousand times better than it was half a decade or so ago.

David Beckham will be a role model for my generation for the foreseeable future, and it’s something Beckham has worked towards.

But sometimes I’ve often wondered what might have been for Beckham.

I for one, blame his wife Victoria Adams for the glitz and glamour that surrounded Beckham wherever he went. The Beckham’s realised their potential and cashed in, and you can’t really hold them at fault for that. What I do hold Beckham at fault is for letting that get in the way of his game.

Many a time, I sit back and compare Beckham to Paul Scholes and wonder what if? David Beckham accomplished a ton of things that he should be proud of. He won numerous accolades at the club and individual level. He's won football matches time and again, almost single-handedly. He had millions of adoring fans; of which I am one.

David Robert Joseph Beckham: Good! But not great!

David Moyes Would Make a Capable Successor for Sir Alex Ferguson

The Master and his Successor?

It’s easy to see why David Moyes is so highly touted as Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor at Manchester United. No body comes close to comparing to the stature of Sir Alex, but Moyes probably comes the closest.

The two are almost identical. They both hail from the industrial town of Glasgow in Scotland and both bring a taste of the 'Old Firm' derby with them to Manchester: Sir Alex played for Rangers, Moyes laced up for crosstown rivals Celtic.

Now the word ‘legend’ gets used a lot in professional sports. But it’s a befitting word to describe 'legendary' Sir Alex Ferguson. The 71 year old Scotsman officially called it quits after almost 27 seasons in charge of the world’s biggest club, officially putting to bed months of speculation regarding his future. Wednesday put an end to one of the biggest sagas in professional football.

Well, all but one saga: Who is going to replace Ferguson at Old Trafford?

The club and CEO David Gill have made numerous references that it will be Everton boss David Moyes who gets the top job. But like a cliché that never seems to get old, there’s a lot of speculation out there regarding Ferguson’s eventual successor.

Will it be Jose Mourinho and his unique charisma behind the bench? Or perhaps Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp, who’s almost single handedly turned around Dortmund’s fate, guiding them to successive Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012. Perhaps you prefer Paris Saint-Germain bench boss Carlo Ancelotti?  Or outgoing Bayern Munich manager Jupp Heynckes?

The list goes on.

David Moyes doesn’t appear to be everyone’s favourite candidate for the Old Trafford job. He may not be someone who's won major accolades with Everton. But that's partly because Moyes ran into the Ferguson juggernaut while he was in Merseyside. What that wily 50 year old Scotsman has done with Everton in over a decade with limited resources is a joy to marvel at.

When Ferguson arrived, he was just a 44 year old Scotsman waiting to make the jump onto the biggest stage.

It's safe to say he did.

Moyes is not much older that Ferguson when he arrived at the club back in 1986. The resemblance is almost uncanny one might say. The Everton boss has a proven track record in the transfer market and like Fergie, he makes good players better players through coaching: Leighton Baines, Phil Jagielka, Marouane Fellaini, Mikel Arteta and Tim Cahill immediately pop into mind.

Adding to Moyes' already impressive repertoire is his ability to know when to remain calm and when to lose his temper; and that, to use yet another cliché, is a list that goes on.

Now I wouldn’t mind Jose Mourinho taking over at Old Trafford. The 'Special One,' who’s indicating he might be leaving Real Madrid at the end of the season, has even flirted with the idea of wanting the Old Trafford hot seat. The thing about him though, he's too erratic and would probably mess the ethic Ferguson has created at Old Trafford. Mourinho wouldn’t be a manager to respect the ethic that the club is bigger than the individual: he hasn’t quite done that during his time at Chelsea, Inter or Real.

But Mourinho is a winner.

During David Moyes' 11-year reign, teams like Birmingham, Swansea and Portsmouth have all won major trophies, unlike Everton. That’s about the only thing that seems to be a disadvantage for Moyes: a gamble you could say compared to hiring someone like Mourinho or Klopp, who’ve won titles in the recent past. Make no mistake, it won’t be smooth sailing for Manchester United under Fergie's successor, whoever he maybe, as he tries to live up to the greatest manager the beautiful game has ever seen.

Back in Germany, Jurgen Klopp has worked marvels in Dortmund, but still remains inexperienced when it comes to the English game. If you watch and analyze the Bundesliga, you'll find numerous differences between the two leagues. Still, in Klopp's favour, his Dortmund side play a fast paced, attacking brand of football; something the red half of Manchester is more that familiar with.

Sir Alex Ferguson will definitely have a say in who replaces his at the club. It was always going to be that way. I'm not expecting that the club I grew up watching on television will end up as treble winners next season. No! That would be an added bonus if anything.

While the club will hire the candidate that they feel best fits the job description, there will always be people out there who seem to think they have a better idea. Opinions, like the fine wine we know Sir Alex tends to enjoy on occasion, vary.

It's an exciting time to be a football fan. For Manchester United fans, it's an exciting and nervous time moving forward. The world now awaits official confirmation on who will take up one of the most hallowed seats in football management.

It’s going to be David Moyes in the Old Trafford hot seat next season.

And you probably won't like it.

Ronny Returns

Ronaldo reacts after netting the game winner at Old Trafford

It had to be him. Of all the people on the football pitch in Manchester, it had to be Cristiano Ronaldo who scored the game winner. A dagger in the hearts of the United faithful, especially watching their hero put his current team into the last eight of the Champions League. There's no doubt in my mind that he 'Ronny' will return to Madrid with a case of mixed emotions after this result.

In easily the most hyped up of games I’ve watched in quite some time, the atmosphere did not disappoint. The crowd was right into the game from the very get go. And Sir Alex Ferguson is still showing us that at the age of 71 he still knows how to handle a team of superstars and get the best out of them.

But sadly, not this time around.

Such is Ferguson’s charisma that he started Wayne Rooney on the bench instead opting for local lad Danny Welbeck. And by no means did Welbeck disappoint. He used his running and ability to get in behind the Real Madrid defence and make a nuisance of himself. His link up play with Robin Van Persie was superb, especially with Welbeck running in behind the central defenders, causing Real big problems. Finishing is Welbeck’s weakness at this moment and if he can work on that, he’s got a bright future in the white of England ahead of him.

But Welbeck or even Rooney was not why Old Trafford was packed to the brim on a Tuesday night in England. No, definitely not. 75,000 fans were in their seats to watch their old hero play on the hallowed Old Trafford surface for the first time since he left the club in 2009. And play, he did.

When Sergio Ramos bundled the ball into his own net, it made the tie ever so interesting. But then it all back fired for United. Cuynet Cakir sent Nani off for a tackle, which pundits (except a certain Roy Keane) call a controversial decision.

But I won’t dig into that. Not here. 

Ronaldo and Nemanja Vidic

The match did however turn in Madrid’s favour, as expected. And Luka Modric with North London connections, having played for Tottenham showed by he was picked up Madrid. Ever since his move, he’s been relegated to the bench and playing part time roles. He did just that at Old Trafford, but this time, with a vengeance. It was Modric of all people, on his return to England, who got Real clicking again.

He would score off a blinding shot putting it just beyond David DeGea’s reach, tying the game at two goals apiece, putting extra time back on the cards.

Before kick-off, Ronaldo was given a rapturous reception by supporters at the club where he had played a starring role en route to winning the Champions League in 2008, as well as three Premier League titles. And he responded with a wave tap of the hand on his heart in return.

But for his current team he went one better.

Gonzalo Higuain teed up a nice low cross to the far post and who else but ‘the boy from Madeira’ rushing towards the far post and slotting the ball home past a helpless DeGea. Just like in the first leg, Ronaldo didn’t celebrate after he found the back of the net, he just stood there, with a million thoughts rushing though his head, while his teammates were rejoicing in a frenzy. 

Old Trafford was silent.

I was silent.

But inside I was exuberant. The Golden Boy has returned.

Fond memories: Ronaldo trudges on the Old Trafford pitch

Image Credits: Manchester United facebook page

Sir Alex Ferguson: A Tribute...

25 and proud. Congrats Sir Alex!

Greatness they say is rare. Everyone wants to be great some way or the other. Everyone tries, most of them fail. Only a few people achieve true greatness. One such person is  Glasgow native, Alexander Chapman Ferguson, known better as Sir Alex Ferguson.

If completing twenty-five years in management is an achievement, completing twenty-five years at one club is even bigger. That’s what the modern world commemorates today. November 6^th, the date will forever be in the hearts of Red Devils around the world. The day the great man first said yes to Manchester United, the day the ball was set rolling. Today, that same man has a stand named after him at Old Trafford. Such is the respect people have for him in England and beyond. Ferguson inherited a dispirited team of underachievers who had consistently, to their supporters’ discontent, failed to break Liverpool’s domination. They were stuck in the bottom four of the Division. Without resorting to the transfer market, Ferguson guided United up the table to an 11th place finish: the first of many successes with United.

This first trophy came but not before a Mark Robin’s goal, which is widely remembered as the goal that "saved Alex Ferguson's job" in 1990. The European Cup Winners’ Cup was won the following season in Rotterdam; Barcelona was defeated 2-1 thanks to a brace from Mark Hughes. Then, in 1991/92, the League Cup was added to United’s list of honours. Sadly the title remained elusive. It was the Holy Grail to United fans, the 26 championships-free years being exacerbated by Liverpool’s dominance of the domestic and European game. It was a modest £1 million that was chiefly responsible for United winning their first league title – Eric Cantona was the player. That league victory inspired many more and the Ferguson won several trophies with ‘kids’, contradicting what former Liverpool legend Alan Hansen had once said about his decision.

Ferguson’s greatest achievement however was the Champions League Final in 1999. I don’t think I need to tell you people what happened then, its history and it will never occur again. Such was the drama and the emotions that Ferguson was knighted following that success and some suggested that he should retire, believing his desire would wane following the realisation of a dream. But that was not to be. Titles followed as United tightened the screws on football in England.

Though there have been several dark moments in the Ferguson era at Old Trafford (the humiliating defeat to Man City being the most recent one), United have always stood tall. Guided by a sprightly fatherly figure, they knocked Liverpool off their perch which Ferguson said they would do back in 2002: "My greatest challenge is not what's happening at the moment, my greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool right off their fucking perch. And you can print that." Those were his exact words a decade ago.

Today, Sir Alex set his eyes on the “Sir Alex Ferguson Stand.” Only he knows what went through his mind that moment. A flashback perhaps? No one but he knows. 1.409 games in charge of Manchester United so far, a feat no one will come close to matching. Even Arsenal’s great manager Arsene Wenger (who is the second longest serving manager in England with fifteen years at Arsenal) doesn’t feel he will come close to Ferguson’s feat. Only time will tell. “He talks of the drive that enables him, not far off turning 70, to get by with such an unfeasible lack of sleep: in bed by midnight, into Carrington before sunrise. Then he breaks off from the questions and directs his audience to the photographs on the walls before offering the most illuminating insight into why he does not want to let go so easily.”

Phillip Jackson will erect a statue for Sir Alex: it’s a fitting tribute for a man who says he has five years left in him. Such dedication in the modern game is rare. It’ll be quite something to enter Old Trafford and see statues of two true great managers: Ferguson and the late Sir Matt Busby. I end with nothing but praise for Sir Alex. Greatness is something he achieved and will continue to achieve. It’ll be a sad day when he finally calls it a day. I wouldn’t want to be the manager to replace Ferguson: the pressure would be immense. There is just one way I can think of summarizing the Ferguson dynasty at Old Trafford:

“Football, Bloody Hell!”

Remembered Forever! The Sir Alex Ferguson Stand at Old Trafford.

Image Credit: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/373942_303276363017728_100000060998228_1324397_1781472427_n.jpg (Ferguson Stand)
http://s1-02.twitpicproxy.com/photos/large/415961881.jpg (Mosaic)
Ferguson Quote: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/nov/04/manchester-united-sir-alex-ferguson?newsfeed=true
Video Credit: https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150388443388485

A Fans' Fan...

In United He Believes....

Derby day defeats are hard to digest. A derby day mauling is even harder to digest. Such was the scenario at Old Trafford today. Manchester City were rampant, Manchester United were shell shocked. Mario Balotelli was the centre of attraction just hours after setting his house on fire. “Why Always Me?” his t-shirt read; comic relief on an otherwise gloomy Sunday to United fans like me.

Needless to say, I expected the 1-6 jokes to start moments after the game. And start they did. Slowly they came in, one by one, some were funny and some were ridiculously poor attempts at mocking United. ‘Jokes’ apart, it was a day when one would be able to filter between Man U and United fans.

While City spent the rest of the day celebrating, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea fans joined the banter as well. Joke after joke, taunt after taunt. Chelsea fans would be reminded that though they played the most amazing 45 minutes of football I have seen, with nine men, at Loftus Road, they were beaten by a QPR side who won their first game at home this season. Cue the cliché, “Chris Foy is a retard.” These were the same set of fans who laughed when Ferguson has similar reservations about Mr. Foy’s skill on numerous occasions. Arsenal fans on the other hand needn’t be reminded about their own problems so I will not dwell on that for much longer. I will also mention here that this is no way a cheap shot intended at other fans. Respect is everything in the game, and it was great to see other fans console me after the game, while the general lot just fired away!

78,487 watched from inside Old Trafford. By the time the final whistle sounded, there were just a loud bunch of City supporters in their end and a sparse number of United faithful, who fought on to stay till the end. “Manchester is Blue” was heard around the stadium and I’m sure that was the chant on the streets as well. Call me biased, I don’t really care, but it was one of those days. Nothing went United’s way and City capitalized, just as any title ‘aspiring’ side would.

What left me shocked was the number of people who left as early as the 70th minute. True United were three goals down, but you don't desert the team like that. It was strange, nay bizarre coming from United 'faithful'. It touched me to see a fan sitting in his seat long after others had left. It warmed my heart to see him, gloomy as it was, sharing his disappointment with Old Trafford; sharing his disappointment with fans who would bleed for the club every single day. I know what I'm wearing to college tomorrow. Its red with AON in front and it bears the logo I grew up to love on the left. I end, humbly like that man pictured above, with a gloomy face, an optimistic thought and a never ending belief in United. Now and forever. Amen.

Picture Credit: http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/294144_283461865009040_165684310120130_992930_573878079_n.jpg

The Rise Of David De Gea...

 David De Gea, Like A Boss! Anfield October 15, 2011, Liverpool, England

Aren’t bittersweet moments strange? Well, you tell me! The 19^th Premier League title was won by Manchester United. In the aftermath of those joyous scenes, Edwin van der Sar and Paul Scholes decided to call it a day. Two legends in their respective positions on a football pitch. Anyone who believed that United wouldn’t miss these two legends can easily be classified as a fool. Yes, I’ll be quite blunt when I say that. Then again, with Sir Alex at the helm, it was expected that he’d know exactly who to sign as a replacement for these two greats of football.

Tom Cleverley was an expected call up, the youngster was proving himself for the past two seasons at Watford and Wigan. There was much deliberation whether or not Wesley Sneijder would join the club and this continued right till the final day of the transfer period. Instead in came teenager Phil Jones from Blackburn (who I might add has impressed me greatly) and winger Ashley Young from Aston Villa.  But this article is not about a replacement for Paul Scholes, it’s about a replacement in my own position on a football pitch – the goalkeeper. I’ve said it often and I’ll say it again, but a goalkeeper is the most underrated player in almost any football team. Critics say all he does is stands and watches while midfielder and wingers especially cover as much as eleven kilometres in a single game. True, goalkeepers barely cover five kilometres on a football pitch (most of it is walking around their own goal line to stay focussed), but underrating them isn’t exactly fair. George Graham said that  "The goalkeeper is the jewel in the crown and getting at him should be almost impossible. It's the biggest sin in football to make him do any work." And boy I will tell you that he is absolutely correct. For I’ve seen when a goal is conceded it’s the goalkeeper who gets blamed. This I can say from personal experience. But when he makes a top class save, nothing!

Moving to van der Sar’s replacement, there was much talk about Manuel Neuer and his ongoing saga with Schalke and Bayern Munich. Evidently, he was on his way to Bayern, which is what almost what every German player wants to do. Sir Alex, after having failed to lure the German to Old Trafford, turned his head to a young Spaniard - David De Gea, sparking a widespread disgust amongst many United and ‘ManU’ fans. Would he be the man to fill the Dutchman’s legendary boots? Would he be able to match Fergie’s bargain of the century Peter Schmeichel?

In his early United days, De Gea took a lot of stick. Some of you’ll reading this article will have criticized the twenty year olds performances calling him scared, calling him a waste of money. Yet Fergie was adamant that he made the right move. A superb penalty save off Robin van Persie in the Arsenal rout won some fans and after the Chelsea game many of De Gea’s critics were silenced! He put in a solid performance which handed United the match, and a very welcome three points against a title rival. Twenty year old? What twenty year old? The hypocrites were quickly singing De Gea’s praises.

Weeks passed and on came Liverpool at Anfield. United hadn’t won there in three years. Liverpool was looking to end United’s unbeaten start to the season. Up stepped Steven Gerrard and boy it was great to see him in action, even though it was for those Scousers as many a United fan would put it. Gerrard scored, Hernandez equalized, which brought on a fascinating final ten minutes. Who better to deny Liverpool a win than David De Gea? The United custodian pulled off a number of vital acrobatic saves which kept the score level and ultimately it was he who preserved United’s unbeaten status. Jordan Henderson was flabbergasted, Luis Suarez and Dirk Kuyt left stunned as they all thought that they had scored but there was De Gea flying in bring back memories of the Great Dane and the Flying Dutchman.

To quote Phil McNulty of the BBC football blog: "Ferguson was largely indebted to young keeper David De Gea, who had had his critics this season but made crucial saves to keep United in contention as they came under concerted pressure in the closing stages.......... Charlie Adam's shot deflected invitingly into the Uruguyan's (Suarez) path, but, after cleverly wrong-footing Jonny Evans, he was thwarted by De Gea's block........ De Gea was United's hero again within seconds of Hernandez's equaliser, diving to his left to claw away Dirk Kuyt's shot as he got on the end of a superb cross from Stewart Downing."

David De Gea has surely grown in stature as a United goalkeeper. One has to remember that the Premier League is a lot more physical than the La Liga which in my opinion is a sad excuse of a league that generally has two winners only. Given his age, it was expected that De Gea would take time to adapt to a new club, a club like Manchester United. And adapt he has. Move over De Gea critics, the young Spaniard is here to stay!

David De Gea

Photo Credits: http://www.zimbio.com/photos/David+de+Gea/Liverpool+v+Manchester+United+Premier+League/bbdPKMJTBts (Liverpool Save)

http://www.zimbio.com/photos/David+de+Gea/West+Bromwich+Albion+v+Manchester+United+Premier/QH1Yftv2Udr (De Gea)

Text: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/15225853.stm (BBC Sport Blog)
"Like A Boss" Caption Credit: Ruhin Chatterjee