Cappello's New Captain

[Easy 10]

Alternatively he gives Beckham the 100th cap in February and then gives him the ultimatium along the lines of if you want to extend your international career you get yourself playing for a European club until the next World Cup.

Currently Beckham still has something to offer the squad, however all the time he is playing in the USA that something will become less.

Capello is in no position to dictate to Beckham who he should be playing for. That ship sailed when he left him out of the RM team and refused to give him assurances about his future, which is why Beckham is now getting paid a million dollars a minute at the Bus Depot Stadium, or whatever its called. And LAG have already made it clear they will not release him to play in Europe during their close season, he can only train here.

Beckham will have nothing to offer England next year. He's not playing football till April, and even then, the games he'll be playing in have all the competativeness and intensity of a testimonial. Beckham is HISTORY, and I hope to christ Capello has the good sense to realise that. Surely he will.

 

[Easy 10]

Quite. He must be one of the players most in danger of the chop - he's decidedly not Capello's type of player at all.

Are we saying that Rio could get "merked" ?
Blimey.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Capello is in no position to dictate to Beckham who he should be playing for. That ship sailed when he left him out of the RM team and refused to give him assurances about his future, which is why Beckham is now getting paid a million dollars a minute at the Bus Depot Stadium, or whatever its called. And LAG have already made it clear they will not release him to play in Europe during their close season, he can only train here.

Beckham will have nothing to offer England next year. He's not playing football till April, and even then, the games he'll be playing in have all the competativeness and intensity of a testimonial. Beckham is HISTORY, and I hope to christ Capello has the good sense to realise that. Surely he will.

By giving him an ulitmatium, it gives Cappello justification for not including him.

I would pick him for the Switzerland game, just to give him the 100th cap. He has been a half decent servant to England.

However like you I have reservations about him all the time he is playing in the MLS. The problem is none of the other options on the right of midfield have really done much to suggest they should be picked, rather than Beckham.

 

[Easy 10]

By giving him an ulitmatium, it gives Cappello justification for not including him.

I would pick him for the Switzerland game, just to give him the 100th cap. He has been a half decent servant to England.

However like you I have reservations about him all the time he is playing in the MLS. The problem is none of the other options on the right of midfield have really done much to suggest they should be picked, rather than Beckham.

Capello doesn't have to give justification for not including him - the facts speak for themselves. By February, Beckham won't have played a single game of football for MONTHS ! And I'm sorry, but Capello isn't getting paid £6m a year to dish out commemorative England caps to half decent servants, so we can all get misty-eyed and "pay tribute" to His Royal Beckness. Capello is here to start building us a TEAM, and part of that process is to look at solving that problem on the right. He hasn't got many friendlies next year (four is it ?) before the serious stuff starts in September, so wasting time paying homage to "Beckhams farewell lap of honour" don't come into it as far as I'm concerned. Not a factor. Get rid and get real.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Capello doesn't have to give justification for not including him - the facts speak for themselves. By February, Beckham won't have played a single game of football for MONTHS ! And I'm sorry, but Capello isn't getting paid £6m a year to dish out commemorative England caps to half decent servants, so we can all get misty-eyed and "pay tribute" to His Royal Beckness. Capello is here to start building us a TEAM, and part of that process is to look at solving that problem on the right. He hasn't got many friendlies next year (four is it ?) before the serious stuff starts in September, so wasting time paying homage to "Beckhams farewell lap of honour" don't come into it as far as I'm concerned. Not a factor. Get rid and get real.

I think for one friendly, even if it is 10 minutes at the end, it is not too much to ask to play him, but there again we are discussing England here and that never goes sensibly.

Also I question if there are any better options on the right at present, but as I said, I agree that where is playing his club football is an issue, but do not stop the ranting, it is like old times.

 

[Easy 10]

Depends whether you see the England team as a high-profile showbiz roadshow to provide a bandwagon for celebs to reach their own personal milestones, or whether you see it as a team under construction, a work in progress to restore some national pride to the football fans of this country.

And yes, its just like old times.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Depends whether you see the England team as a high-profile showbiz roadshow to provide a bandwagon for celebs to reach their own personal milestones, or whether you see it as a team under construction, a work in progress to restore some national pride to the football fans of this country.

And yes, its just like old times.

I think it is a work in progress, but at the same time, currently Beckham just about warrants a place in the squad, more down to the fact that others are yet to prove they are better, but at the same time where Beckham is now playing his club football is an issue.

What I do find interesting is that people are struggling to work out who are likely to be regulars in Cappello's team, yet personally I am not sure there is many quality young players coming through to displace many of those currently in the squad. I suspect Walcott, Bentley and Young will be in the squad, but presently not many more. So it seems a case of Cappello having to get the current players to do their job properly, opposed to a complete overhaul of players.

 

[Silent Bob]

Alternatively he gives Beckham the 100th cap in February and then gives him the ultimatium along the lines of if you want to extend your international career you get yourself playing for a European club until the next World Cup.

Currently Beckham still has something to offer the squad, however all the time he is playing in the USA that something will become less.

Agreed. Plus if he doesn't give him the 100th cap you know it will be Beckham this Beckham that, if he gets it then I think people will more readily let him fade away. It will be a bookend to his England career (if he stays in America).

Besides, it would also give Capello the chance to work with the players, see them in training and in a match, before naming a captain. Right now he's probably never met most, if not all the squad, Beckham aside.

 

[Easy 10]

Oh come on Bob, if Beckham gets his hundredth cap, thats ALL the game will be about (just like his "triumphant return" last summer in that friendly v Brazil and the qualifier against the goat-herders). Why are people so preoccupied with giving Backham a send-off ? Of book-ending his career ? Of contriving it so that he reaches a hundred caps ? Isn't finding a viable alternative on the right of our midfield a more PRESSING priority ?

I thought Capello was here to build an England team to qualify for the World Cup and actually put up a decent showing in 2010, not piss about indulging the likes of Beckham for his last great hurrah at Wembley.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Oh come on Bob, if Beckham gets his hundredth cap, thats ALL the game will be about (just like his "triumphant return" last summer in that friendly v Brazil and the qualifier against the goat-herders). Why are people so preoccupied with giving Backham a send-off ? Of book-ending his career ? Of contriving it so that he reaches a hundred caps ? Isn't finding a viable alternative on the right of our midfield a more PRESSING priority ?

I thought Capello was here to build an England team to qualify for the World Cup and actually put up a decent showing in 2010, not piss about indulging the likes of Beckham for his last great hurrah at Wembley.

Well its only a friendly...

 

[Easy 10]

Spoken like a true Sven acolyte...

 

[Uncle Buck]

Spoken like a true Sven acolyte...

Although he needs to use these friendlies properly, as I said earlier, I do not see there being a major revolution when it comes to selecting the squad, mainly as there is not a huge number of players in the U21's that look ready to make the step up.

Also I have no problem with Beckham getting his 100th cap.

 

[Silent Bob]

Oh come on Bob, if Beckham gets his hundredth cap, thats ALL the game will be about (just like his "triumphant return" last summer in that friendly v Brazil and the qualifier against the goat-herders). Why are people so preoccupied with giving Backham a send-off ? Of book-ending his career ? Of contriving it so that he reaches a hundred caps ? Isn't finding a viable alternative on the right of our midfield a more PRESSING priority?

I don't know why everyone is obsessed with it. But I just feel leaving him out would do more harm than good, the Beckham lovers would inescapable. There is also the fact that it is only Switzerland, and the FA need to fill Wembley. I know we've only just got rid of a manager who worried more about his image and spin than actual football, but a bit of PR never hurt anyone. Also identifying the long term option will be down to more than an hour against Switzerland or whatever.

I'm not a massive Beckham fan and I think his decision to bugger off to the knackers yard through choice was a ridiculous one, but he has been good for England for the most part.

 

[Easy 10]

They're not ready to make the step-up UB, because the position keeps getting taken by a shot-to-bits, injury-prone trans-atlantic chatshow hopping 32 year old who's best days were at least 5 years ago.

Its time the likes of Bentley, SWP, Lennon etl-al are given the chance to properly establish themselves in the team, to bed themselves into the squad, without having Captain America waiting in the wings to barge his way back in every time they scuff a cross into the stands.

 

[DTES]

One friendly - against Switzerland - won't matter jot, so Beckham can easily get his 100th cap, especially if it's just 45 minutes.

Any media circus that accompanies it won't affect Capello one way or the other, he'll still be quite capable of judging what's going on.

Getting back on topic though, giving the armband to anyone suggests a guaranteed place in the side - and there's no-one I'd like to give that too. The most convincing argument above for me though, is that for Barry.

 

[Easy 10]

I don't know why everyone is obsessed with it. But I just feel leaving him out would do more harm than good, the Beckham lovers would inescapable. There is also the fact that it is only Switzerland, and the FA need to fill Wembley. I know we've only just got rid of a manager who worried more about his image and spin than actual football, but a bit of PR never hurt anyone. Also identifying the long term option will be down to more than an hour against Switzerland or whatever.

I'm not a massive Beckham fan and I think his decision to bugger off to the knackers yard through choice was a ridiculous one, but he has been good for England for the most part.

We'll have to fundementally disagree here then. You have a completely different set of priorities to me when it comes to how Capello uses those friendlies next year.

 

[Uncle Buck]

They're not ready to make the step-up UB, because the position keeps getting taken by a shot-to-bits, injury-prone trans-atlantic chatshow hopping 32 year old who's best days were at least 5 years ago.

Its time the likes of Bentley, SWP, Lennon etl-al are given the chance to properly establish themselves in the team, to bed themselves into the squad, without having Captain America waiting in the wings to barge his way back in every time they scuff a cross into the stands.

Thing with SWP is he has been given a fair chance and although he has got the odd goal, he has not really shown he is up to it, his finally delivery is not great and at the stage of his career he is at, that is a worry.

Lennon, well injuries have been a issue for him and by all accounts his form for Spurs is not great.

Whilst Bentley has some talent, personally I would not have him in the squad, but I expect he will be there for the moment.

However none of them, when they have played have suggested they are currently a better option than Beckham, but the issue with Beckham is where he is playing his club football.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

I think for one friendly, even if it is 10 minutes at the end, it is not too much to ask to play him, England here and that never goes sensibly.

Agreed.

Beckham IMO, whatever you think about him, his lifestyle, his wife, his tatoos etc etc has at least ALWAYS given 100% for the cause, and has often dragged England through games almost on his own.

Personally I'd put him in the squad in February, let him come on for half an hour, and bow out gracefully.

Can't see Capello picking him beyond that game - he has a side to put together for 2010, Beckham won't be around then.

 

[Easy 10]

I still think SWP is the best option.
I'd agree in terms of delivery, his end product isn't always the best. But what he DOES give us is a real outlet down the right. His pace and trickery occupies opposition fullbacks and stretches defences. AND he has the energy to get up and down the park and support his own fullback, and bring the ball out with pace. Thats something Beckham has been unable to do for years - more often than not, he's caught in no-mans land on the halfway line these days.

Beckham might (MIGHT) be ok for the odd cameo role to bring something different to the table if we are needing a change. But the future is in the seering pace of SWP / Lennon (when fit), and hopefully Bentley. If Capello can get them firing consistently, then we are in business.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I still think SWP is the best option.
I'd agree in terms of delivery, his end product isn't always the best. But what he DOES give us is a real outlet down the right. His pace and trickery occupies opposition fullbacks and stretches defences. AND he has the energy to get up and down the park and support his own fullback, and bring the ball out with pace. Thats something Beckham has been unable to do for years - more often than not, he's caught in no-mans land on the halfway line these days.

Beckham might (MIGHT) be ok for the odd cameo role to bring something different to the table if we are needing a change. But the future is in the seering pace of SWP / Lennon (when fit), and hopefully Bentley. If Capello can get them firing consistently, then we are in business.

If you are not going to play Beckham, then long term I would look at Lennon. SWP got badly shown up in some of the away games and the delivery is an issue.

The alternative is to stick Gerrard out there and play Lampard in the middle...