http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18624174 Personally I think that this is an appalling decision. It would not have harmed the squad to have had him in the last 18 and have played him for a half hour or so - considering the work he has put in as an ambassador for the UK both in football and in wider sport. It seems pretty mean-spirited of Pearce not to pick him and let him sign off from representing his country for the last time on (arguably) the biggest stage in sport. Pearce's statement that he wanted more defensive cover simply doesn't wash. After all, does anybody care whether we win the Olympic "Soccer" Tournament or not? I for one have no interest in it.
Perhaps Pearce is thinking about trying to win it? Exactly what John Barnes said on 5 Live this morning, much to the dismay of the presenter. Have to agree with him, surely we should pick our strongest squad?
I agree with that. We have the best chance of winning it as its on our own turf and we have some of the best young talent in the world. I think the England performance at Euro just proves we need to blood in the juniors.
I don't think they have announced the full squad yet have they? Without knowing what the squad looks like overall, I can't really say whether this is sensible or not. Maybe if he was selected we would be saying that we looked very weak defensively.
Pearce has just announced the final 18-man squad. From the responses so far, perhaps I am alone in not caring how far we progress in the Olympic "Soccer" tournament? This is a sport that, arguably, shouldn't be in the Games anyway. Whether we get past the group stage or to the semis or final or win it, I just don't care. Is this an age thing, I wonder? It would have been a magnanimous gesture for Beckham to have played a part, however fleeting. Might have made it a little more interesting if we'd dropped a goalie instead..........
I would have picked Beckham, but I can understand why Pearce didn't, as him and Giggs now play in fairly similar positions. What I'm disgusted about is Micah Richards. It's not often I listen to TalkSport and agree with Adrian Durham word-for-word, but he's absolutely right about this one. If you don't want to be a backup for England, fine. If England later beg you to come back, realising what a terrible idea not starting you was, and you accept, fine. But to turn down a standby place on the grounds that you've been given an inside nod that you can be in Team GB? Not having that. Pearce is a disgrace, Richards not far behind.
Any source on that Micah Richards-Team GB story NNW? On the Beckham saga, thank god he wasn't picked. It would have been a complete circus had he been involved. Pearce has probably been told to pick his strongest squad, and that certainly doesn't include Beckham. It may be a recycled argument, but why don't we let Seb Coe have one of the spots in the 1500m if we're giving out sentiments?
Seb Coe not being a current professional might have something to do with it... Not sure exactly what you'd like a source for emiatss, but Micah Richards would have known for a fact that he was on the shortlist of overage players that Pearce was looking at when he made the decision not to accept the England callup: it was in the public domain that those under consideration had been informed.
Not knowing how Beckham is playing now, compared to the others, it's hard to say, but i think this decision stinks, from a purely heartfelt standpoint! Beckham would give his all for his country, we've seen it time and time again, not just on the pitch, but his tireless efforts off it as well. I agree about the circus, and i've seen it said that it would have meant that football would have overshadowed the 'true olympians' but i'm sorry, Beckham should be in team GB and it's appalling that he's not. (IMHO!)
Pearce has been over to the US a couple of times to watch Beckham - perhaps he did not like what we saw? Pearce is a straight up bloke who would make up his own mind..
i guess so, but i can't help feeling he's done it to be controversial, after all, i'm guessing that with all the talk of Beckham over the last year, a lot of people would have bought tickets for the matches in the hope that they'd see him play...they'll be mightily pee'd off now! I know that's no reason to play him, but if Pearce needed two jollies to make that decision, the least he could have done is play him! Otherwise surely one would suffice!
It would have been nice for him to go. AHHHHH NICE> this is not about nice this is about gold !!!! MANAGER DECIDES SQUAD - Beckham, for all the way he has applied himself throught he years, for all the attention it might have brough, it not up to it.
But isn't the point that Pearce had to choose an 18 man squad and Beckham did not make the squad - obvioulsy Pearce had 18 players he thought were more likely to win an Olympic gold medal? If people brought tickets for the football at the Olympics on the chance that they might see Beckham play, they could be considered a little foolish.
A shame for Beckham as he was a good professional who did his best for England and cared but I think he would have just been a bit part player getting all the attention. Is a better role model for football than Giggs or Bellamy though!
The outrage is that Bobby Charlton hasn't been selected. Come on such a hero who's had a taste of winning the highest honor. Psycho has made a footballing rather than showbiz decision and I think hes right to do so. Becks should be involved in the coaching side, he needs to move on and gain some experience in the area before he comes to WFC.
Is it true that football is one of the few major sports where tickets are still available? Is it also true that no-one much cares about the Great Britain team because it is seen as not a real team? I heard (and again correct me if I am wrong) that Beckham was going to be picked just to get people to go to the GB games.
Schools up here have been given tickets for Olympic football matches to hand out to anyone who wants them. I know of 20 schools in the region where the take-up rate has been a big, fat zero - and I wouldn't be surprised if the story is the same in the other 150 or so. So it may well be true that Team GB inspires little interest, up here at least. Even less if Beckham had been selected.
I'm looking forward to seeing the Olympic matches that I'm going to, but I deliberately decided not to go to Wembley as I wanted to see players who I hadn't seen or heard of before. I've been lucky enough that I'm going to see a Brazil game, so I'll have an idea of some of the players who could be in their World Cup squad in 2 years.
One point that has not been made is Pearce's career. He was suggested as a possible for the England job. Even if this is not true for him to succeed at the Olympics will be a big boost to him. If he were to fail badly then perhaps people will wonder whether he should be in the England set up at all. From a personal level he cannot afford sentimentality. From a career point of view managing the GB team is a risk. He will want to minimise that risk.
