http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22558393 Surprised that there has not already been a thread about this news. Pretty major football news about arguably the most 'famous' footballer in the world. Also, think there is a good debate to be had about Beckham's actual footballing ability. Some think he is vastly overrated by the British media and others think that he was actually a top footballer. For me, he was very good but he was never ever one of the best in the world, even in his peak. So, how does everyone else view his career?
I'm a big fan. For someone who had very little raw athletic ability he became an absolute top player respected by people such as Zidane, basically through hard work and knowing everything there was to know about the game. For me that is better than some of these players that have all the talent in the world and waste it.
Agree with this, if you take out his ability to cross the ball, set pieces, and his long range passing he was mediocre at best, but he had a great understanding of the game and an even greater desire to win. He also knew what he was good at, and what he wasn't, which is a quality in itself.
Thank **** for that...****er I miss watching football for footballs sake...can do that a bit more now that the circus has left town.
I'm just waiting for all the Fergie and Beckham ejaculating to die down so that we can get back to the football
Im competely neutral toward Mr Beckham but i'd be happy if i never had to see his wife again.. His kids are probably going to be a proper bunch of Biebers as well
I don't care when a player from another team retires. Is there a thread when ex-Arsenal players retire?
I don't see the big point, Beckham's been irrelevant from a football perspective for many years now. As Piskie said, all this ejaculation over Fergie and Beckham is becoming a bit too much, in all fairness they probably do deserve it (Beckham not so much, as I said, he's been irrelevant for some time), but seeing as we're not United fans, you eventually have enough reading about it.
I think Beckham was over hyped, but frankly that is laughable from Waddle. Still what do you expect from a spud ?
I thought Beckham retired from serious football when he sold out to the American dream. Still, his 'celebrity' shows what can be achieved with hard work. He was a hard-working, relatively skilled footballer who achieved some success at the top level. Good luck to him and to all who buy into him. There will be another one coming soon.......
I'd be surprised if there is another like him from England anytime soon. I think most fans fail to appreciate just how respected he is by the great players and managers he has worked with. There are not many that have a bad word to say about him. Most people go on about how he was a money making exercise, but lets face it PSG don't need the money, why the hell did they sign him? There is no getting round the fact that he provided a tactical option that not many players before or since have been able to provide. His (almost uniquely) accurate long passes and set pieces, together with the fact that he wasn't a liability defensively, elevated his worth to a team, beyond that of being better or worse at the usual skills. The amount of power and swerve he could put on a ball, meant that he was able to produce dangerous crosses from areas of the field that no other player could. By all accounts, he was hard-working, an excellent role-model and an excellent team mate, so you have a player that perhaps other players and managers appreciated, more than the average male fan. After all, if you have a man who lays on goals for you, and makes you look like a genius, why hate on him? Raul, Zidane, Carlos, Ronaldo and so on, the list is extensive of great players who think he was a great player, and have said so. When Beckham was in his prime, England failed because of bad managers who failed to capitalize on his talents, not because Beckham had a bad game or games. His talents were more strategic, and taking advantage of them was up to the manager and the other players. He has retired now mainly because he HAS become a liability defensively, but if it were not for that, he would still be going strong.
