Do you think Beckham is wasting his time going to LA Galaxy (who ever they are)?

Question

Would you not have thought he would have been better going to someone like Tottenham or Newcastle or some other reasonable club in England to fight for his place back in the England Squad, rather than sign for a second rate club like LA Galaxy. No disrespect for LA Galaxy, but they are hardly one of the worlds most prestige clubs, and one man is not going to change that.
I for one, and listening to the lads in the office think its a wasted chance to fight for his England spot. Your opinions please?

Answer 1

No i think LA Galaxy will be wasting their time with becks. He is passed it man. Seriously, he has had his time. He needs to kick back and enjoy his money with his children.

Answer 2

Beckham could have followed in Owen's footsteps and gone from Madrid to Newcastle were the Geordie's would have hero worshipped him, but Posh in Northumbria, I think not!
Then Spurs you say, that big London club who dominated the League Cup back in 1999, remember, back in the 20th century!!
But surely, the biggest problem yet is Beckham's own footballing abilities, he has hardly set the world alight since joining Real over two seasons ago, mediocre England performances are why he was dumped by McClaren, rightly or wrongly, and in balance Beckham has gone for the selfish option for two reasons: At either Newcastle or Spurs, it would be a huge step down for the once great player, it would probably not changed McClaren's mind about bringing him back for England and there would also be the most horrific thougths going through David's head, imagine if I could not even make the starting eleven for a no more than average Premiership side!!!
Step up Galaxy, the land of LA will soon know all about David, Posh, Brooklyn and Romeo Beckham, hanging with their pals such as the Cruise family, Beckham will be a hero once again, playing in a league where he is guaranteed not only to start every game, but to be the star man until he retires aged 36!!
As for giving up the ghost of playing for his country again, I think $250 might take that pain away!!

Answer 3

If you think this is about anything other than money, you need some strong coffee and a piece of cake.

I've played soccer in the states (Seattle Sounders, 94 - 97) and trust me, it's a different game. The American and South American players are tremendous athletes and there is pace right across the park. He won't get any time on the ball and will be totally ineffective in either Central or Right Midfield positions. His fitness may improve, but he was never that quick and never played well in the middle. Whilst I agree that Galaxy are lower division quality, they are definitely upper deck athletes and he just wont make a difference.

As for spreading soccer amongst children, that's nonsense. American kids already play soccer. Its the men that don't and they won't buy Beckham one little bit.

It's a shame that they have bought into the whole 'Brand Beckham' thing, he could just ruin footy in the States forever. They felt horribly cheated when the likes of Pele, Beckenbauer and Cruyff went there to pillage cash and look what folly they're getting now? Now, if they used their money more cleverly, they could have taken twenty TOP DRAWER talents and really promoted the game.

Seems to me like someones bought London Bridge all over again.

Answer 4

Although he'll be earning a huge sum of money going to LA
he would still have earned a huge amount staying at Madrid.
It's not like he's hard up or anything.
All he's going to be playing in Europe is a past it, fading star.
LA Galaxy have been equated to a League 1 side so even
considering his age and deterioration of skills and fitness he'll
still likely be a hell of a lot better than the other players.
I think he'll make a huge difference to the side and probably
raise awareness of the AFL but for a lasting difference
in American attitudes towards football I think more past it
European footballers who were once great will have to go over.
If the standard of football can be raised then more people
will follow it.
It's a good move for him and his family, he can play on for longer
than he'd be able to at Madrid or a Premiership side and he
obviously wants the star lifestyle that he can get over in LA.

Answer 5

I think Beckham has no chance of regaining his place in the England team under Steve McLaren, regardless of whether he plays in Spain, England or USA.

Obviously, we don't know of the conversations between DB and SM but from press reports I believe this to be the case. Whether I agree or not well, no, I believe that DB Still has something to offer to the England set up.

The premiership would probably offer him a two year deal at £100K per week, grossing £15M over the 2 years. Galaxy have offered him a deal worth about 18 times that. Got to give him credit for going where the money is. He has got to consider his family and his lifestyle and, lets face it, he likes the celebrity trappings.

I think he is also thinking about his career after football, sorry Soccer, and being in LA and Hollywood would give him the edge in that respect.

The US Major League will become a trap for previous 'Galactico's' to ply their twilight years on inflated salaries for their pension rights, just as it was in the 70's when it started (Pele, George Best et al).

Let England concentrate on bringing a new batch of players to the fold, let Beckham earn his millions and let's see which round we can get to in the next major trophy.

Answer 6

The suppossed experts commenting about this on the TV make me smile. They lack both the big picture and an understanding of commercial opportunity. Beckham's move is incredibly clever, let me explain why:

First, as a player he is entering the decline phase in his career, so coming back to england his playing would have been subject to increased competition from other players and reduced positive exposure with a likelihood of increased criticism - which might have damaged his reputation and bankability.

Financially - David has been histroically paid well, his player decline phase would likely see his pay fail to keep up with his historic MVP status going forward.

America is a land of opportunity for Soccer since it has yet to mature and has room to grow and room for serious role models. Beckham is the most well known european football brand player in the US (which may not be massive there but would carry).

So, he plays at Galaxy and the club uses him as a promotional tool. He is a poster boy for the club and the sport. He will sign endorsement deals which will mean exposure for Beckham, exposure for Galaxy, and exposure for Football.

The bottom line is, he doesn't have to singlehandedly convert the US into football fanatics, but he will increase its profile because he can work the promotional game very successfully. He's a good looking man and has commercial endorsement appeal, his bank of celebrity contacts will assist that development.

Beckham will likely use this to grow his brand to the highest international staus, as where in the UK he risked it going into decline. As a player he will likely look good against the Americans and be a poster boy to young US players. His move to the US is strategically very clever, it achieve the best possible outcomes as it is seeking to attain the highest goals.

If he follows through on this i see Beckham setting up his US academies, having additional branded items, and building a high profile name in the US for the sport. Working against David is his voice, which would likely limits his potential as a presenter or using his voice in adverts etc.

Overall i think he has made a very very good move.

Answer 7

"He is actually 34, and he now has a contract until 39. I think he wants to relax in Los Angles. He can easily start a movie career in LA. The fact that he bought a house in LA means that he most likely likes it there. He probly wants his children to grow up in the States. "

He's 31!! He was born in 1975.

The sheer fact that he has given more to charity than any other footballer means that I don't begrudge him his money, no matter how obscene it is.

He was never going to come back to england to play against manchester united, he promised that when he left and he has kept his word. The hype surrounding him will fade after the first month and then he can go on to be more anonymous than he ever could in europe. Maybe it's the fact that he wanted some peace for his family as well as the phenomenal payout.

Good luck to ya Becks. Keep the trusty right foot safe!

Answer 8

Define waste of time? At 81p a second!

He's finished as far as England are concerned, his resignation of the captaincy was taken as him standing down from the commitment plus he's not been getting the games out in Spain that he'd need to stay competitive in the International arena (never mind the premiership).

He has two kids, a spendthrift wife who doesn't really DO or EARN anything and they are both in their early/mid 30s so basically he's looking to retire in a few years and have enough money to keep Posh in D&G for another 50 years.

I think he's doing the responsible thing for his family and ensuring their financial stability for the future.

It's not like anyone can imagine him going off to a foreign country to play footy then come back with a series of crisp adverts and a spot on Match of the Day!

Answer 9

If Becks had come home to England,it would have to have been with Man. Utd. & that was never going to happen. He would'nt have signed for anyone else. This move is the best thing for him & more importantly his family. The press would have hounded him,Posh & the children & we all know what the press is like here in the UK - that would slowly destroy him (especially if he was'nt up to ther standard they would have set for him). He can now become an outstanding Ambassador in the States for the best & most wonderful game in the world. I personally wish him,all the best & hope that he really enjoys his time there. The money aint too bad either ! ! Good luck to the man who gained 94 England caps & I'm sad that he never made it to that magical 100. He always gave his all fclub & country & I fully expect that he will give it his "all" for his new club plus become a real live advertisment for the game in the States,where thewill love him & his family. Go for it David & thanks for all the enjoyment that you have given me over the Beckham era in England.

Answer 10

A lot of people seem to blame Beckham for our poor showing in the world cup and yet Lampard and maybe... Gerard did less for us. Out of our three so called world class players check the stats and you'll find that Beckham had the most assists and the most definitely the most goals. Everybody has there own preferences in terms of players but I don't think you can actually argue with the statistics. And yet he was dropped by McClaren. What I don't get is how Beckham was dropped and yet Lampard retains his place. I can't remember ever seeing Lampard have a good game for England, can you?

My personal opinion is that Beckham was dropped because McClaren needed to be seen to be doing something radically different from Sven. (Which he is in that he is making it very difficult for us to qualify for Euro 2008.... We haven't qualified yet...)

It's my personal opinion that it was a political decision to ax Beckham and nothing to do with football. Consequently, Beckham must know that under McClaren he has no chance of an England recall.

Under these circumstances why not go to a country where people will cheer his dazzling free kicks, his near perfect passes and most likely won't notice his less than meaty challenges in Midfield. Beckham has never been famous for his physical presence on the field...

Good luck to you Beckham. After 94 caps during which time England has gained the most consistent results ever, your country has deserted you because you couldn't deliver what everybody in the world knows should be our world cup...!

For those that say 31 and past it. I have two words to say Teddy Sheringham

Good luck Beckham,

I hope you get the recognition you deserve.

Answer 11

Let's not be stupid, Becks is not going there for football, it's a lucrative contract, no one has ever offered him such a big one, world record. the move is purely for money, $250 000 000 don't just fall on your head from the skies. Anyone with so much money to earn would go for it.
He said he would love to play for England again, but that was an answer to those would have asked him about his England ambitions in the future, a way to escape that question after. Because I honestly believe he knows that he will never ever play for England again, he really doesn't care for that anymore because of the new coach. now he has found a reason to, although it's inferior football, it doesn't matter, what matters at the end of the day is just the contract. isn't it true for every human being, money rules our lives , we want it or not, it's a fact we have to live with.
1. McClaren has made it more than clear he doesn't want Becks anymore.
2.Capello also has made it clear Becks is not in his plan.
3.$ 250 million
4. His wife loves the glamour of California.
5. His academy
6. NO ONE can match such a contract he's 31 and at that time for most footballers contracts are calculated on a yearly basis and also the rates are lower.