Brought To Book
‘I AM sure some people think I have not got the brains to be that clever, but I do have the brains.
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| ‘Brain, brain. I know it’s down here somewhere’ |
David Beckham may have been clever enough to deliberately get a yellow card during last Saturdays game against Wales, but he wasnt smart enough to keep his gob shut.
And thanks to his boasting the England captain is now in trouble, with the world of football lining up to have a crack this morning.
The Sun leads with the view of Sir Geoff Hurst that Becks has brought shame on the country with his deliberate foul on Welsh full-back Ben Thatcher.
The Star and the Mirror give a platform to Fifa boss Sepp Blatter, who says the Real Madrid midfielder has brought the game into disrepute with his actions.
And the Mail leads with the views of both Hurst and Blatter to the effect that Beckham isnt fit to lead England.
All this because Beckham couldnt resist trying to show off how bright he was.
As Lee Dixon said yesterday, players have always gone out to get themselves booked so they can serve their suspension against weaker teams.
Its just that not only were most more subtle than the England skipper, preferring to throw the ball away or argue with the ref rather than assault an opponent, they didnt advertise it.
Whether Beckham is fit to lead or not, he wouldnt be fit to play in this evenings match against Azerbaijan even if he wasnt serving a ban.
But while everyone confidently expects Shaun Wright-Phillips to step into his shoes after his excellent debut against the Ukraine, the Mail has other ideas.
It says Newcastles Jermaine Jenas is the man in the frame a selection that would make more sense if Sven Goran Eriksson plans to continue with his three up front experiment.
It is a view shared by the Times, which nevertheless reminds us that all of Jenass seven caps have come as a substitute and none of them have been in a competitive game.
However, the Indy thinks the Swede will revert to a 4-4-2 formation, with Jermain Defoe being relegated to the bench and Owen Hargreaves coming in to central midfield.
All of which shows one thing – you wouldnt want to play poker against Eriksson.’
Posted: 13th, October 2004 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
