Crouch needs Becks!
UPDATE -Unfortunately, it seems Peter Crouch is to be denied. David Beckham is not expected to start the match against Croatia tomorrow night. He may play a role as an impact sub instead. The Times reports that Becks has had a back problem in the past couple of days and that England manager McClaren has decided he is not fit enough to be a starter. Let's hope he is back at 100% soon.
First of the photos of David beckham from England's training session this morning are in the gallery.
(Source) England striker Peter Crouch is expected to lead the England attack on his own against Croatia on Wednesday night and he has told reporters there is one man he needs to supply him with ammo and that man is David Beckham! Crouchy said, "Most of my goals come from crosses so David is exactly the kind of player I need."
"David Beckham is a fantastic player. If you have someone like that in the side, I know I just need to get in the box because if he can find half a yard, he is going to whip a cross in." The striker added, "he delivered the corner for me to score against Austria last Friday and it was thanks to him I scored in my last start prior to that, in Estonia. An early cross is perfect for me and David always provides that. He's the best there is."
(Source) The Croatian head scout, Vucevic, shares Crouch's view saying, "I watched England in Vienna and they didn’t show much development from when we beat them in Zagreb... the one thing we must do it stop Beckham. He can put the ball on [Peter] Crouch’s eyebrows and that can be dangerous."
LA Galaxy recruiting
(Source) The LA Galaxy have sent a third-round selection in January's Major League Soccer Draft to New York in exchange for Clint Mathis, a 30-year-old American mid-fielder, who began his pro career with Los Angeles in 1998.Mathis was the leading scorer in franchise history for the Red Bulls, once known as the MetroStars, with 45 goals. He scored six goals in 29 games for New York this year.
posted by rpm at 12:03 AM
18 Comments:
Nice words from Crouch and true! It's nice to see he appreciates David and I do think that Crouch does need David to set him up
10:59 PM
I hope McLaren listens to Crouch as he knows what he needs to be able to score and McLaren needs to respect that and make sure he gives England the best chance of getting the result! Gordon Bennet I'm so nervous & excited LOL
2:57 AM
We love our Crouchy. Same words from everyone he's played with and every team that's faced him -- something the gutter pundits, catty ex-players, and follow-whatever-trend fans, manage to miss! But fortunately something that Becks is sure to take on.
Don't understand the Mathis acquisition unless its to use as a trade. He comes with a $400K salary against the cap, and while he has a good mind for the game he doesn't bring the speed and shooting the Galaxy need. Forwards would top my shopping list and budget at this point. But so much is done with trading here, its hard to tell what any team has in mind until the dust settles!
I'm having to take up breathing lessons again for tomorrow. Best luck to the boys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6:06 AM
am i being gloomy or does any one else agree that it doesnt look very good for davids chances of making the starting line up.after Maclarens press conference today all the press are talking as if becks is on the bench . once again he has bowed to media pressure. may be i am wrong, i hope so.God go with you david ithink you need some divine intervention x x
2:10 PM
The press seems to be convinced that Becks is starting on the bench which is shocking. McLaren makes such a big deal about "needing experienced players" in this kind of situation and then just disregards him... not to mention that Crouch is the only striker and who better to feed him in the area then Becks????
I just hope its not too late by the time Becks gets on the field ... assuming the press is right of course.
George
2:49 PM
Surely a 90% Beckham is better than SWP though!! Crouch wasn't saying he needed David just to listen to the sound of his own voice. SWP worked ok when you had other forward options but with Owen and Rooney out and Crouch you need the worlds best crosser to start!!
3:12 PM
I agree there is no need that he should put beckham on the substitutes bench in such a crucial game. I sure hope that everything still goes well and England gets the points they need to go on to Euro 2008.
By the way can you please post a link to view the game later on if there is one.
Thanks
3:23 PM
You are right Pru but I guess I'm just trying to look on the bright side which is that it would be much worse if McClaren had left a 100% fit Becks out as he has in the past - and also Becks could and hopefully will be a 'super sub' I can name many many games won by super subs. I share your worries and disappointment too of course tho but will just have to hope for the best!
3:24 PM
will do Melissa :) I'll add a link Weds morning early.
3:39 PM
I am so upset when I found the news. I can't belive that David has been droped. perhaps I should not say this but now I do hope the England fall utill David sub up to turn the game around. That would be a good lesson for McClaren and those who slam David all these days. That will show how important and valuable david is for England.
3:47 PM
sigh..he's not starting?? hmmmm..
have to hope for the best then.....
5:58 PM
I think it's an over reaction to suggest you don't want England to win or at least you only want them to win if the lad can come on and save them. I tell you what there is no way in Hades that the lad would want that.
I, as anyone who has come here often will know, can't stand McClown and I have no faith in him as England manager full stop but that said, you can't actually get all upset and throw your toys out of the cot about him not starting the lad against Croatia because the lad is not 100% fit. If he is having back problems or is still struggling a bit with match fitness...he said himself he struggled for the first 15 minutes of the Austria game...then playing him as a sub may be the best thing.
The lad may not be best starting he might be most effective to come on when the Croatian team are tiring. I don't have much beef with this so long as McClaren plays him. After all it looks as if he isn't starting Hargreaves either so I don't think the motives are media pressure this time out.
8:59 PM
Oh dear :-( It's a shame that David won't start. I do hope he can play an important role as a sub and I do hope his back is ok.
11:02 PM
I hope his back is ok, interesting no other papers I've seen mention it besides the Times hmmm. The media make it sound like he is out of the team not out of the starting line-up. They are enjoying making the whole thing into a mountain typical. I hope he gets to play and plays well and England wins and then he is part of Euro 2008
12:39 AM
Agreed lulu. I feel the media are really working over-time to make this story bigger than it is.
Perhaps it's because when Man Utd won the Champions League the winning goals were scored by Ole and Teddy who were both subs - but I don't see being a sub - given the circumstances of the last few months re injuries/fitness isssues etc - as a terrible thing. The way this is being reported you'd think being a sub was some kind of disgrace. Oh well perhaps I've missed the point. Like you Lulu I can't believe how the media are reporting this. I worry that SWP will have one of his many "off-nights" amd all his crosses will end up in row Q and I think Crouch does need Becks as he said - so I wish Becks was able to start but I also acknowledge that hes not fully match fit as he has admitted that himself very recently and so I don't see this as him being 'axed' - now if he doesn't get a good run out as a sub - then I'll view it differently but at this stage I'm still hopeful that he will.
2:01 AM
I'm with the group that thinks the media got it wrong, he's not been dropped just not starting, and if he's not fully fit that's the way it is, same as Hargreaves. It's not as if he played injured when he was captain or when he was 22 instead of 32. Can't remember him not starting when he was on the bench, but he's not on the bench for show in a match like this even though we've obviously seen McC put the team at risk like that before.
I don't think SWP is the right replacement with Crouch up front, but hope one of the other three can find him. And it scares me someone wouldn't put Hargreaves in when our two starting fullbacks are out, so that has to be due to recent injury as well.
I have a sense that McC is looking upon Becks as a member of the team again as he says, and would continue to play him when fit were he to stay England manager. Doesn't change my view of the man, but he would finally have gotten that one bit right.
5:12 AM
One more thing to keep in mind is Croatia's view of Becks. Before last summer's embarrassment their coach was shocked that any manager would leave Becks out because opposing teams feared him so much. They said the same thing yesterday when they talked about how dangerous his is and the need to shut him down in this match.
Becks would be facing some strong marking if Croatia really come to play today. Not that that does anything but inspire him :) , but it might have more of an impact on his game than if he were fit, especially as the match wore on. In which case he may be more effective as a sub coming in with fresh legs.
We can't forget that no matter what's been said to the contrary, and no matter how frustrated he is when not on the pitch, Becks has always been a team player. He'll give 110% for his team whenever asked just as he always does.
5:38 AM
yeah, I agree, the media reports all sound like Beckham won't come off the bench...but I'm hoping and praying that England would win the match and qualify and Beckham to be a part of it :)
Marie
6:40 AM
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