David gets new bosses!

(source) & (source) & (source) & (source) Some shocking news to report. Coach Ruud Gullit resigned on Monday and president-general manager Alexi Lalas was fired. Gossip and rumors are abundant as to the "real" causes of these events, from resurfacing of whispers we've been hearing for a while to some doubtful theories.

Facts
The facts are that Gullit announced his resignation, on Tuesday at the Home Depot Center in a press conference, quoting family issues as the cause.
Also, the L.A. Galaxy chose to fire Lalas instead of letting his contract expire at the end of the season but with a cause that is still not officially known (though speculations comes rather easy after you hear the comments of Timothy J. Leiweke, head of Galaxy's owners AEG, see below).

Gullit quotes:

"In truth, it has proved a lot more difficult than I anticipated for my family to settle in the area and the club has been very supportive and understanding of my decision,"

"I would like to thank the players and the fans for their fantastic support and I wish the LA Galaxy much success in the future,"

"I would now like to spend some time with my family before considering any other position in football."

Gullit is now replaced by first-year assistant coach Cobi Jones while Lalas is replaced by assistant general manager Tom Payne. However permanent these positions are, we don't know yet.

Speculation
With such big changes happening at once, the speculators are having a field day. Even more so because this comes after a 7 game losing streak which we can't help but wonder, even without facts, that it must have something to do with these changes.
Some are more credible than others but for the sake of keeping you informed here is some of what is being thrown out there.


Goal.com seems to about sum up the main thoughts that are floating out there by their mention of sportsillustrated.com reports:

"AEG president Tim Leiweke, who had called the team "dysfunctional," met with the entire team two weeks ago and handed down an ultimatum: Improve or there would be changes."

and

"After the San Jose loss, various reports claimed there was friction between Lalas and Gullit surfaced. Reports also surfaced claiming that Lalas had been left out of the decision to bring Gullit to the HDC in the first place, and that Terry Byrne, a consultant for the team who is also David Beckham’s personal manager, was the one responsible for his hiring. "

Where does this leave our David?
While critics must be salivating at the thought David had anything to do with all this turmoil, evidence seems to points to the contrary. As the man himself, investor and club operator, Tim Leiweke puts it:

"We are stepping up and doing what we need to do to straighten this thing out,"

Though, David certainly can't be blamed for any of the team's shortcomings when he also says:

"The players have to look deep inside themselves and understand they have to be responsible for some of this,"

and

"Am I angry we find ourselves in the situation we find ourselves in? Yes. ... The Galaxy haven't made the playoffs for a couple years. Punting on this season is not acceptable."

Certainly one can appreciate his views and frustration if we put ourselves in his shoes for a minute and try to see things as he must be seeing them: A losing team that needs to be turned around. However while in these same shoes, as an investor, you can't help but smile when you think of Beckham because business has done nothing but go up, up, up since signing him up.

To quote Goal.com once more:
"...the clubhas reportedly thrived from a business standpoint over the past few years, due in large part to the marketing power of Beckham. L.A. now sells out nearly every game at the HDC and draws big crowds on the road. Plus, real money has poured in from merchandise sales, like Beckham’s ubiquitous #23 Galaxy jersey. "


FA Chief hints Beckham is prime candidate for England Captaincy once again.



In an interesting article from Goal.com (thanks for the link "Sita"!) FA chief Lord Triesman is quoted :

"Capello will pick the captain in terms of his values, but I have expressed admiration for people who have captained the side in the last few months. Beckham has an extraordinary influence - it is still there. "

Which essentially is a good hint for us to believe that Beckham is still a prime Candidate for the Captaincy. We still know however that it's with Capello which lies the final decision and while we all know by now how unlikely he is to have his hand forced by external pressures, Triesman's comment here is quite interesting and leaves us thinking that Beckham might be getting many more armbands:

"Fabio understands far more lucidly now the sporting and social role of the England captain," he said. "It is an iconic part of English sport. That message has been delivered to Fabio."

Labels: captaincy, david beckham, lalas, ruud gullit, usa vs england