As a Manchester United fan growing up in the nineties there was only one player that adorned the back of my United shirt, David Beckham. He was everything a young fan could wish for in a player; unbelievably talented, hard working and going out with a Spice Girl. Now aged 35 it seems that Beckham is heading back to the Premier League for one last swansong, a clutch of clubs are credited with an interest; Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and most prominently Tottenham Hotspur.
It’s a rather strange situation given Beckham’s previous comments on returning to the Premier League; “Maybe one day I’ll come back and play here, but I’ve always said it will only be for Manchester United.” Beckham’s plea for a return to Old Trafford has obviously fallen on deaf ears with a certain Mr. Ferguson. However in my mind the question remains, why?
Firstly there is the obvious sentimentality of having a former United Legend return and hopefully aid United to the pinnacle of English football, by putting them clear of Liverpool on nineteen league titles. For the fans there would be no better sight than a Manc reunion which would put Take That in the shade; Giggs, Scholes, Beckham and Neville. A semi-reunion of ‘Fergie’s Fledglings’ coming together to complete Ferguson’s famous battle cry of ‘knocking Liverpool off their f**king perch’ would bring a fitting symmetry to Ferguson’s reign.
Unfortunately anyone who has any knowledge of football knows that if your looking for sentimentality then Alex Ferguson isn’t the man to look for. Ferguson however is the master tactician and the short-term acquisition of Beckham could set United well on theie way to title number nineteen. Due to Antonio Valencia’s leg break, Ji-Sung Park’s international duties and an obvious lack of faith in the likes of Obertan and Bebe, United have only one recognized winger in Nani. They have Giggs who can do a job out there but is more functional in the middle of the park these days and against Birmingham and to an extent West Brom, United were distressingly narrow and workmanlike.
Beckham would give Ferguson an option on the right wing, freeing Nani to cover the left wing if needed and in turn unshackling Wayne Rooney from having to sit in on the left wing. Critics will argue that Beckham doesn’t have the pace to be successful in a United side, or any Premier League side in fact. These critics seem to have forgotten that Beckham hasn’t ever been what you would call quick, instead relying on his perfect delivery to beat a man. As Valencia showed last season, all Wayne Rooney needs is consistent delivery into the box to thrive and there are still few better crossers of a ball than David Beckham.
Darron Gibson, who has appeared on the right wing in the last couple of games for United isn’t exactly blessed with pace and he certainly hasn’t demonstrated an ability to cross a ball. I would wager a bet that few united fans would prefer to see Gibson on the right wing as opposed to David Beckham. An added bonus of Beckham is that like Giggs, he too can function in central midfield, in an Andrea Pirlo-esque quarterback role.
There is also the small matter of David Beckham’s set pieces, the quality of which is still consistently exquisite. With Beckham and Ronaldo after him, a free kick around the penalty area provoked the watching crowd into expectancy. Now United lack any threat from set pieces, Nani hasn’t scored a free kick since Wigan away in 09/10 and Wayne Rooney has one to his name, on his debut against Fenerbache; since then his output has been a compilation of hitting the wall or row Z.
Whilst training with Arsenal in the winter of 2009, Arsene Wenger praised the impact that Beckham had on his young squad. He explained how Beckham would stay behind with the likes of Theo Walcott to hone their crossing skills. What better boost for the members of the United reserve team and fringe players than the opportunity to play with and learn from someone of Beckham’s stature. Even first teamers such as Nani and Valencia, when he returns, could do with taking a few tips on delivery from Beckham.
It would be a folly to mention a move for Beckham without at least acknowledging the non-football benefits of a move. Shirt sales, ticket sales and all aspects of merchandising would take a huge boost. Beckham wouldn’t command a huge wage, he wants to come and play for his benefit so the financial pros heavily outweigh the cons. It would be an unbelievable PR boost for the Glazers and would further enhance the Clubs standing in America, where the club will be returning for the 11/12 pre-season.
Ultimately the return of Beckham to United is something of a pipedream, all the smart money is on a move to Spurs. There are too many differences between Ferguson and Beckham, Ferguson wouldn’t want Manchester United to turn into the David Beckham show for two months. Despite this Beckham could prove hugely beneficial if Ferguson makes a swoop. Its not unknown territory as the move for Henrik Larsson shows but despite the romance of the prodigal son’s return, I doubt I will be getting Beckham on the back of this seasons United shirt.
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Interesting points made Lee. I too think that Beckham could more than play a role – but I imagine that Ferguson feels that he doesn’t need the circus. The point I made in relation to Spurs was that Becks could come in and add a new dimension of real winning experience to their squad – United aren’t really in need of that.
I can see what you mean about Beckham acting as a good influence on our younger players, but again, they’ve got Giggs and Scholes, two ridiculously technically gifted players…
Overall, you just don’t see Ferguson climbing down from his position. And nor should he – he didn’t like what he perceived as being a bit of a circus last time Becks was a United player, why would that have changed now?
Nice article. I hope he comes to Tottenham.
Bring him back Fergie! – we had Larsen on a short term loan. Why not Becks? If anything we don’t want him to go to a rival.