Beckham out of World Cup

[DannyW]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/8567353.stm

David Beckham's dream of playing in a fourth World Cup looks over after he tore an Achilles tendon in AC Milan's 1-0 win over Chievo on Sunday.

Beckham was unchallenged when he suffered the injury and hobbled off in pain before being stretchered away.

The 34-year-old was hoping to be part of England's World Cup squad in June, but instead will fly to Finland on Monday for specialist surgery.

Is it really that big a blow? It'll obviously be disappointing for him but its not like he would have really played all that much anyway so cant see it affecting England massively.

[Natasha Whittam]

He's good for morale and a good player to have as back-up for the likes of Walcott & Wright-Phillips who can be bloody awful one match and magnificent the next.

[Didledee]

I thought he would of been a good sub at the World Cup.

He looked distraught, probably his last game for England and he prob won't go back on loan to AC Milan in the future.

[Manny]

Don't think he would have been a starter as Capello seems to like Lennon or Walcott on the right but he would definately have gone to the tournament.

Big blow for him and at his age a potentially career threatening injury. A torn achilles tendon is one of the worst injuries around.

[jimbo_bwfc]

Gutted for Becks. England legend.

I wouldn't have started him at the WC but then I wouldn't start any wide midfielders at the WC because we have none who are international class apart from Joey Cole who is out of form and Beckham who is old and now injured.

[aarons2009]

As an impact sub he would have been good but lets be honest he would have struggled to compete in this years world cup.

Id give his place to Johnson at city, what a goal he got yesterday vs Sunderland 

[Natasha Whittam]

Id give his place to Johnson at city, what a goal he got yesterday vs Sunderland  

Good call. One good goal and he should go to the World Cup.

Did I tell you about the goal I scored at Deepdale in 1994? I'd have gone to the World Cup had England qualified.

[aarons2009]

Im not going off just one goal or one good game i just think at the moment he looks better than wright-phillips and with Lennon being out and becks i dont see many other outstanding candidates.

[the-Bowtun-Warrior]

Im not going off just one goal or one good game i just think at the moment he looks better than wright-phillips and with Lennon being out and becks i dont see many other outstanding candidates.

Simple. Milner

[aarons2009]

Simple. Milner

True, but i see him more in the centre but i see your point.

[Chris Rabz]

I feel a bit sorry for Beckham but this is a blessing in disguise if ever there was one. Except for morale and the odd set piece there isn't a reason he should be going to the World Cup. We don't want to be relying on older former legends to pull us through, not when we have so many options coming through. I want to see Lennon get in there but whether it's him, SWP, Milner, Johnson, I'd rather have them in than Beckham. He's old now, too old for international contention anyway. It's just a pity we don't have another friendly before the squad is decided to try and evaluate who best to go with.

[Big_Sharps]

I am glad he is injured and now we wont have to live with Beckham having the most england caps ever but I do feel sorry he wll have to sit around with his stick like talentless wife.

[Chris Rabz]

It's the fact the media report every little thing he does that has always annoyed me about him. Gary Cahill gets a blood clot in his arm and it's on SSN for all of about half an hour and is forgotten about. But Beckham misses a World Cup in his mid 30s and he's all over every news channel (sport or not) for about a week. Front-page of the Sun... is it REALLY the most important news of the day?

[Bwfc4eva]

It's the fact the media report every little thing he does that has always annoyed me about him. Gary Cahill gets a blood clot in his arm and it's on SSN for all of about half an hour and is forgotten about. But Beckham misses a World Cup in his mid 30s and he's all over every news channel (sport or not) for about a week. Front-page of the Sun... is it REALLY the most important news of the day?

Im sure if Cahill was a United legend, he would get his fair share of publicity.

[Didledee]

Beckham along with Tiger Woods is probably the most known sportsman/celebrity in the world. no wonder it's major news. He's for 2 years been going to Ac Milan, given is all for England, had Man of the match awards and produced some good performances when he's played.

When he came on against Man Utd, he nearly scored with a belting volley, and almost set up a couple of goals with some superb crosses.

Capello wants him to be fit for the Euro 2010 qualifiers.

[jimbo_bwfc]

What Didledee said.

Beckham is one of the most known sports stars in the world. Certainly the biggest name in football in the last 10 years. Of course it's a newsworthy story.

Lennon, Milner and SWP are all good players. Would they get into the Argies, France, Brazil, Spain, Germany squads?

Whilst I apperciate we haven't got much chance of winning the thing anyway, we might as well be playing our best team and our better players in their right positions rather than trying to mould them all into a 4-4-2 when we haven't got the players for it.

[Diana Prince]

There's newsworthy and there's saturation point. I really couldn't give much of a shíte what the procedure for mending his achilles entails, any more than his wife's bunion operation, or maybe it's just me.

[Chris Rabz]

I know he's one of the most well-known personalities but I've never liked the "anything Beckham does is more important than anything anyone else in the world could possibly do" protocol that the world's (or certainly British) press go by. Players get injured every week, and a key player misses the World Cup for England every time. But the guy will probably be back next season domestically, and it forces England to look to its future rather than its past to create a new hero for us all to worship for the next decade.

[Manny]

Lennon, Milner and SWP are all good players. Would they get into the Argies, France, Brazil, Spain, Germany squads?

My guess is no. Not unless any of their parents were born in one of those countries. 

[Didledee]

Hardly any consolation[especially to Beckham] but if this happened 4 years ago along with no M.Owen aswell, this country would of been very worried.

We would be asking for the World Cup to be rearranged 

[bigsamsarmyusa]

I'm stealing this from another poster on another board (can't remember which board) as it made a lot of sense; that there shouldn't be room in the England squad for a player that will only be used from the bench.  The England manager is probably privately heaving a sigh of relief that the decision's been taken out of his hands.

Beckham for World Cup pundit...count on it.

[Didledee]

But he's a great sub to have.. no?

Fabregas isn't guaranteed a starting 11 place for Spain, they have other quality players like Xavi .. Iniesta .. Xabi Alonso and Senna for example.

Should Cesc not go? obviously 2 different players, but going off that principle?

[Big_Sharps]

But he's a great sub to have.. no?

Fabregas isn't guaranteed a starting 11 place for Spain, they have other quality players like Xavi .. Iniesta .. Xabi Alonso and Senna for example.

Should Cesc not go? obviously 2 different players, but going off that principle?

I think she means that are never going to be pushing the other players for a starting role and will defo be on the bench.

[bigsamsarmyusa]

That's exactly what I mean Sharps.

All players should be capable of starting games and playing the whole 90+ minutes.

[Chris Rabz]

Especially for a national side with supposedly the best domestic top division in the world. We should have many top players contesting every position, not relying on a cameo from someone who was considered nearly past it in Germany 2006.