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My take on the David Beckham loan drama

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The biggest MLS story heading into this weekend isn’t the playoff race, which it should be, or even the Red Bulls drug fiasco, which has already become yesterday’s news. The David Beckham/AC Milan loan move has become an international story that has turned just a bit messy as the Los Angeles Galaxy is left protesting a potential loan move that has little, if any, value for the club.

I offered up my take on the Beckham loan saga for ESPN.com today and it boils down to me not really seeing the value in the move for the Galaxy. I think it could definitely help Beckham, and I think a younger player could benefit from a similar situation if they were going to a club they were going to get some playing time for, but to have Beckham basically go to Italy for three to four months to sell Milan jerseys and maybe get some minutes for Milan doesn’t sound like it helps the Galaxy all that much.

You also have the case of the Galaxy being a team in terrible shape and likely headed for a thorough rebuilding process. Not having the team’s captain around for any of the pre-season wouldn’t exactly help that team-building cause.

Give the story a read and feel free to share your thoughts on the Beckham loan saga in the comments section below.

Comments

  1. Ives: Do you really think that Beckham is the Galaxy’s “most influential player?” Or do you mean that in the “sells the most tickets” way?

    I don’t need to go into the stats, because Donovan is as good or better than Beckham in all of them, but the Galaxy were even one of the worst teams on corners this year, and Beckham is supposed to be magic. Personally, I’m glad Beckham is in the MLS, but he has always been an overrated player, and he was not the best player on the field for the Galaxy this season.

    Sorry to harp on such a small point, but I was pretty shocked when I read it. Perhaps you did mean in terms of jersey sales and media exposure. It just kind of struck me as part of the American Media hype machine. The same machine that has non-soccer fans asking “Is David Beckham the best player in the world?” Which warrants the answer, “No, and actually, throughout his career, he has never been the best player on his team.”

    Random note on the loan: What if AC Milan loaned one of their young seldom used players to the Galaxy in return? That would make the deal very interesting. Otherwise, the money factor might be worthwhile to the Galaxy as well, although I’m still not sure I’m really for it. I don’t imagine he will play that much for AC Milan anyway.

    Reply
  2. “Beckham has been very professional with the Galaxy.”

    Posted by: Johnny Boy | October 24, 2008 at 09:27 PM

    So where does your end comment stating that MLS should “get rid this embarrassment to American soccer” fit into your assessment? But as I read your commentary again, there is a wide,unintended consequence to your evaluation; yes, David Beckham is a “professional embarrassment” of mythical proportions. If this was indeed your original point I would give you genius credit, but I fear not. This is what happens when a league offers a player a contract higher than the average value of two (or three) MLS franchises, simply because that player can increase shirt sales and branding visibility into the stratosphere.

    This has been the most cynical experiment in the history of professional sports, because the powers-that-be within MLS actually thought that this was a healthy move for a league with the most suspicious fans in world football? MLS thinks were all naive and so does David Beckham. For his sake, I hope he doesn’t come back because I am sure the welcome will be extreme.

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  3. He has done his job: he filled stadiums and made people money. He also played hard and kept his mouth shut about the crap he was playing with.

    He is now going to do what he wants for his own goals and financial benefit off the pitch as well as his obsession with passing Shelton.

    Let’s quit whining: the Galaxy were a mess before he showed up and will be for sometime because they are nailed behind the 8 ball on salary cap.

    Here’s my question: Now that the novelty worn off will he continue to fill stadiums?

    If the answer is yes the gild is off the lily then sell him AC Milan or whoever and take the one year bump in attendance for what it is/was. Then let’s see if Saint Bruce can rebuild a playoff caliber club with the freed up cap space. Somehow I doubt he can but at least he will have no excuses to sooth his arrogant, oversized ego.

    By the way- did you here Harkes taking shots at Orosco last night and defending his overrated, ego maniac ex coach and boss Arena? What a putz he made of himself by doing so.

    I really hate the little deluded click that runs U.S. Soccer like a private club. It is one of the main reasons while our growth has slowed/plateaued and our improvement in last 6 years would be hard to quantify.

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  4. Once and for all, as those with sanity have predicted for quite some time, the problems with the LA Galaxy are a lot deeper than the use of designated player slots. Neither Donovan nor Beckham could be blamed for taking the money, but they do own the failure just as much as Alexi Lalas and Ruud Gullit do.

    Take a look back at the 2006 World Cup and the warning signs are already there – a marginalized Beckham even then, and how completely Donovan was blanketed by the better defensive units because of his impish size, if not temperament, forcing a retreat back into MLS. That the league’s “flagship franchise” (::rolling eyes::) built its very foundation on such apparent failure, why is anyone surprised that the team failed?

    The three most valuable players in MLS are Schelotto, DeRosario and Shalrie Joseph … not because they have Donovan’s speed or Beckham’s talent for crosses and set pieces, but because their teams have a solid squad around them from which these two talents can control the pace of an average football game. For every Kaka or Messi, there has to be a Pirlo and Gattuso or a Xavi and Iniesta. A support unit that can grab a game by the shirt collar and control its pulse. Neither Donovan nor Beckham were ever gifted with this skill; rather, they have to be its beneficiary.

    The supposed “braintrust” at LA never understood this – or, in the absence of a realistic business plan, were left financially unable from the outset – while the more successful clubs in MLS balance their cap space accordingly. So, what we were left to witness with the LA Galaxy was aging superstar who has mailed it in – yes, he has if you ever watched Beckham compete with his mates on the national team – and a tiny upstart of a player who had just ran home from Europe with his tail between his legs. Perhaps a harsh criticism, on my part, but sports are a results-based business and this business model failed.

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  5. Beckham has been very professional with the Galaxy. You might remember how he pushed himself to play for them even when injured and really hurt himself in the process. So for you to suggest that Beckham is not holding up his end of the deal is horse manure. Besides, if he can get some time with Milan, he will come back a better, sharper player playing with real players instead of high schoolers. You’ve seen the kind of players Beckham is used to and you expect him to be pleased with this dreck?

    If sourpuss Arena can dig up some live bodies that can actually play, integrating with Beckham will be the least, the very least, of their worries. If the Galaxy can’t build a decent team around Beckham then trade him to a team that can.

    Right now, the Galaxy couldn’t spell “cat” if you gave them the “c” and the ” t” ( four legged predator). Alexi Lalas as GM, a proven bust? Give me a break. Why should anyone treat this pathetic bunch of clowns and nincompoops like professionals when they have shown an incompetence and greed worthy of ENRON or a Wall Street CEO.

    If the MLS has any brains they will shift Beckham to another team or get rid this embarrassment to American soccer.

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  6. The Most obvious evidence that Beckham has been an EPIC FAILURE is that there have been ZERO news reports on TV about Beckham Leaving MLS. No one cares about Beckham in America any more. Time for Becks to pack up and live out his final 15 minutes of fame.

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  7. I agree, loaning Beckham to AC Milan does not help the LA Galaxy. However, I don’t think the Galaxy have much say in this matter. It’s all about MLS keeping its international megastar happy. It’s good for MLS to let Beckham play for AC Milan. Beckham is MLS’ goodwill ambassador — let him speak highly of North American soccer while he plays in Italy.

    LA needs to rebuild without Beckham and make someone else team captain. Beckham’s not going to bring the Galaxy a championship. He can’t even help them make the playoffs. He will make positive contributions on and off the field for the team and the league, but he shouldn’t be the focus. Like a DH in baseball, the DP should be brought in when he can make the most impact. In MLS, that’s at the end of the season, not the beginning. Arena needs to look at the rest of his team and worry about #23 later.

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  8. How does anyone think this is good for MLS? It will get exposure for MLS and Galaxy…..? This is not sending Jozy on his way, that might convince some Europeans that an American-born and bred talent can play. David Beckham is the best-known footballer in the world. NO ONE is going to pay more attention to Galaxy or MLS because he plays in Milan for 3 months. He made his reputation for England and Manchester United, the world is now aware that he is more of a showpiece than a player and that his best days are behind him. Nobody is going to watch him make 4 appearances for a total of an hour of football and think, gee whiz those American teams can play……

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  9. I believe Ives is, this time, on the mark in his ESPN piece.

    Accepting the rationale in the article, and the fact that so far all we have are rumors and speculation, it is not unlikely that what we are witnessing is posturing as a predecessor to a permanent Beckham return to Europe.

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  10. Ives,

    This is a great blog, but you could not be more wrong in your ESPN piece. This is a postive for the MLS & the Galaxy all around. The Galaxy will get a player in peak fitness in March, their younger players get more time in training camp, etc. And Beckham benefits by maintaining his fitness and also with the psychological boost from being surrounded by one of the best (winning) teams in the world, as there is little doubt that all the losing this season wore on him.

    I would like to see more of these kinds short term Henrik Larson loans by the MLS elite. It would certainly benefit Landon Donovan, Ricardo Clark, Kenny Cooper, etc.

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  11. How Beckham performs in another league has no bearing on how the MLS is perceived outside the US. Just substitute the following for “MLS” in some of your statements and imagine Beckham took a contract in those leagues: “J-League” “Hyundai A-League” or “UAE League”. Does your opinion of those leagues change because Beckham can still hit a deadball and a wicked cross for AC Milan and in some qualifiers?

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  12. Ives,

    I think your article is spot on. Such a situation may benefit a younger player, but Beckham’s ridiculous pursuit of 5 minutes per game on the national team should not come before the interests of the club who is providing his paycheck. Of course, if AC Milan offers a huge tranfer or loan fee that would be another story altogether.

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  13. Karl, if you truly think Beckham to MLS has been a failure, well then, you just haven’t been paying attention. It has provided on and off field positives that have advanced the league to a new level. Granted, the level it was at was quite low to begin with, but you’re either a Eurosnob or mentally challenged if you think Becks stay in MLS has been a bust.

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  14. Just to be fair Milan should sign some sort of partnership deal with the Galaxy so both could benefit…lets say a 3 month Shevchenko move next summer…Sheva’s wife is american they could use a vacation here, some more Galaxy jersey’s will be sold and extra publicity, plus benefits on the field.

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  15. Maybe Milan should extend an invitation to the Galaxy to conduct their pre-season training there, so Beckham can train with/against his Galaxy teammates.

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  16. My take on the situation:

    1.) Beckham has been a true professional and a great ambassador of the game since coming to MLS – we are privilaged to have him and if he wants to play for AC in the offseason I think that the league and the Galaxy owe it to him to let him

    2.) I think Beckham playing for Milan is a good thing for MLS because having a player on one of the most prestigous teams in the world makes the MLS look good, just as Beckham doing well for AC Milan and showing that he is not washed up makes the league look good. The fact that he isn’t dominating here and yet he is still a great player at the highest level shows that we are a quality league.

    3.) The Galaxy benefit a little in that Becks can maintain or maybe even improve his form by playing for Milan, although this is not a big enough deal to offset the fact that not having him at any preseason stuff hurts the team.

    So yeah, I think they should let him go and I hope that he does fantastic for Milan.

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  17. pretty good article, Ives.

    it’s a very tough thing because the league basically HAS to keep Beckham happy, and the ultimate happiness for him is wearing the England shirt. if he feels that the loan to Milan will help him achieve that, then i don’t think he’ll be very happy with MLS if it gets in his way of doing that.

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  18. IF the player being loaned to AC MILAN is AMERICAN, would you guys still be against a loan deal?

    I’ll answer that question first. I would <3 it if a US player gets a chance with Milan. For the rest, I don't give a damn.

    Reply
  19. I agree. Becks should focus on Galaxy, he needs to be part of pre-season for a team lacking chemistry. He hardly will pick up any need skill or confidence with Milan, he is a veteran of Madrid and Man U…I think he’s had plenty of time to mature as a player. Training and maybe reserve matches are fine, but not league matches.

    Ultimately, this decision should be up to the coach and player not MLS. If I were a Galaxy fan, though, I’d almost ask for Beckham to leave the team…they need a fresh start.

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  20. Nicole, I actually BECAME a Galaxy fan because of Beckham. No joke. I thought it was a bold move, it brought excitement, and I started paying attention to them. I have supported the MLS from the start, DC has been “my team” from the start, but that doesn’t stop me from wishing the league or other teams well.

    This “3 ring circus” has some truth to it, but not to the extent that low-vision or negative fans make it. Having Beckham brought everybody’s eyes to LA, and any miscue was magnified. I think Ruud leaving was the biggest “circus”, followed by his mouth, which he always has had. The other stuff: lack of consistent defense and GK, is not a circus. It is only a circus if certain shortsighted people expected instant success JUST BECAUSE Beckham was there. Granted, few forsaw how low they’d be in the first two years.

    But the MLS in recent years had become a yawner for most people. His very coming to the MLS broke a psychological barrier. People suddenly had the . . . ahem . . . audacity of hope . . . that things could change and dreams could be big. People with money are backing that up.

    Have faith. Your current coach–despite the dismal 06 crap–is a terrific coach who knows MLS success. They won’t stay in the gutter long. I predict playoffs next year. (gulp)

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  21. So, the Galaxy sends out their main guy to possibly get injured, certainly get tired. All this to increase the time he will be away during the regular season because MLS doesn’t shut down during the international play dates.

    I love the league and support it as much as I can but they have to start taking themselves seriously.

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  22. And all you people saying it’s great exposure for the Galaxy and MLS….clearly the Galaxy is not your team. You haven’t had to witness the traveling circus our team has become.

    And stop with the “all you have to do is play well in September and you’ll make the playoffs” talk. The Galaxy have missed the playoffs for 3 years running. And just last year, we were the hottest team in the league at the end of the season, and still fell short. But IF that were the case, Becks will hardly be clicking on all cylinders by the end of the season if he plays year-round. He’s been a shadow of himself for the entire second half of the season this year.

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  23. This Beckham to MLS thing has been such a DISMAL FAILURE, that the only thing the words “Beckham” & “MLS” will be associated with are DISASTERS of EPIC PROPORTIONS.

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  24. Ives, I think you nailed it with the possible exception of the increased injury potential that several folk have mentioned above. To think that someone who has had the problems Becks has had could go on loan for virutally the entire offseason to a premier team and then come back and play an entire MLS season unscathed is nuts. Training for a month in Europe is one thing but a loan is another. Bruce has every right to be out of his mind over this.

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  25. Ives has it right.

    I’m a Galaxy fan. Becks can go train all he wants. I have no problem. But he shouldn’t be playing in actual games. The risk is too great.

    And as the captain of the Galaxy, he better damn sure be at preseason training. Otherwise, his captaincy is a joke. He needs to show his teammates, coaches and fans, that the LA Galaxy is not just a hobby, it’s his team. Either he can take it seriously, or he can get out.

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  26. Ives,

    I find it hard to believe that MLS and the Galaxy are going to loan Beckham out without a loan fee. All of those extra jerseys and tickets sold will help line the pockets of the league.

    If for some incredible reason Milan doesn’t pay a loan fee, I imagine the league is doing it so as not to lose Beckham. Plain and simple.

    Also, let’s not lose perspective here: Henrik Larsson was at Man United last year in a similar deal.

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  27. I agree with Betinho and others. If Beckham does well at Milan and stays in the England squad, that certainly helps the league’s stature and the Galaxy’s marketing efforts. So what if he misses the preseason? With the way the MLS playoffs are structured, the only thing that matters is how the team is playing in September, not April.

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  28. I like the idea of Milan reutrning the favor by playing in LA and loaning some players to LA.

    What if LA was on the hook for the $200k of the salary cap, but Milan picked up a $500k “living allowance” for the kid while he’s in LA? How bad would taht violate MLS rules?

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  29. A rarely disagree with The Man (Ives) but here is one of those cases. Beckham’s inclusion at Milan helps MLS and the Galaxy with needed exposure, helps Beckham stay in shape, which helps him stay in the England squad which again helps MLS and the Galaxy.

    My only concern is if he needs more of a rest.

    I do agree that it’s weird that the Galaxy captain won’t be their during pre-season.

    But this is MLS, nothing makes sense.

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  30. I agree with Miguel and Pat.

    Ives, your article was pretty harsh. This isn’t the first time a deal like this would have been made. I believe Henrik Larsson was loaned out to Man U under similar circumstances. I guess they needed to sell some jersey’s too? And what’s up with all the references to the Galaxy as a 3 ring circus. I guess after following/covering the Metrostars/Red Bulls all these years you are in a better position to label them as such than most.

    A positive spin can definitely be put on this for the MLS and Galaxy. It’s more exposure for everyone involved. Not to mention having Beckham in the England squad – and becoming the most capped field player ever, thereby staying in the news – is beneficial for the league’s status as well. And isn’t that really the purpose of this enitre Beckham expirement – exposure for the MLS? I think your article is a little short sighted.

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  31. Ives, I think you nailed it on this one, without coming right out and saying it. This move (if it happens)does not benefit MLS or the Galaxy at all, and Beckham is being selfish, because for some reason he wants to keep getting 10 minutes against Kazakhstan.

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  32. Ives, regarding your article, I think it is very important to have David for training camp. If not all of it, some of it. And to include him in some ways, even when he is gone. How long is camp? Is it crucial for him to be there for all of it. Not necessarily.

    Do you know if there are FIFA restrictions on when Beckham can return to the Galaxy if he is on loan? Do you also know how injuries have affected the loaning team in other deals?

    On to other stuff: This is business. MLS is catering to Becks, and that is the price they had to pay to bring him. It was a brilliant move. But they need to adjust, one thing is the salary cap–to allow for better mid-level players around him. But Becks also has to cater to the MLS, to a degree. There was the matter of a brutal schedule last year, and playing hurt. I don’t believe he has given up on Soccer in the US. There is too much upside (pending the current economy) and too many are jumping on to advance it to think he would just cut bait.

    If both sides come to a business decision that he is better off here, he will stay. If not, he will go. But, he can’t just walk out of a contract. There will need to be a mutual deal. And DB is a man with honor and marketing savvy. He would make a good move that won’t spurn the MLS. AND there is much to believe he has much to gain by staying here.

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  33. I think the Galaxy just need to get something out of it, like:

    (1) AC Milan come to LA and play the Galaxy during the summer in 2009 or 2010.

    (2) AC Milan puts an academy player on loan back to LA Galaxy from January 2009 – December 2009 with the Galaxy covering only $200k of the salary.

    (3) The obligatory “marketing partnership.”

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  34. yes Beckham wore down as the season progressed but it was not because of soccer. It was all the globetrotting he did. A loan deal seems beneficial for what Beckham desires, but not good for LA. Don’t forget when he joined the MLS he spent the rest of the season recovering from an injury he got in his last game in Spain. Given his age I would see that as a likely outcome of a loan deal. Being a huge Milan fan can I also add we need more old players on the team to compliment Cafu, Maldini, Seedorf, Inzahgi,etc…………

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  35. Beckham wants to leave LA. Beckham wants to leave MLS. Posh will never want to leave Milan. Mr. Golden Balls should at least be a man and fess up. He wants out. He won’t return. He’ll finagle his way out of MLS with this “loan”.

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  36. To me, it was clear Beckham wore down as the season progressed. MLS is fairly brutal. It’s long, it’s hot, it’s physical and games on turf don’t help. After three months in Milan, Beckham will be toast by July.

    Capello should do us all a favor and tell Becks Arrivederci!

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  37. Miguel,

    I personally think Becks is not far off of the top of his game nowadays. However, he has no defense or goalkeeping to back up the team. They have no real striker. The only reason people say Blanco was a huge hit in MLS is because what was to be his ‘mediocre’ supporting cast ended up being a huge deal better than LA’s.

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  38. MLS has come a long way, but it still has to cater to Becks. If he wants to go to Milan on loan then it is in the best interest of the league to let him go rather than getting into a very public shouting match with our “marque player.”

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  39. If I were a galaxy fan I would just as soon want him sold if they are going to loan him out. Loaning him out can only do harm to the team that needs to rebuild, and while I’d want him on my team if you sold him you’d at least have a lot more resources freed up to rebuild. I don’t see how they will keep both Becks and Donovan anyway. But, like I said, keep him if you can, but sell him before you loan him.

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  40. I completely disagree with your take on Beckham’s temporary move to AC Milan. Training and playing with some of the world’s best players will help Becks retain his edge as a top player. This will help the Galaxy when he returns. So he doesn’t attend pre-season. One player does not a team make, especially one player who’s not on top of his game. This loan to Milan will get Beckham back to the top of his game.

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