Was Beckham overrated?

[Modo]

I'm not a Piers Morgan fan but he did say something about Beckham that got me thinking.
Was he really overrated?

I kinda think he was.
Yes, he won a lot.
Yes, he scored important goals.
Yes, he had a great right foot.
But he was also extremely right footed. Not particularly fast. Couldn't dribble past players.

I've seen a few comparisons with Trent and it's difficult to compare the stats because Beckham was always playing further forward.
But looking at Trent's strongest attribute or what links them together, their crossing ability:
Beckham 1 Assist per 3.3 games in the PL
Trent 1 Assist per 3.5 games in the PL

Slightly better for Beckham, but Trent isn't far away.
But like I said, they play in different positions.

Disregarding the Trent comparison, how good was Beckham compared against his contemporaries or the modern wingers?
Where does he stand compared to the likes of Figo, Robben, Salah, Mané, Sterling etc.

I think Beckham was a top class player, but I don't think him I'd have him in my top 10 winger list.

 

[Irishanfield]

Beckham was a good player but vastly overrated. His relationship with posh spice was what push his marketability and reason why real Madrid were interested in him. He was so one foot but ya took a great set piece so probably a better Charlie Adams. You are don't trent as disservice comparing them as trent is a fullback and Beckham was a right sided midfielder.

 

[MomoWASright]

He made a career out of that Wimbledon goal.

I think of it that Gerrard could do anything Beckham could. Beckham could only do a fraction of what Gerrard could.

 

[rurikbird]

Yeah, he’s a difficult player to judge because he was pretty average in many areas of the game, but among the best ever and you could say transformational in a couple of areas. He’s still way ahead of everyone in free-kick goals in the EPL, right? I generally disliked him at Real Madrid and I think he probably made them weaker, disrupting their misfield balance, but I have to say that one long pass from the centre circle onto the striker’s foot (I forgot if it was Ronaldo or Raul) is still one of the most spectacular assists I’ve ever seen.

If we compare players, he’s way ahead of the likes of Sterling and probably just ahead of Robben for me, but personally I would pick Luis Figo over him, unless your game is specifically designed for lots of crosses. Salah - let’s talk after he finishes his career.

 

[tombrown]

Overrated

One thing that riled me was that England qualified at Old toilet (against Greece), where he generally played crap, every time there was a free kick within 30 yards of the goal Beckham refused to let anyone else near it, took it and missed by a mile. Then he took one in the 90th minute and, to be fair, it was a peach & went straight in to give England a 1-0 win & send them to the world cup (or euro) finals.

The next day the press, and lots of otherwise "normal" people raved about how he had carried that England team, all based on one shot and completely disregarded his overall poor form and total selfishness

That might well have been the last time I watched a full england match

 

[Halmeister]

Overrated

One thing that riled me was that England qualified at Old toilet (against Greece), where he generally played crap, every time there was a free kick within 30 yards of the goal Beckham refused to let anyone else near it, took it and missed by a mile. Then he took one in the 90th minute and, to be fair, it was a peach & went straight in to give England a 1-0 win & send them to the world cup (or euro) finals.

The next day the press, and lots of otherwise "normal" people raved about how he had carried that England team, all based on one shot and completely disregarded his overall poor form and total selfishness

That might well have been the last time I watched a full england match

Don't think you watched it too well. It was 2-2

 

[dantes]

Most of the midfielders he was compared to lacked his fitness, so he annoyingly warranted his place in all his teams just for his defensive running, in fact he was probably on a cocktail of steroids at the time, fucking cunt. So his free kicks and crosses weren't his "only" attributes, they were like bonuses that elevated him above any of the alternative defensive players you'd rather be up against and that he should be compared with. A bit like Kuyt.

 

[mark1975]

Most of the midfielders he was compared to lacked his fitness, so he annoyingly warranted his place in all his teams just for his defensive running, in fact he was probably on a cocktail of steroids at the time, fucking cunt. So his free kicks and crosses weren't his "only" attributes, they were like bonuses that elevated him above any of the alternative defensive players you'd rather be up against and that he should be compared with. A bit like Kuyt.

Haha, defensive player? Won his place through his defensive running? I'm hardly a Beckham fan, but this is so ill-informed I'm not sure if you're either taking the piss, or you just didnt watch him. Like, ever.

 

[Halmeister]

He was good, like. Very good. Depends where you set the barometer of "world class". Someone like Figo was a better player, though. But he was still one of the top players in the world.

 

[Fabio]

Good player, probably elevated as he was English and handsome and fortunate enough to be in a dominant side. United improved immeasurably after he left. Ridiculously consistent in crossing and free kicks and that's all you can say about him.

 

[mark1975]

He was also a great passer, I agree that Gerrard had way more to his game, but people are confusing the modern winger/wide forward with a more orthodox wide midfielder from an era where a flat four man midfield was more common.

 

[dantes]

Haha, defensive player? Won his place through his defensive running? I'm hardly a Beckham fan, but this is so ill-informed I'm not sure if you're either taking the piss, or you just didnt watch him. Like, ever.

[article]
High-energy Beckham
Phenomenal workrate means the England captain leads by example
England under Sven - Observer special
Sun 14 Oct 2001 13.00 BST

14 kilometres The average distance David Beckham runs in a Premiership match. For England last week he ran 16.1km.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2001/oct/14/sport.englandundersven
[/article]

 

[tombrown]

Don't think you watched it too well. It was 2-2

I cant remember Liverpool's score from this weekend, let alone an England match from 25 odd years ago. His free kick at the end was a decisive goal, right? Or am I misremembering that?

My key memory was one of contempt for the fawning emanating from the press & fanboys

 

[Brizzle]

Not sure he's overrated as such - i've never seen people list him as the greatest player of all time, and he rarely appears in any World XI, PL XI and barely even any Man Utd XIs. He was a very good footballer and his goals & assists were a key part of their winning machine.

 

[Squiggles]

Similar to how Salah and Mane fit in Klopps 433 like a hand in glove, Beckham was similar to Uniteds 4-4-2. They extracted the very most out of his talent. He always had two forwards to hit, they played exclusively down the flank and he was fortunate to play with the same defensive minded fullback for club and country.

Beckham was a decent, hard working player in most attributes but had world-class passing and set piece delivery. He also had the mental resilience to handle the press and journalists at their very worst, as well as the the focus to deliver big moments when needed. I didn't see him after he left for Madrid, so that whole era escaped me.

Overrated? Probably by some, but you would also think it's likely underrated by Liverpool fans. I remember being glad when he fucked off to Spain, so I ranked him pretty highly.

 

[MomoWASright]

Ferguson threw a boot at him. He would never have done that to anyone else in that squad. Some would’ve twatted the old cunt other were genuinely top players and he wouldn’t want them to leave.

 

[bluebell]

Beckham was a decent footballer but a sponsors dream. So he got alot of attention.

When I think of Beckham, I think of him on billboards and TV Ads not on the football pitch.

 

[Beamrider]

He wasn’t much more than a one-trick pony but it was a useful trick and he was very good at it.
Also heard from a mate who had lunch with the RM board that when he arrived at Madrid they were really taken aback by his commitment in training and his example made the other Galacticos raise their game. They reckoned that a lot of their success could be traced back to his influence on training ground.

 

[Woland]

Ferguson was a jealous old sot, and pissed off that Beckham was personally getting more press than his side. That's why he sold him, nothing to do with performance on the pitch.

As for him as a player, he was very good. Incredible work rate... Steve McLaren was the assistant manager who introduced the now ubiquitous gps system that tracks how far you run in training and Beckham was off the charts. But although he covered more ground than anyone he was let down by his sprinting pace, so decent defenders could cover him easily compared to someone quicker out the blocks. That's why he whipped all those balls in from forty yards out, he couldn't beat a man as well as he could pass a ball, but that was about his only weakness.

 

[StevieM]

He wasn’t much more than a one-trick pony but it was a useful trick and he was very good at it.
Also heard from a mate who had lunch with the RM board that when he arrived at Madrid they were really taken aback by his commitment in training and his example made the other Galacticos raise their game. They reckoned that a lot of their success could be traced back to his influence on training ground.

It’s like you reached inside my mind and stole my words.

I was literally going to write that I’ve always called Beckham a one-trick pony, but his one trick was very, very good!!!

I was then going to add, he didn’t get injured much, worked hard and was very, very consistent.

 

[StevieM]

However, he was also relatively slow, thick as fucking pig shit and a massive fanny.

 

[Athens]

Don't think you watched it too well. It was 2-2

For some reason people seem to think he scored the winning goal, it was the equaliser he got.

 

[mark1975]

[article]
High-energy Beckham
Phenomenal workrate means the England captain leads by example
England under Sven - Observer special
Sun 14 Oct 2001 13.00 BST

14 kilometres The average distance David Beckham runs in a Premiership match. For England last week he ran 16.1km.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2001/oct/14/sport.englandundersven
[/article]

Right, so phenomenal energy and being a good runner equates to being defensive does it? That Sadio Mane would make a great wing back.

 

[Judge Jules]

One night police receive a 999 call from David Beckham saying a burglary's in progress at his mansion. They race over there and find him wandering about outside in his PJs with his todger hanging out. A senior officer takes Beckham aside and quietly points this out, whereupon he looks down and exclaims:

"Oh sh!t, they took Posh as well!"

 

[dantes]

Right, so phenomenal energy and being a good runner equates to being defensive does it? That Sadio Mane would make a great wing back.

He wasn't using that energy to beat his man and get to the byline, it was used in being defensive. Mane being a wing back, what? I've got no idea what you mean, you can't seriously think I was saying Beckham played as a wing back? It must be an interesting deflection strategy to avoid admitting your mistake.

 

[Markeh]

Would you swap Trent’s right foot for Beckhams?

I’d say yes but only because I’d be comparing a 23 year olds passing with a full career and your ability to pick and play a pass develops as your career progresses.

Imo Beckham was a good player who had the media attention and status in the game of a great player.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Have to say he was great .... in the ali g special

 

[Brizzle]

He wasn't using that energy to beat his man and get to the byline, it was used in being defensive. Mane being a wing back, what? I've got no idea what you mean, you can't seriously think I was saying Beckham played as a wing back? It must be an interesting deflection strategy to avoid admitting your mistake.

This is one of the few occasions I've seen Dantes actually make a good point. It's just a shame he is defending the woke virtue signaller, David Beckham.

 

[keniget]

He wasn’t much more than a one-trick pony but it was a useful trick and he was very good at it.
Also heard from a mate who had lunch with the RM board that when he arrived at Madrid they were really taken aback by his commitment in training and his example made the other Galacticos raise their game. They reckoned that a lot of their success could be traced back to his influence on training ground.

The galactico era - at least whilst he was there - wasn't very successful at all considering all the investment. Think Beckham won one title whilst he was there and I think it was more down to Barca losing than Real winning it that year.

Or do you mean subsequent success?

 

[rurikbird]

The galactico era - at least whilst he was there - wasn't very successful at all considering all the investment. Think Beckham won one title whilst he was there and I think it was more down to Barca losing than Real winning it that year.

Or do you mean subsequent success?

Yes, I thought the Beckham transfer was a beginning of the end for that great team - Perez took the “galactico” model too far and it took them years to recover and build a proper team once again.