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Donovan slams Beckham

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LeTallecWiz

LeTallecWiz

Doos
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Boy oh boy ...

David Beckham has come under a blistering attack from Los Angeles Galaxy team-mate Landon Donovan just as he prepares to return for action with the Major League Soccer team.

In a new book due out later this month, Donovan claims Beckham has demonstrated little commitment to the Galaxy cause and been a negative influence on the team since the ousting of former coach Ruud Gullit.

"All that we care about at a minimum is that he committed himself to us," Donovan says in 'The Beckham Experiment', authored by Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl.

"As time has gone on, that has not proven to be the case in many ways - on the field, off the field.

"Does the fact that he earns that much more money come into it? Yeah. If someone's paying you more than anybody in the league, more than double anybody in the league, the least we expect is that you show up to every game, whether you are suspended or not. Show up and train hard, show up and play hard."

Donovan, who is the United States captain and wears the Galaxy armband in Beckham's absence, also questioned the former England skipper's leadership abilities, claiming he is too often silent in team meetings.

"Maybe he's not a leader, maybe he's not a captain," he said. "Fair enough. But at a minimum, you should bust your ass every day. That hasn't happened. And I don't think that's too much for us to expect. Especially when he's brought all this on us."

Beckham's first season in MLS was a largely miserable experience as an unbalanced Galaxy team struggled all year and missed out on the play-offs, with Gullit quitting before the end of the campaign.

Gullit's departure, which came a little over a month after Beckham's Galaxy debut, is the moment Donovan believes the light went out for the club's marquee player.

"When David first came, I believed he was committed to what he was doing," Donovan said. "He cared. He wanted to do well. He wanted the team and the league to do well.

"Somewhere along the way - and in my mind it coincides with Ruud being let go - he just flipped a switch and said, 'Uh-huh, I'm not doing it anymore'."

Donovan went on to claim Beckham is a bad team-mate, because of his lack of commitment.

"He's not shown (he's a good team-mate)," he said. "I can't think of another guy where I'd say he wasn't a good team-mate, he didn't give everything through all this, he didn't still care. But with (Beckham), I'd say no, he wasn't committed."

Beckham's aggressively pushed for a loan move to AC Milan in January, and then extended it to the point that he missed half of the 2009 MLS season.

That is evidence that he does not care for the league, according to Donovan, who gave up his chance to play in Europe early in his career in order to stay at home.

"My sense is that David's clearly frustrated, that he's unhappy and, honestly, that he thinks it's a joke," he said.

"I also kind of feel (he has taken the team) for granted. I don't see dedication or commitment to this team, and that's troubling."

Beckham is due to make his return for the Galaxy against the New York Red Bulls on July 16, two days after Wahl's book is due to be published.

He will line up alongside Donovan in that game, but the striker does not want that to be the case for much longer.

"Let's say he does stay here for three more years," Donovan said. "I'm not going to spend the next three years of my life doing it this way. This is f****** miserable. I don't want to have soccer be this way."
Click to expand...
 
[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=34491.msg898599#msg898599 date=1246528189]
Boy oh boy ...

David Beckham has come under a blistering attack from Los Angeles Galaxy team-mate Landon Donovan just as he prepares to return for action with the Major League Soccer team.

In a new book due out later this month, Donovan claims Beckham has demonstrated little commitment to the Galaxy cause and been a negative influence on the team since the ousting of former coach Ruud Gullit.

"All that we care about at a minimum is that he committed himself to us," Donovan says in 'The Beckham Experiment', authored by Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl.

"As time has gone on, that has not proven to be the case in many ways - on the field, off the field.

"Does the fact that he earns that much more money come into it? Yeah. If someone's paying you more than anybody in the league, more than double anybody in the league, the least we expect is that you show up to every game, whether you are suspended or not. Show up and train hard, show up and play hard."

Donovan, who is the United States captain and wears the Galaxy armband in Beckham's absence, also questioned the former England skipper's leadership abilities, claiming he is too often silent in team meetings.

"Maybe he's not a leader, maybe he's not a captain," he said. "Fair enough. But at a minimum, you should bust your ass every day. That hasn't happened. And I don't think that's too much for us to expect. Especially when he's brought all this on us."

Beckham's first season in MLS was a largely miserable experience as an unbalanced Galaxy team struggled all year and missed out on the play-offs, with Gullit quitting before the end of the campaign.

Gullit's departure, which came a little over a month after Beckham's Galaxy debut, is the moment Donovan believes the light went out for the club's marquee player.

"When David first came, I believed he was committed to what he was doing," Donovan said. "He cared. He wanted to do well. He wanted the team and the league to do well.

"Somewhere along the way - and in my mind it coincides with Ruud being let go - he just flipped a switch and said, 'Uh-huh, I'm not doing it anymore'."

Donovan went on to claim Beckham is a bad team-mate, because of his lack of commitment.

"He's not shown (he's a good team-mate)," he said. "I can't think of another guy where I'd say he wasn't a good team-mate, he didn't give everything through all this, he didn't still care. But with (Beckham), I'd say no, he wasn't committed."

Beckham's aggressively pushed for a loan move to AC Milan in January, and then extended it to the point that he missed half of the 2009 MLS season.

That is evidence that he does not care for the league, according to Donovan, who gave up his chance to play in Europe early in his career in order to stay at home.

"My sense is that David's clearly frustrated, that he's unhappy and, honestly, that he thinks it's a joke," he said.

"I also kind of feel (he has taken the team) for granted. I don't see dedication or commitment to this team, and that's troubling."

Beckham is due to make his return for the Galaxy against the New York Red Bulls on July 16, two days after Wahl's book is due to be published.

He will line up alongside Donovan in that game, but the striker does not want that to be the case for much longer.

"Let's say he does stay here for three more years," Donovan said. "I'm not going to spend the next three years of my life doing it this way. This is f****** miserable. I don't want to have soccer be this way."
Click to expand...
[/quote]
LIttle diving twat, yeah that's what football needs, more players like the Bayer reject who didn't have the heart to make it in Germany.
 
I'm sure he's right about Beckham. He's taken the money and then invested more time and energy into modelling underpants than in playing. He's a ghastly little egomaniac whose entire life has been one long onanistic session.
 
Hi Landon, what exactly have you won. Ever? MLS Cup? Lamar Hunt US Cup?

Thats right up there with the Prem, FA Cup, CL, La Liga.

Maybe in true ewe ess ay style, his book should be called, Its not about the Ability.
 
[quote author=gkmacca link=topic=34491.msg898610#msg898610 date=1246530542]
I'm sure he's right about Beckham. He's taken the money and then invested more time and energy into modelling underpants than in playing. He's a ghastly little egomaniac whose entire life has been one long onanistic session.
[/quote]

Yep. Donavan's totally right about Beckham too. I'd be disgusted if I was an LA Galaxy fan.
 
I'm a little surprised at some of the reactions here - who cares how much Beckham has won in his career if he has checked himself out mentally from his current team? Donovan's points are valid - and are the minimum that should be expected of a "superstar".

The sooner beckham is gone the better.
 
Fact is that if Beckham didnt think his international career was over he wouldnt have gone there....we've seen that since.
Oh and get your facts right skysports Carlos Bocanegra is the us captain. (not that anyone cares)
 
[quote author=Whaddapie link=topic=34491.msg898812#msg898812 date=1246544998]
And if anybody knows about taking the easy way out, running away from a challange, it's Landon...
[/quote]

ha ha

I'm sure Beckham rues the day he made that decision ...
 
Donavan makes me sick, who cares, I mean seriously who cares. Donavan passed up his chance to play in Europe, what a joke.
 
[quote author=Karl Hungus link=topic=34491.msg898842#msg898842 date=1246546673]
Donavan makes me sick, who cares, I mean seriously who cares. Donavan passed up his chance to play in Europe, what a joke.
[/quote]

Yeh, he can take his Hurdy Gurdy Man and fuck off.
 
Donovan is right, but I suspect he's also motivated by the fact that he's been seriously overshadowed.

I'll take option C, both are twats.
 
[quote author=Karl Hungus link=topic=34491.msg898842#msg898842 date=1246546673]
Donavan makes me sick, who cares, I mean seriously who cares. Donavan passed up his chance to play in Europe, what a joke.
[/quote]

Thought this topic might bring out out... How's life?
 
[quote author=Whaddapie link=topic=34491.msg898883#msg898883 date=1246549476]
[quote author=Karl Hungus link=topic=34491.msg898842#msg898842 date=1246546673]
Donavan makes me sick, who cares, I mean seriously who cares. Donavan passed up his chance to play in Europe, what a joke.
[/quote]

Thought this topic might bring out out... How's life?
[/quote]

Good, we missed you last weekend.

On the topic, I don't blame Beckham one bit. He came to the States to play in a subpar league where he could be a superstar, and make decent money. I can only presume he thought he was done in Europe. Well this year rolls around and he gets another chance for a big club in Europe, why not take it. So he plays for Milan a few years, comes back to America, and is still better than 99% of the players in MLS.

Why would anyone in their right minds want to continue playing for the galaxy when you could play for Milan. Lets see, you have a packed San Siro, versus a half full Home Depot Center. You got UEFA Champions League versus CONCACAF Champions League, which the Galaxy did not even qualify for this year. You got Milan versus Carson. Putting all this together and I am just baffled as to why Beckham wanted to play in Italy.
 
Terrible blow: the shallow little brainless twat has been informed that there's not enough clear skin left on his body for a detailed tattooed response to Donovan's comments, so he's been advised he'd better just top himself, have his corpse bleached and then his surviving family members can tattoo their intimate messages on his decomposing flesh. Then Donovan will feel well and truly chastised.
 
[quote author=SaintGeorge67 link=topic=34491.msg904603#msg904603 date=1247416364]
Donovan needs to realise he's a fucking no one.
[/quote]

Donovan trying to sell more books on the back of playing with someone famous. That's all it is.
 
[quote author=drizzt link=topic=34491.msg904611#msg904611 date=1247417017]
[quote author=SaintGeorge67 link=topic=34491.msg904603#msg904603 date=1247416364]
Donovan needs to realise he's a fucking no one.
[/quote]

Donovan trying to sell more books on the back of playing with someone famous. That's all it is.
[/quote]

Maybe he's a noone on the European stage, but on his own club team (as humble as it is) he has every right to question the leadership of an absentee captain. I just don't get why anyone would read his comments and think that somehow Donovan owes it to Beckham not to say anything. If Stevie behaved the same way towards Liverpool wouldn't you expect Carra to say something about, even if he's not the world's best player?
 
[quote author=ctlovesred link=topic=34491.msg904655#msg904655 date=1247423108]
[quote author=drizzt link=topic=34491.msg904611#msg904611 date=1247417017]
[quote author=SaintGeorge67 link=topic=34491.msg904603#msg904603 date=1247416364]
Donovan needs to realise he's a fucking no one.
[/quote]

Donovan trying to sell more books on the back of playing with someone famous. That's all it is.
[/quote]

Maybe he's a noone on the European stage, but on his own club team (as humble as it is) he has every right to question the leadership of an absentee captain. I just don't get why anyone would read his comments and think that somehow Donovan owes it to Beckham not to say anything. If Stevie behaved the same way towards Liverpool wouldn't you expect Carra to say something about, even if he's not the world's best player?
[/quote]

Uuuh since when do 'locker room issues' become a 'book' and then a public lashing on espn.com? Even Donovan admitted it was a terrible mistake ... Lucky he's the best player on an average international side - so he's forgiven and adulated for being an absolute twat and a failure in a real footy league.
 
It's always a wonder that such an average player can so raise the heckles around here. A footballer of his limited capacity should surely just be forgotten or ignored, no?

By the way - Beckham's public statements about his own club, coach, and team put this "locker room issue" into the open. Rich that he know clams such behavior to be unprofessional.
 
[quote author=ctlovesred link=topic=34491.msg904689#msg904689 date=1247427120]
It's always a wonder that such an average player can so predictably raise the heckles around here. A footballer of his limited capacity would surely have been just forgotten if he were British, or never known if he were French or Italian.

By the way - Beckham's public statements about his own club, coach, and team put this "locker room issue" into the open. Rich that he know clams such behavior to be unprofessional.
[/quote]

Most people hate it - because there's a certain unwritten code. You know the one Terrel Owens breaks non-stop and gets him on the 'most hated list' of most NFL fans? Donovan can slide in there right with him with that shit he spewed this past week.
 
What LTW said.

If you think your captain's style is undermining the team, you don't wait until the post season and schedule a meeting with a ghost writer. You man up and do what's right for the team. He's a coward and an idiot.
 
[quote author=drizzt link=topic=34491.msg904711#msg904711 date=1247430088]
What LTW said.

If you think your captain's style is undermining the team, you don't wait until the post season and schedule a meeting with a ghost writer. You man up and do what's right for the team. He's a coward and an idiot.
[/quote]

One of the main reasons he's not even given Europe a proper go ...
 
[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=34491.msg904713#msg904713 date=1247430270]
[quote author=drizzt link=topic=34491.msg904711#msg904711 date=1247430088]
What LTW said.

If you think your captain's style is undermining the team, you don't wait until the post season and schedule a meeting with a ghost writer. You man up and do what's right for the team. He's a coward and an idiot.
[/quote]

One of the main reasons he's not even given Europe a proper go ...
[/quote]

TBH I don't know about that, but it's textbook behavior of a big shot who has been out big shotted and subsequently decides to act like a snidey petulant child.
 
[quote author=ctlovesred link=topic=34491.msg904689#msg904689 date=1247427120]
It's always a wonder that such an average player can so raise the heckles around here. A footballer of his limited capacity should surely just be forgotten or ignored, no?

By the way - Beckham's public statements about his own club, coach, and team put this "locker room issue" into the open. Rich that he know clams such behavior to be unprofessional.
[/quote]

Does Landon have "good field awareness" as well CT?
 
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