Southend United are embroiled in a relegation scrap at the foot of League One. With five games remaining, they have it all to do following a second half capitulation away at Leeds United at the weekend.

If the Shrimpers are relegated to the fourth tier of English football, it probably won’t send many ripples through the footballing spectrum. But it will highlight an issue troubling many clubs of a similar ilk, and especially the die-hard supporters who turn up week in, week out to support their local team.

Southend currently have five on-loan players in a group of just twenty. Maths has never been my forte, but that makes a quarter of Steve Tilson’s squad temporary acquisitions, ones who – by no fault of their own – have no inherent loyalties to the club.

I’ve covered a handful of Southend’s games this season, and the last visit to Roots Hall had a lasting impression on me. One disgruntled fan piped up and said he would rather see Southend in the conference with local players or those developed through the club’s youth system, than have a squad littered with loanees playing in a decent league.

That Southend have utilised 35 players to date this season (one off a club record) highlights the comings and goings at a club that has failed to show any signs of stability and continuity among its ranks.

Last weekend, Portsmouth overcame the odds to reach their second FA Cup final in three years. John Westwood, better known as the overly tattooed, bell-ringing Pompey fanatic with the big hat and blue wig, follows his side home and away and will continue to do so come rain and shine.

“I’m not worried about what level we play at,” he said.

“I started supporting the team in the old Fourth Division when I was 12. It’s about where you are from, it’s about your identity. It’s the city, the community.

“Pompey is a working-class city. We like football and we like a drink. It’s about entertainment on a Saturday afternoon, singing my heart out and watching a game. As long as we have a club to follow, it doesn’t matter what league it’s in.”

Although his words are reserved to the foreign owners that have crippled his club, the values he stands for sit universally among football fans up and down the land. They don’t care if they’re not competing with the Manchester Uniteds and Chelseas. All they ask is their club is run transparently, and their players play with a drive and determination that mirrors their own.

As the Premier League continues to rack up the millions and sees the rich go further into the red and sees the poor, well, put into administration, it is lower down the leagues where you find the values that made football so good in the first place.

That is why when clubs like Southend flirt with extinction, or in Chester’s case actually cease to exist, it makes it all the more striking. That Tilson has had to bring in loan players to seemingly balance the books is a crying shame.

It has left the supporters watching a side play with no guile, determination and, subsequently, four points from safety and facing an uphill battle to remain in League One.

Their home game with Brentford tonight is crucial if they are to remain in League One, and takes on an added significance as Chairman Ron Martin will appear at the high court tomorrow to sort out an outstanding tax bill.

I for one hope – irrespective of relegation – they are still around next season and, once this has been negotiated, are able to put out a side that plays for the supporters and sends them away satisfied; happy in the knowledge they have put in a shift and stood for the values the club represents.

Jimmy Bullard, where do you start? On and off-field prankster, dead-ball specialist, golden-locked Soccer AM favourite, the likable Eastender has won countless plaudits for his care-free attitude to the game.

Due to his qualities as the in-house joker, his playing abilities have often been unnoticed. However, there is absolutely no question that Hull’s recent upsurge in form has coincided with Bullard’s return from a lengthy knee injury. During his absence, Hull’s 2009/10 season was looking bleak, a continuation of their dismal second half to last season.

Their opening eight games yielded just seven points with five defeats, including a 5-1 mauling at home to Tottenham and a demoralising 4-1 reverse at Sunderland. Since his return, a substitute appearance against former club Fulham, Hull’s fortunes have improved notably. Confidence has been restored at the KC Stadium and the dark clouds hovering over Phil Brown’s tenure have evaporated, for now.

Hull have recently picked up nine points, winning two, drawing three, with two defeats. Ok, perhaps not championship winning form, but Bullard has given a much-needed lift around the place and the general consensus is Hull have a better chance of survival now; a mid-week victory over Everton and a creditable draw against Manchester City at Eastlands, indicative of this.

Bullard may not have the technical qualities demanded by Arsène Wenger, nor the guile and strength evident in Manchester United and Chelsea squads, but Bullard’s ability has been evident ever since he began his playing career at the relatively late age of 20 at non-league Gravesend & Northfleet.

His performances at that level attracted the interest of boy-hood club West Ham and, despite not making a single appearance for The Hammers, his career was rejuvenated by Barry Fry at Peterborough, where he scored a credible 11 goals from 62 appearances.

After his success under Fry, Bullard made the journey north to Wigan for £275,000 in January 2003 and was subsequently named in the 2002/03 PFA Division Two Team of The Year. A key component in Paul Jewell’s side, Wigan’s renaissance saw them rise from League One mediocrity to the Premier League’s surprise package of the 2005/06 season.

This was where the jester first came to everyone’s attention and Bullard’s antics were a far cry from the modern-day footballer, severely detached from reality. The Micah Richards’ and John Terry’s of this world who happily park their flash cars in undesignated parking spots just for convenience could do worse than following Bullard’s example.

Indeed, Jermain Defoe earlier this month was lambasted by a judge for playing ‘the litigation game’, just because he could afford to. Following a six-month driving ban after his Land Rover was clocked twice for speeding last year, Defoe’s appeal was labelled by the judge as ‘sad and frivolous’ and ordered the England star to pay more than £1,500 in costs.

Jimmy’s arrival onto the scene was a ray of sunshine at a time it was much needed. In Wigan’s home leg of their League Cup semi-final against Arsenal in February 2006, he was honoured on Soccer AM for running the length of the pitch in an attempt to score when the floodlights went out.

His antics in his first season in the Premier League did not stop there. During a home fixture against Everton, a goal-mouth scramble resulted in a pile-up, much to the delight of an incoming Jimmy who leapfrogged the pile, landing flat on his face.

In the same match, Jimmy fronted up to hard-man Duncan Ferguson, following the Scot’s dismissal for a punch on Paul Scharner. Jimmy had the courage to stare up at Ferguson with a cheeky smirk on his face. Someone had obviously not alerted Jimmy to the fact that Ferguson had single-handily dealt with two burglars in 2001, with one spending three days in hospital as a result.

Then came his celebration this weekend. Only Jimmy could have the audacity to mimic the embarrassing on-pitch team talk carried out by Phil Brown last season. Jimmy’s Pièce de résistance, however, had to be his antics in a Wigan dressing room involving a laundry cart. Wearing nothing more than underwear on his head, Jimmy led his former team-mates in a battle chant before being thrown around in the cart before crashing into the locker room wall.

It may surprise some people that the midfielder is 31 and, with no international caps to his name, he may well have missed the boat for such recognition and ultimately forgotten for his technical qualities. However, this would be unjust, as his pedigree is without doubt. If his legacy as a player is forgotten, so be it. But what is beyond any question is he will be remembered as a breath of fresh air in the modern game and one of football’s true characters.

The final day of the Barclays Premier League season saw Newcastle United and Middlesbrough join West Bromwich Albion in the second tier of English Football. Sunderland and Hull City narrowly avoided such fates and will now hope to build on retaining their top flight statuses. Relegation from the Premier League has never guaranteed an immediate return. The last five years has seen mixed fortunes for those who have found themselves flung out of the revolving doors of England’s elite league. Some have returned, while most have had to wait. Others have been dealt crueller fates. This season has seen Norwich City, Southampton and Charlton fall further from grace and all three will be turning out in League 1 come August. Is there hope following relegation? Let us look at the past five years; the comings and goings, what faces the doomed clubs, and see how this year’s relegation candidates compare to previous casualties.

The evidence suggests relegation hits clubs hard. Out of the 15 demotions over the previous 5 seasons, only four clubs have returned, with Birmingham showing decent bouncebackability, gaining promotion twice. The other three, Wolves, West Brom and Sunderland, have hardly cemented their statuses in the top flight. Wolves are only now returning after a 5-year absence, the Baggies find themselves back in the Championship and Sunderland had to endure a nervy final day shootout.

Countless others have failed to return following heartbreak. Crystal Palace, relegated on the final day in 2005, have hardly threatened a return in recent years; the same could be said of Watford and Derby. Despite coming close this year, both Sheffield United and Reading ultimately failed in their attempts.

Then there are the extreme cases. Much has been said regarding Leeds United’s fall from grace, but what of Leicester City? Along with the Yorkshire club, they featured in League 1 this season after struggling to retain their top-flight status following relegation in 2004. Thankfully for Foxes fans, they ended the year as champions and will be looking to build on their promotion. The same cannot be said of Leeds, who will have to spend a third successive season in England’s third tier. Then there is the tragedy of this season’s Championship dropouts. Charlton, Norwich and Southampton will join Leeds for an intriguing League 1 next season, but as history will tell you, there is no guarantee these clubs will dominate the division, see the recent deterioration of Luton Town who have had three successive relegations.

One of the reasons clubs find life so difficult after the Premier League is the financial restrictions they face. Sure, there are the parachute payments, but if the clubs fail to return after this two-year window, managers are forced to work under a shoestring budget and are thus unable to exert the authority they would like in the transfer market. A return to the top flight is subsequently made even harder.

A further problem these sides face is the dilemma surrounding their prodigious young talents. Neil Warnock in particular has blooded his young stars through in recent seasons. However, he has seen one such, John Bostock, snatched from his grasp by Tottenham, who paid Palace a measly sum of £700,000 following a tribunal. One may ask what hope such teams have of survival if they are priced out of moves for players and then see their home produced talents leave almost immediately? It is a seemingly vicious and never-ending cycle.

The one thing all the sides who have returned have in common is a fantastic support. I am not suggesting those who have not returned lack this, but a future warning to the four facing relegation this Sunday: disperse your team at you peril. West Brom, relegated three times over the past 6 seasons, are one such club whose support never wavers and this was demonstrated over the weekend following their defeat to Liverpool. They have returned three times in Premier League history, and will be calling on their band of loyal followers as Tony Mowbray loo
ks to make a fourth return next May. Thankfully, the support the Northeast sides receive is arguably the best in the country, and the two that do go down will need it as they enter the next chapter.

Hull and Sunderland successfully negotiated ‘Survival Sunday’ and have the opportunity to regroup over the summer, make the appropriate additions and learn from the hardships of a poor season. At Middlesbrough and, more poignantly, at Newcastle, the futures are far from secure. Boardroom uncertainly, with owner Mike Ashley unable to find potential buyers and the future of their manager Alan Shearer in doubt, with a contract yet to be signed, needs to be addressed. History has shown that promotion the following year is by no means guaranteed and failure of an immediate return can spell the decline of a once great club. The declines of Leeds United, Southampton, Charlton and Luton Town in particular are a warning to whoever falls short this Sunday. Evidence suggests it may get worse before it gets better – just ask Manchester City fans.

Earning your respect

While the boos rang around Wembley Stadium back in the autumn, one could be forgiven for believing they were being directed at a team who had been struggling against a Kazakhstan side placed 131th in the world. As it was, the jeers were reserved for a solitary figure. Right or wrong, Ashley Cole was singled out amongst a squad of players that increasingly look detached from reality and from the public who continuously inject their hard-earned cash into the game. A right to boo? You bet they do.

I remember well the media having a rather mixed response to the cat-calls directed at arguably the premier left back in Europe, if not in the world, at this current time. Paul Hayward of the Daily Mail labelled those who berated Cole as naive and immature, whilst others supported the notion that players should take it firmly on the chin whatever is thrown at them from an expectant crowd. What has not been touched on, however, is the real reason why Ashley Cole was victimized by so me sections of the Wembley crowd.

It was also suggested that Cole was singled out for the rather dreadful cr oss-field pass that lead to Kazakhstan halving the arrears on the night. Although there is no question this would have acted as a catalyst for his abuse, the real reason why ‘Cashley’ was subject to such a reaction is simple. He typifies everything that is bad about the current crop of professional footballers. Far from writing this piece in an attempt to lambast footballers as money-lead scumbags, I will merely be attempting to highlight the current ills polluting our game. Gone are the days when, after a gruelling 90 minutes of blood, sweat and, in Gazza’s case, tears, the players would join with the locals for a pint and discuss the afternoon’s entertainment. Now although I am not advocating a return to this, as the notion of Messrs Beckham and Henry delightfully indulging in a pint of John Smith’s is ludicrous, a bit of a reality check for these overpaid prima donnas would not go amiss.

So out of touch with reality are these footballers, that Cole was once heard in stipulating why he did not take up Arsenal’s offer of a contract extension: “I nearly crashed my car when they only offered me £55,000 a week”. Hello? If only I could earn that in two years! And the current crop of journos think the boos were served up due to a misplaced pass? Get real. This is the first in a long line of reasons why Mr. Cole is not on the vast majority of England fans’ Christmas card list (not that he=2 0should be anyway).

I would even go as far to say that the recent respect campaign we are seeing in the Premier League came about largely due to the antics of our Nation’s number three. We all remember the incident at White Hart Lane as Mike Riley tried in vain to calm him down. “Ashley, please turn around, you’re going to get yourself sent off in a minute” was the plea from the despairing man in the middle. Cole displayed a complete lack of respect, refusing to cooperate with the official as he took his name in the book. If only he had shown him a second yellow. The incident provoked huge debate on the current disregard for referees in the modern game and, thankfully, measures are now being made to follow in the footsteps of the respect we see from our top rugby stars.

As we go through the keyhole, there are yet more clues which suggest why Cole has fallen into the boo-box. The scene at White Hart Lane is not the first time Cole has turned his back on a figure of authority. The lack of loyalty he has shown to those who have looked after him and supported him both in his professional and personal life beggars belief. Arsene Wenger has created a legacy at the Gunners, continuously giving youngsters the chance to flourish at one of the biggest clubs in the world. Cole, despite now being established at both Chelsea and England, was once a starry-eyed teenager and it was Weng er who had the faith to put him in and amongst the likes of Sol Campbell, Lee Dixon and Martin Keown. Wenger’s chance on Cole, with hindsight, has not been fully rewarded; as the cash of Roman Abramovic proved too much of a lure. This explains why Arsenal fans hold him in such contempt, but the neutral was soon beginning to see a side of a man that would be subjected to such abuse.

How Ashley treated Cheryl was despicable. I mean, how could he? He has managed to land one of the most beautiful girls in the world, and what the average Jo wouldn’t do to just converse with the stunner. Either way, it was a further example whereby Mr. Cole has wrongly exploited the privileged situation he has found himself in at the expense of someone who is close to him. This is what grinds the gears of the aforementioned Jo Bloggs, because you can bet your bottom dollar that if he were in Cole’s position, he would not have exploited the luxury afforded him.

The boos may well have been due to a misplaced back pass. However, I can almost certainly guarantee that if it had been from Barry, Upson or Lampard, the chorus that followed would never taken place on the same scale. Sure, perhaps we would have come to expect it from these players, but the menace and disdain in the bar rage was down to a collaboration of incidents involving a man who has not portrayed himself in a positive light ever since he was given the marvellous opportunity by one of the current greats in management.

I can only hope that he begins to reflect on his recent demeanors and begins to plot a way out. It is not impossible, nor improbable. David Beckham managed it following France ’98 as he was subjected to sickening chants and burning effigies when he returned home. He has since transformed himself into one of the most respected and revered individuals of our nation. Although these are rather large boots to follow, Cole can mute the boo boys, and I sincerely hope he does. He is a talented footballer if nothing else, and when he is on the top of his game there are few better. After all, we’re going to need him if we are to silence the world doubters in South Africa 2010.

Good afternoon, and greetings from Vietnam. Despite this nation not being renowned for its footballing excellence, the natives have adopted the Premier League as their very own. In fact, the same could be said of several other countries in South-East Asia I have encountered in the past three weeks. They live, breathe and sleep football. No exaggeration. Walking along Nha Trang’s main high street today I was regularly stopped and informed that Tim Cahill, whose name proudly adorns my back, is the best player in the world AND that Everton are the best team in England. Now although you would be hard pressed arguing for either cause, they did an excellent job attracting me into their respective bars and restaurants.

It is rather fitting therefore that, whilst I am out in a land where our stars are elevated to even greater heights, this year’s campaign is arguably the most compelling yet since its conception in 1992. As we enter February, there is a staggering six points separating West Brom in 20th position to Manchester City, who have recently crept into tenth. Although not too likely, apologies to my West Brom friends, the Baggies are theoretically two games away from not only getting themselves out of the scrap they currently find themselves in, but challenging for Europe – well, at least the Intertoto anyway. Hull, despite tremendous victories in the autumn, most notably the six points they accumulated in back to back away wins against Arsenal and Tottenham, are nervously looking over their shoulders. What seemed like a fairytale season has turned into a drastic dip in fortunes. Despite manager Phil Brown playing down their chances during their purple patch, the Tigers find themselve s in eleventh place; just five points off the drop-zone.

Then there are the in-betweeners. Portsmouth, Newcastle, their neighbors Sunderland, and Bolton all find themselves in precarious positions. In previous seasons, occupying sixteenth to twelve respectively would usually carry with it a warning, but also the knowledge that a run of points would apply sufficient breathing space. Not now. These sides, in particular Sundarland and Tottenham, should have nothing to worry about, but with only four points separating Blackburn in eighteenth to Bolton, the race for survival is hotting up.

Competition for Europe and honors is as compelling, if not more so, than ever. Despite the usual suspects being there or there abouts (I refrain from using the label they have acquired from Sky over the years) there are some young pretenders, literally. Ashley Young has arguably been the league’s player of the season, and his form has elevated Aston Villa to the lofty heights of third in the table. A great deal of respect and acknowledgement must be bestowed on Martin O’Neill for this, and for only the second time in seven years, the last being Everton in 2005, a side is making a genuine case for Champions League Qualification. Amen to that. Everton, like Villa, have built a side of hungry, talented, young players who are tied down to long-term contracts. The continuity seen at Goodison since David Moyes’ appointment in the spring of 2002 has given the Toffees a belief that they too can challenge the monopoly of the ‘top four’. (Curse, Sky’s marketing strategy has worn me dow n). In all seriousness, Moyes is doing a fabulous job and long may it continue.

Arsene Wenger’s irrepressible desire to breed top, young talent is refreshing, but even his staunchest supporters would find it difficult not to argue they need both experience and guile in midfield and at the back. True, the world finds itself in a precarious financial position, and the credit crunch may or may not have effected the club’s performance in both the summer and January transfer windows. It is costing the Gunners big time in terms of honors, and a club of their size and recent history deserves better, some may argue. It is now an incredible four years since Wenger guided his side to FA Cup glory – even that a fortuitous penalty shootout win over Manchester United. Despite Andre Arshavin’s belated arrival, Wenger needs to invest in the aforementioned problematic areas come the summer, where they will be fortunate to find themselves in the qualifying phase of Europe’s elite cup competition.

As I bask in Everton’s epic performance on Wednesday night, defying all logic by overcoming their Mersey-Millionaire neighbors over two games of FA cup heart-in-the-mouth stuff, I also revel in this season’s Premier League. So too do my friends over here. With at least three matches screened on a Saturday evening and into Sunday’s early hours, I will have no problems in sitting back and watching the business end of the season unfold…to the sweet taste of Tiger beer. Oh, the hard life.

The romance is back

14th April, 1999 – perhaps not a date that immediately triggers a response. If I were to say it was the date a flying Welshman picked up on a misplaced pass from one of France’s greatest centre midfield players of the modern day, it will certainly reawaken the memory. Ryan Giggs’ trickery, balance, composure and his venomous left footed drive that bedazzled the watching millions, let alone the majority of the Arsenal team, helped United on the way to an unprecedented treble. The greatest FA Cup goal of all time? That is open to some debate. What is without question is that ever since this moment of wizardry, the cup seems to have lost its edge…until now.

Returning to Wembley has certainly helped fuel a renewed interest and excitement in the Cup. English football’s showpiece event, despite being in safe hands in Cardiff’s impressive Millennium Stadium, was beginning to stagnate. I am not saying the alternative venue was the sole reason for the cup’s diminishing profile on the world stage, far from it. One must extend their deepest thanks to those at the upper echelons of the Welsh FA for allowing their neighbours the breathing space to dig their way out of the farce that was the new Wembley’s belated development. However, despite the 74500 capacity proving more than an adequate platform for an event of such magnitude, it just was not the same. No climbing of the stairs to lift the cup, no twin towers, and confusion up and down the land with how to slip in ‘Cardiff’ or ‘Millennium’ into those Wembley chants. The move to Cardiff, despite a decent contemporary venue, was merely a contributor to a slumber that had its wheels in motion for some time.

After guiding his side to a since unrivalled treble in 1999, Sir Alex Ferguson withdrew Manchester United from the FA Cup to concentrate on the World Club Championships in Brazil. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it was a ridiculous notion at the time, and with the valuable hindsight, an even more ridiculous decision.  From Brazil, the obstinate Ferguson commented:

“It’s been fantastic here – what a chance for us to come out and get some sun,” he told the BBC.
“Back home we would have been freezing our toes off. Playing in the Maracana stadium – that’s an experience that probably 90% of the top players in the world don’t get.”

Whilst I agree with the last sentiment, the above excuse for why he swapped arguably the biggest club cup competition in the world for an up and coming world club championship – that has since been rescheduled to a diluted version in order for no future clashes – does not cut it with me. A chance to get some sun? Give me a frozen pitch and Bovril any day ahead of a retreat to the Maracana in the pursuit of the FA Cup. The fact that Ferguson thought otherwise proved the magic of the cup was beginning to elude some. He was not alone.

When Reading took their side to Old Trafford in the fifth round of the cup in the February of 2007, few could argue with Steve Coppell’s decision to field an under strength team. They were newly promoted to the Premier League, and their priorities lay with cementing their status as a top flight side. However, would this have happened before the financial rewards of staying in the top tier arose? I would be inclined to suggest not. As it was, Coppell’s side managed to pull off a 1-1 draw to force a replay, so our argument does suffer a slight setback. However, once more, what this does prove is that managers were not showing the FA Cup the respect it deserves. The once cherished road to Wembley was seemingly set to lose its panache, and stagnate to an extent where managers were not fielding their strongest eleven. That sparkle that once existed was beginning to dim. Cue the renaissance.

This weekend saw several David versus Goliath encounters, and not one proved to be as conclusive and as straightforward as form and class would suggest. Everton, riding on a crest of a wave that has seen them re-establish themselves as a top six Premier League outfit in recent weeks, travelled to lowly Macclesfield, currently mid table in league 2 and sixty-eight places lower. Despite a moment of brilliance from Leon Osman that sent Everton through to a mouth-watering fourth round tie with local rivals Liverpool, further adding gloss to this year’s competition, Macclesfield produced a display that deceived their lower league status, and could well have earned them a replay.

On Monday, non-league Blyth Spartans took on Blackburn Rovers, winners of the competition six times. This should have been a whitewash. Instead, the minnows produced a dogged display that belayed their semi-professional status, and gave the millionaires a run for their money.  If only Andrew Wright had converted five minutes from time to earn Blyth a replay, and hopes of a similar cup run they experienced in 1978, where the club made it to the fifth round.

Elsewhere, more pertinent shocks took place. Southend secured a lucrative replay at home to Chelsea by looting an injury time equaliser at the Bridge. Forest Green, currently in the relegation zone of the Blue Square Premier League, gave Championship side Derby a scare in a 7 goal thriller, before finally succumbing 3-4. Middlesbrough could only beat Barrow at home 2-1, Forest trounced Manchester City 3-0, and Jeff Stelling’s Hartlepool humbled Premier League boys Stoke 2-0.

Who said the magic of the cup had disappeared? This weekend’s fixtures proved that on the day, anything can happen, and despite the gulfs in supposed class and lifestyles, football is a game played by eleven against eleven, on grass and not paper. Unfortunately a spark has left this year’s competition, with Mark ‘Sparky’ Hughes’s side completely humiliated at home by Nottingham Forest. However, the true spark of the FA Cup remains and I for one look forward to witnessing the march to the twin towers, urm sorry, the arch.

Brand Beckham rolls into Milan

This weekend, David Beckham was unveiled as an AC Milan player during the Rossoneri’s 5-1 home victory over Udinese. While it is yet another example of Brand Beckham embarking on a new project, as the boy from Leytonstone further cements his status as a global icon, the move is essential for Beckham the player. The star will be looking to regain his match-fitness and prove to Fabio Capello he is worthy of a place in the next England squad for the qualifier against Ukraine. If selected, he will pick up his 108th cap and in doing so equal Bobby Moore’s outfield record.

Much has been said and written regarding Beckham’s unerring quest to continue to represent his country. There are some claiming his desire to clock up as many caps as possible is to reach yet another milestone, to add a further achievement and celebrity, and that his selection by Capello in recent qualifiers has been purely for sentimental reasons. But why should he give up his dream of representing his country? His services to our nation, both on and off the field, not to mention his truly amicable charity work, places Beckham in a category that few can be associated with. He is a great and as long as he is fit and playing well in Milan, surely he deserves to oust Moore whilst there is the opportunity to do so.

But is this the right thing to do? It may be for humanitarian reasons, but is it the best thing for England? There is no doubting that very few can strike the ball as good as Beckham, and certainly there are few better who can deliver a cross with as much menace and accuracy. However, Capello’s decision to play him eight times, and more recently as a cameo substitute, could be called in for scrutiny. There are plenty of talented young right-sided players waiting in the wings (no pun intended). Theo Walcott, David Bentley, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Aaron Lennon, James Milner and Ashley Young will all be looking to replace the monopoly Beckham occupies on the right flank long-term.

It will certainly be interesting to see whether a fully fit Beckham is chosen in April ahead of these talented Premier League players. Certainly Walcott has done enough recently to deserve his selection. However, with the young Arsenal man suffering with a dislocation of the shoulder, it looks as though it will be a fight between Beckham and the remaining candidates for the number 7 shirt. Bentley is only just beginning to find form at Whit Hart Lane since his big money move from Blackburn, as is Lennon; and the two certainly look like they are much more comfortable under Harry Redknapp than Juande Ramos. Wright-Phill ips has always flattered to deceive in an England shirt, Milner must cement himself in the Villa line-up first and Young, whilst impressing recently for the Villans, is still a work in progress. Come April, if Beckham’s move to Milan is proving to be a success, I know who my money will be on to fill in on that right hand side.

Although Beckham has had his fair share of criticism during his career, he has always managed to rise above it. Rebbecca whose? France 98 saw him become one of England’s most despised individuals. He responded by helping United win an unprecedented treble the following season, and the next year saw him appointed England captain by the stand-in manager Peter Taylor for a friendly in Italy. He has since shone in Madrid, and despite the America adventure not entirely going to plan, he has certainly boosted the profile of ‘soccer’ across the pond and will continue to do so whilst out there.

David Beckham is all set for his next challenge, and while his people will be looking to ensure the Italian job runs smoothly, the pretenders will be waiting in the wings. Perhaps Trademark Theo, Product Shaun, Label Lennon or even Variety Young may be the next marketing schemes to tackle to global market. But for now, the Beckham circus must go on. Golden Balls for 108? For now, it is a nobrainer and, more crucially for Brand Beckham, a certainty.