“I’ve never said that I’d never move away from Manchester, and I’ve never said that I’d end my career there,” David Beckham said less than a month before he left us for Real Madrid. Some fans won’t be told though. Because Beckham watches United knock Arsenal out of the Champions League with a grin on his face, he is a United legend. Because he repeatedly tells the press leaving United was nothing to do with him, he is loved.
There’s no denying that Beckham is a fan of United. There’s no denying he’s aware of the massive mistake he made when he left us. But the way Beckham views himself, and the way some fans see him, doesn’t quite match up with the Beckham we saw towards the end of his United career, who stalled over his contract for over a year because image rights needed “perking”, who showed up late to training, and who had one of his best games in a United shirt when playing against Real Madrid, the team he joined months later in what he described as a “dream” move.
Beckham claimed this week that he was desperate to be drawn against United this year in the Champions League. In the same interview, he also told of how badly he wanted to win the competition with AC Milan.
Beckham has been granted his wish today, with United set to play Milan in the round of 16. However, for Beckham to go on to win the European Cup with the team he is on loan with, he would have to knock United out.
If Beckham scored against us and knocked us out, would you still feel the same way about him?
Man Utd News 24/7
I’d still love Beck’s, he’s the reason I fell in love with United, I’ll always support him.
The ’99 team are legendary and he was an important part of that team.
We sold him at just the right time and his replcement eclipsed anything he did for the club. I don’t like him as a player or a man anymore, so my feelings would not change too much.
I’m far more worried about Pato.
I haven’t voted yet because my answer isn’t part of the options,lol. I would love him the same, but personally( and don’t mean to start another round od debating here) i don’tsee him as a United legend.
By the way, my opinion will depend on how Beckham conducts himself. Case in point. We all loved Schmeichel, but i still haven’t forgiven his idiotic celebrations when City were scoring against us in the last derby at Maine Road in 2002.
he isnt in my list of legends to start with !!
loved the lad who worked his socks off to become decent enough player, from there it was downhill,from then he became the model who played football here n there! hate his hypocritical stance before leaving the club too, he could have been one of the golden oldies (scholes, giggsy, gazza),winning epl n reachin cl finals, instead he plays in the mls, enuf said!! was it worth it becks??
He cannot kick with his left foot, he cannot head a ball, he cannot tackle and he doesn’t score many goals. Apart from that he’s all right. : george best: )
Please dont slate me for saying this
Yes.I will still love becks.he also helped United become a more popular club all over the world adn give 100% in the United shirt whenever he played. he still loves United.the reaction in the win over arsenal last season said it all.hasnt spoken a bad word about the club. His best friend is gary nev, isnt it?
I cant really have a go at him for scoring against us if he got the opportunity, if Owen had the opportunity to put us through in the champions league against Liverpool next year (because next year is THERE year of course!), I’d expect him to not think about his previous allegiance when he took it, so, similarly, becks in the same situation I would expect to act in the same way and would think it more of an insult of he didn’t give the best club in the world 110% of his game
It would put me off but he’s at AC Milan now and if the chance comes begging, and he’s a true professional, he WILL score.
I adored David when he was with us and I still like him. Obviously he will never look as good as in our red shirt (just like Ronaldo), and that’s enough warrant for me to get over him. He knows he made a massive mistake leaving us. That’s enough for me.
“loved the lad who worked his socks off to become decent enough player” that is like calling him just a average player…..he was more than a average player…..he did not have speed or a golden left leg
But he had this amazing right leg that would make a lot of assists…….and he always gave 100% on the field……he was/is a leader……and his passing around the field is has always been good……and he didn’t give many balls away 
in my opinion he was a great player for Man Utd during his time here…….and I regard him as a legend.
It’s not like he’ll do a Denis Law on us. And yet, Law is a legend. I think whilst the Beckham issue splits United fans down the middle, I still think those who hold him in high regard will continue to do so. He’s a professional, and I’d want him to give his all. If he celebrates when he scores, fair play to him. Beckham’s in the twilight of his career, so he’ll take what he gets, and his main motivation is to get into Capello’s squad.
I would be concerned if we lose to AC Milan though – it’s a side full of slow codgers.
Er the reason why I fell in love with United was because of United – Becks can have his reception and will duly be applauded but trust me he won’t knock us out – this is history coming full circle – at the end of their respective careers one ex OT player who now is a global star comes back to the ground that made his name – he is now famous beyond belief – is a hollywood star – is single handedly put to rescuing the world cup bid of 2018 – I could carry on.
But then to counter that:
the other is still there – has outdone him in trophies and stature and now is more than the fabric of the club – will be steeped in folklore and history – and he will become the romance of the club for future generations because of this time- his time (something that Becks knows he hasn’t got) and such David will look back and realise that although he might have everything – he has not what one Ryan Giggs has – and that is that Giggs is the most decorated player and the most outstanding footballer in the premiership and probably will be for years to come unless someone like Rooney can carry on and achieve more…
It is not Beckham who plays the outstanding football, it is Giggs. If Beckham can still pass a ball or score that free kick – then Giggs can do everything equally and more – change a game – still run despite his age – and has developed his game whilst Becks hasn’t. Giggs can out think an opponent as we have all seen but Beckham has lost that edge.
That is why I wanted this tie more than anything because most importantly Becks knows that after all this time it is Giggs that has outlasted him and a certain Virus – and that when he comes back to OT Giggs will not be the only player he faces – because I guarantee you Scholes will play against Milan and will outclass Becks passing – as we have also seen this season. The only thing left remaining is Garry to come up against him – and he will know at the end what he gave up when he finally walks out of OT
And after Milan Ronaldo somewhere along the line will have his calling – but this time it will Rooney and Patrice that will do the talking – trust me guys I for-told this in the summer – I can’t wait…
I was a big fan of him when I was growing up so for me he’ll always be a bit of a hero. I think it’s similar to how younger United-fans would think of Ronaldo as a legend today.
i dont think anyone reaaally hates becks.. for example.. hate: Referees, JT, retarded away fans, collymore, henry etc. ..but becks? he does some stupid shit from time to time ok, but no one can deny his services to the club, plus his professionalism is top drawer no matter where he plays (antonym: robinho at city).
PLUS.. honestly
if we lose to fookin ac milan, we dont deserve evra!
I grew up loving Beckham.. ofcourse i dont love him as much as i did.. but for christ sakes i was 16-17 when he was on top at United.. That ment my hair was always same as his hehehehe ….and I cried when he left
So im very glad hes coming back to Old Trafford.. But WE HAVE TO WIN!!!
RE: MG
Why are you even comparing Beckham to Giggs
Giggs is special. Not every player can be like Ryan Giggs, in fact hardly any can. It is what makes them special. If more players were like Giggs, people wouldn’t appreciate him so much.
You seem very bitter that Beckham left. Get over it. Players come and go. And like I said if they all spent their whole career at United, then the likes of Giggs wouldn’t stand out
I don’t think he will have a great game against us because he is a shadow of the player as he was. Ask me that six years ago and I wouldn’t be as confident
@the scottish wonder: I was around the same age. Tell me you didn’t emulate his mohawk!
I was a bit disappointed when Beckham left but I always said, it was a bit unfair of him to pin his exit on the club. He played his part IMO. I don’t begrudge him for moving on at all, there is no rule which says you have to be at the same club all your career (I am actually tired of people acting like there is because if there was the likes of Giggs would just be another good player) but he could have been a bit more honest
Think it’s safe so say he’s loved, I love him, I think he’s great, footballers talk bullshit, Berbatov, Tevez are two that we love and hate, Tevez lied as did Berbatov, if Berbatov loves us so much, why didn’t he fucking join when he had the chance instead of going Spurs and then costing us nearly 3 times as much than we originally wanted! I hated Beckham in his last year, his lies, his performances, his life style, it’s not what I wanted from a United player, I actually sold him to Liverpool on CM ‘cuz I hated him so much!!
I didn’t like him ’til his last season at Madrid really, I know he moved for money but at that stage of your career to be offered 500k a week or whatever, you’d be mental not to go on, especially after finally helping to clinch the title, he got relegated off the team and it was sheer hard work that brought him back into contention and he ended up playing a vital role, despite Fabio not wanting him because he was leaving, then he trained with Arsenal youth to stay fit for England, he’s honoring his LA contract despite him clearly wanting to move after tasting quality footy in Italy. I love the bloke and i’ve put my bitterness behind him, he really is a legend, he’s not Best, Giggs, Charlton, Neville but i’d rank him above Van Nis who I feel is a lege too!
Even if he scores for us, i’ll love him, he’s no fucking Hughes who’s become a massive cock, even Keane has become a tit since leaving, Beckham has had nothing but nice things to say about us and I love him for it.
Yep, i’d still love him, always has and always will be my favourite player, a massive United fan and a great player for us if it weren’t for Fergie kicking a boot at him i’m sure he would of stayed here for the rest of his career.
What kony said.
He has recieved offers from other premier league clubs but insists the only English side he will play for is United.
He was a United fan before he ever became a professional footballer.
We watched the guy develop from a greasy haired teenager into one of the most exciting footballers of his generation and an icon of the game.
He was an instmumental figue during a golden era at the club, delivering a long awaited European success amongst numerous other trophies. He was part of a team that let us all dare to dream, and to believe.
You may not like the way he left the club but he was a young man at the time, under compliment to forces probably more demanding then the club, and he gave us his best years of his career.
Perhaps he feels he never got the chace to say goodbye to the fans, perhaps he has a desire to grace Old Trafford one last time before his career is over, perhaps he wants to show the evergreen Scholes and Giggs that he too has a drop of petrol left in the tank. Who knows?
One thing is for certain, The name David Beckham will always be synonomous with Manchester United. He may not be perfect, may not have always made the right decisions but he is United through and through. He will always be a United legend in my eyes
Sometimes it amazes me how some writers believe everything that footballers say.When Becks joined Real,do you think he could say anything else than “this is a dream”?Why make it difficult for yourself when you can do it easy!The same with the comment for Milan,offcourse he wants to play at Old Trafford again to get the reception he deserves!And OFFCOURSE he wants to win the Champions League again!Who wouldnt?Im still a Manchester United supporter,but would it make me something else if I would love to win the Champions League in general?Hell,I would probably run around crying like a little baby if I won it with Birmingham!
If you can compare this to something,compare it to the situation Michael Owen is in now..He tells now and again that he loves Man United,but does he really?Isnt the pay-check and chance to play in the Champions League what he really loves?!
And at last the comment:“I’ve never said that I’d never move away from Manchester, and I’ve never said that I’d end my career there,”.The fact that he loves the club and the history,doesnt mean that he has to love Sir Alex Ferguson.When you get on SAF bad side,you have no choice,despite you loving the club or not.Do you think Jaap Stam would still be in the club if he said “Oh Fuck..Sorry..I still Love United,but I still mean the things I wrote in my book!”
Come On!!
Becks = Legend
“if it weren’t for Fergie kicking a boot at him i’m sure he would of stayed here for the rest of his career”
or maybe if Beckham had listened to Fergie, he would have stayed for the rest of his career.
SAF wanted Beckham to change. Since he got together with posh, his whole attitude started to change. Scott has mentioned some of them in the blog. SAF also wasn’t a fan of his circus and the crucial harsh fact which was he was becoming more known for his celebrity lifestyle rather than his football. . And his celebrity lifestyle became more important to him. SAF tried to get him to change but it was no good. He wouldn’t
I said I wasn’t going to compare Giggs and Beckham but this is important. I have heard reports that Giggsy (when he was around 18/19) used to be in Manchester a lot in bars/clubs. I never saw him myself but I have heard it. Then suddenly he disappeared. Why? SAF must have told him he wanted him to stop that lifestyle and concentrate more on United. So he did. So if Giggs could listen to SAF to save his Manchester United career (and look where it has got him!) why couldn’t Beckham?
@Spencer
I think you should read what I wrote again – my comparison is based on the fact that Giggs has outlasted Beckham, has achieved more than Beckham and is the ultimate footballer compared to Beckham – a point I clearly make which you have unfortunately misread or have taken the wrong way.
I’m sorry but I find it rude to suggest that I am bitter that Beckham left – I never was and I am not and never will – I can’t understand how you came to that conclusion when I clearly state that as a footballer he will know when he comes to OT or walks out of OT of a life he gave up on to pursue his wealth and his name, because in Giggs – Scholes – Neville – three players that he shared his football education with – they have outgrown him as footballers – he in turn as a superstar – a global brand. I’m sorry if you can’t read between the lines – I’m also sorry that you felt the need to write a post without trying to read mine in the first place. The first line “I fell in love with United because of United” should have told you that I follow United and am not bound to any one player.
Also my point of his inability now as a footballer is clearly written in terms that Giggs and Scholes are better and I assume they will play and that he will be outplayed by both – again sorry if you can’t read between the lines. Please feel free to respond – but have the time to read properly what I have written.
But we wouldn’t get knocked out.
RE: MG. Fair enough maybe i did mis read it
He was a good servant while he was here, and he went for a fair price at a time when he was just over his peak.
We cant possibly be bringing up archaic contract negotiations into picture now as a reason to hate him. If you look at it that way, most players would give us a reason to hate (eg. Rio, Wes, etc), and very few would be perfectly okay with whatever the club offers them. Lets face it, the first offer is never the best one, because the club will be looking to cut corners wherever possible.
He did make some foolish mistakes in his life, which I’m sure he regrets now. I’ll bet my left nut that come January, when he lines up against us, he’ll be wishing he was on the side of Giggsy, Scholesy and Neville, not against.
@Spencer
Fair enough and I agree with you that he will not have any impact and neither will Ronaldinho because at the same time Becks comes back to OT so is the one player that – had he had come in 2003 would still be that frightening world class player had he of course wanted to play under SAF – a lot of people never even mentioned that angle in fact no one has – so yes as I said history is coming back full circle and United have there chance to rewrite it.
Peace
@MG:
I liked your initial post. It pretty much sums up why i don’t think we can call Beckham a Man United legend.
And to be honest, i don’t think Becks ever wanted that. He is a United supporter, but in my opinion his priorities were different to that of Ryan Giggs or Paul Scholes. And there is nothing wrong with that. What truly matters is if he gave his all for us, and in my opinion he did. I wanted him to keep on playing for UNited and reach the status of Ryan, Paul and Gaz Nev, but he probably wanted different things in life. I hope he is happy with that and he is not having regrets.
Excellent post, Costas.
You can bet your bottom dollar Becks is envious of Neville, Scholes and Giggs.
@Costas
I second that – and equal it to Ronaldo – brilliant player but no legend – wanted to go – nothing wrong with that – let him have his dream too – someone else will come along the way and the wheel will start all over again.
Just that the footballer in him has to have a regret even if it comes down to just a single percent. I may be wrong – but the last couple of years and his body language sometimes gives it away – and I don’t have to look for it – however we are Manchester United and this club waits for no one – that means no one – no matter who they are.
By the way the last paragraph was to Beckham – maybe in years to come for Ronaldo – because at the end the parallel should be drawn that for us Rooney will achieve more – we hope…
Thanks Fred.
If he is envious, then i do feel for him, because you only go around once in life. On the surface, it seems like his life is complete and that it’s turning out like he wanted. If i were he though, i would cherish all the money i made, but deep down i might have felt a tad jealous. He knows that if he had stayed with us, he would have definitely become a legend for this club. But you never know how things turn out in life. In the summer of 2003, 2 major disappointments(Beckham’s departure and Ronaldinho going to Barca), turned into a big positive: the signing of Ronaldo. So, in hindsight, things turned out pretty well for us!
MG – Fantastic post. Fucking belter.
@MG: Very well said. The train waits for nobody. I hope Nani realizes that. Sorry, had to go there.
I agree about Beckham’s body language. I think it’s a number of things. His career is reaching its declining years and he might be wondering where it might have went wrong. Also, the move to LA had to made him second guess himself, no matter what he said at the time. As i said, i hope that down the road he lives his life with no regrets, because it can be a terrible feeling. I know from experience.
No options I really want there, he’s not a United legend like the first part of the first option says, but I’d probably still respect him.
I just don’t buy into all this nonsense that he actually wanted to stay and evil Fergie somehow pushed him out, he made his choice and left whilst turning down a new contract along the way. The End.
the one at 22.19
Mic – When did Berbatov turn down an offer from United to join Spurs??? I think you’ve got your wires crossed.
http://therepublikofmancunia.com/is-now-the-time-to-capture-berbatov
United spoke to the player but didn’t put an offer in. Spurs repeatedly came in for him and offered Leverkusen the money at the beginning of May. United still had Ruud and didn’t sell him until two months after Berbatov had joined Spurs, at the end of July.
@Costas
Only time will tell when he’s out of the game – but I don’t think he’ll ever tell – the diplomat in Beckham now has that mob fans and Milan’s too as well as ours, so you know he appreciates all – for all his love for United he has never put United over that mob and Milan – of course LA Galaxy should be thrown into the mix too because as always Becks knows how to lay the PR game.
Further I agree on Nani – if only he could polish off the last third of his game… In any case Obertan has done more and Nani should be worried…
@King Eric
Thank you – like I said History is coming back to where it started. Becks Giggs Scholes Neville Ronaldihno – 2003 all over again but not the way it could have been – but I would have Scholes and Giggs over Beckham and Ronaldinho any day. This teams time has come again – it is also a reminder post Ronaldo that the players do not make the team, the team makes the players – it is the myth – the love affair of Manchester United that has made David Beckham, not Madrid not Milan not Galaxy… I could say the wife but I won’t be rude because he met her after… Just like Ronaldo – I dare anyone to say that Ronaldo would be where he is today if he had been with a Madrid or a Milan – but I don’t care about him wither – my care is United and it along with my fellow reds is where I belong.
The loyalty of players will end with the likes of Giggs – a Scholes – a Neville… It will never happen again…
I don’t think he’s a legend, a really good player for us over the years and there’s no doubting his affection towards United but legend? Nah
@MG: I would say that footballers in general are very protective of their image nowdays. In the last few years i can recall only one instance when a player was really honest about his career. When Gascoign admitted that under Fergie things might have turned out differently for him. So in that sense, i don’t expect him to admit it anytime soon. And i agree that he is not burning any bridges either.
I will say one thing about footballers and their loyalty. I don’t think that Scholes, Neville and Giggs will be the last ones. I look at players like Brown, O’Shea and Fletcher and i can’t picture them playing for another team anymore. They might not be top top footballers, but i think that they are starting to reach a point where United is becoming like their wife.
Beckham is and never will be a United legend so I’m not sure where that came from!
Nevertheless, I would expect nothing less than 100% commitment from a player playing for any club let alone my own, regardless of who he is playing against and a burning desire to succeed and win in every game he plays.
Therefore my opinion of him will not change in the slightest no matter what happens in the games between us.
RE: Scott
well it looks like a certain Mr Berbatov also had his wires crossed then
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2337114/Berbatov-turned-down-United.html
@Costas
Good point but players without agents and a one team band still are dying breed…
Anyway we can only be true to United – as long as we hold up our end of the bargain…
Scott, I love the way you are being selective about your Beckham memory. Remembering only the last year of a ten year United career. And his words were “there is only one other club that is as big as United and that is Real.” Now, I get the frustration with his behavior towards the end. But not for a second should you or anyone think that Becks is a legend because he had a smile on his face when we thumped Arsenal.
6 Premier League Titles, 2 F.A. Cups, 1 Champions League, 1 Club World Cup and 4 Community Shields. In 10 years.
Thats why he is a United legend. Now, not for a second do I agree with the way he behaved when leaving, but then again no one can say for sure what happened. The details of his achievements at this club, however, are clear.
Now, usually I agree with most of your opinions, but this, I dont. David Beckham gave ten years of service to this club, and has had nothing but great things to say after. Separations are usually bitter, but that cannot take away from the bigger picture.
Off-topic, but just wanted to draw attention to the fact that Drogba is currently beating Giggsy in the final of The Spoiler’s player-of-the-year award:
http://www.thespoiler.co.uk/index.php/2009/12/18/vote-the-spoilers-player-of-the-year-head-to-head
Get voting!
As for the Real Madrid game, I find it highly ridiculous that despite him playing his heart out, you question his dedication. Coming from someone who is an eternal optimist, such cynicism is surprising.
Had the Real transfer fallen through, or United agree to perk his image rights, his performance would have been hailed as one of the great individual performances.
Now, dont get me wrong, I totally accept that the man made mistakes as he left United, for which people have every right to remain angry. But it is unfortunate if that takes away from the bigger picture.
Scousers Suck – if Beckham is a legend because he won a lot of trophies for us, I don’t know what that makes Phil Neville. He won more with us than Becks did.
Legendary status isn’t built around whether a player leaves the club or not, in my opinion. It’s more to do with how and why they leave the club. Becks had just turned 28 when he left United, what should have been his peak. He didn’t want to spend that with us though, he wanted to do it on what he regarded to be a bigger stage in Madrid. People go on about how it was down to his missus, but if he was that under the thumb, why was he fucking that bird who made a career out of reality tv shows afterwards? He’s a grown man and he made his own decisions. He believed his own hype. I’m sure now with hindsight he wishes he didn’t get too big for his boots, but that doesn’t change the fact that he did.
Scott, I see your point of view here. But lets be real, in those ten years, Beckham contributed a lot more than Phil Neville did. Also, he never said Madrid was a bigger stage. His stance had always been that if its not United, it could only be Madrid.
And it wasn’t as simple as how you make it out to be. Its not that he wanted to leave and so he left. Everyone knows that if Sir Alex wants to keep a player he keeps him, no matter how badly the player may want to leave. We have seen that with Ronaldo. Sir Alex and Becks obviously didnt see eye to eye, and the boss realized that it would be great to cash in on Becks as well. I think Becks realized that he didnt have a future with the club, and left.
Now, if we are going to measure a person’s status by his departure, then Keano wouldnt be one. Given that he criticized United players in public, and fell out with the boss. But Keano is a legend, for what he did for this club.
I know people say he cant be a legend in comparison to Giggs and Scholes. But he is a legend in his own right. He made the Right Mid position his own, and was bloody brilliant at it when at United.
I think its time you accepted that , and gave the man his due.
Scott. I really enjoy reading your posts and normally you are spot on but seriously.. Get over it mate. Becks did a lot for Utd and Utd did a lot for him. He chose to move to Spain for all the glitz and glam but as you mentioned there’s no doubt he’s still a Utd fan. If Fergie were to offer him a loan move you know he’d bite his hand off to play for Utd again because as you mention, he probably regrets leaving and has always been a Utd fan. That doesn’t explain why he chose to go the way he did but lets move on hey? The rest of us have. If he were to score the winner against us as much as he’s talking the talk right now I’m sure it would hurt him deep down. It would certainly be a smash in the nuts for us supporters, there’s no doubting that, but that’s his profession and Milan have given him the opportunity and it’s his job to give 100% for them. If nothing else that’s what Becks does, he gives 100%. He gave it for us and he’s given it for every club he’s played for. You can’t fault him for that. Like I said, if you went over to him tomorrow and offered him a Utd Shirt or a Milan Shirt and told him to choose one.. it’s Utd everytime. And yes, in my eyes Becks is a Utd legend for how he helped globalize our club to where we are today and you can’t argue that he had nothing to do with that.
utdforever, spot on mate!
How can we possibly be here all these year later arguing as to wether or not Beckham is a Uniter legend? The facts say NO! Without doubt he wanted away from the United to go to (in his mind) a bigger club. Not one who wanted to be seen in a bad light all he had to do was upset Fergie to the point of no return and then blame him. As always opportunity fell right into his lap with the flying boot incident. A couple of stitches, make sure the press get plenty of pictures.That coupled with poor performances for us while busting a gut playing for England and BINGO! That my friends is not the behaviour of a United legend in my book. Fast forward a few years and brand Beckham starts to look at life after football. When he is in this country what is best? Well, what could be better than having a record number of caps and being closely associated with the best club in the land? The answer is nothing, so history slowly starts to be re-written and all of a sudden poor Becks was blameless and if you snapped him in half his spine would have Manchester United written in it like a stick of Blackpool rock. Beckham was a good player for us and on his day a great player, but he had another agenda under his hat in his last few years with us and that is not what legends are made of!………………….Sorry to those of you who love the guy but he has pulled the wool over peoples eyes who are a lot smarter than us. But not this time, not in my mind anyway.
if beckham could do it all over again something tells me he wouldn’t have married the spice girl. i think he would have kept his head down a bit more and tried to stay on like giggs, scholes, and nev. you know it must have killed him to watch united win more titles, tie the dippers record, and to watch his mates lift the trophy in moscow without him. he was practically raised from a boy to a man by the united family.
anyway, he chose his path and tried to play it out in a way that was most beneficial to himself first and foremost, and who can blame him? not many people on planet earth are given his opportunites, media appeal, and ability to turn themselves into a one man brand name corporation. would it have been financially smarter for him to not capitalize on his popularity?
if he helps milan knock out united from the champions league through hard work, talent, and sheer determination, then fair play to him. if he should dive, foul, or cheat milan to victory, or if he were to rub our noses in it during a match or after defeating us, well that’s another story and he would then deserve the tevez treatment.
as long as he shows proper respect to united during the two matches, i see nothing wrong with him helping his current team win. he’s a professional footballer and it’s his job. it would be disrespectful to everything he was taught by united and fergie if he came out and played anything less than the best of his ability.
at this point he’s brought me too much joy and too many fond memories as a united player for me to ever slag him. so for now i still like becks.
that being said, i hope united completely embarrass milan and exact a fair amount of revenge for our poor history against them. i also wouldn’t feel too bad if vidic knocked him down a few times. in fact i would find that hilarious!
Come on Scott… him being professional and giving 100% for his club in a massive champions league tie is somehow supposed to make him any less of a legend in United fans eyes? The undertone in this article makes it one of the dumbest things I’ve read on this otherwise pretty decent site……
The sad thing with Beckham is that, had he stayed at United, along with Scholes and Giggs and to a lesser extent, Neville, he’d be remembered as one of the greatest players of his generation.
Now, people think, “good player, huge celebrity” because brand Beckham is bigger than the player. Huge mistake leaving United.
Good evening all! These two games are potentially awesome but I’m afraid the media will paint it as “prodigal son returns” tripe. Which is one of the reasons SAF sold him. Shame for the greatest club in the world battling it out with one of Europe’s jewels to take a back seat to Beckham’s return to OT. I applauded Becks when he was in our squad but he’s the individual equivalent of Madrid in terms of bringing the circus to town.
i was 13 when Beckham left United. And you can say he was the idol for everyone in school. Including the girls. When i played for my school in an under 15 competition, i argued with a friend of mine for the number 7 jersey. Just to get the number 7, it gave you that Beckham feeling. hahah. The emulation of his hairstyle was a must. From the long M-ed hair, to the buzz cut, and to the Mohawk, it was a must to do those kind of hairstyles. And i snubbed Nike for Adidas, just to be David Beckham. That guy’s a legend for me. Always a United fan, and i’m proud of that.
Even with AC Milan, i have a great respect for that historic Italian team. They will be a great side for us to face in the knockout stage.Im looking forward to see the likes of Pato, Borriello, Pirlo, Nesta, Ronaldinho, Seedorf, and ofcourse Beckham, to play at Old Trafford. It will be a fantastic tie. Just what the Champions League is all about. We need to face and win against the big teams if we want to be the king of Europe again. We need to prove that to others.
All in all, i think we have the advantage ahead of this tie. Our back line will be (hopefully) fit again. Hoping for the return of Evans, Brown, O’shea, Nev, and Rio. We should be able to beat the Milan team.
UNITED FOR LIFE !
utdforever
well said
Beckham is a media whore, who had ideas above his talent at United.
SAF did the best thing when he off-loaded him to a club that promotes egos and glitz above real football.
Undoubtedly talented, but so are many players at United who don’t seek the camera.
Giggs, Scholes, Butt and both Nevilles (that came through with him) are real footballers, not Hollywood fairies.
Milan possess many other great players who we should be worried about, not Mr. Glitz.
Let’s see…because I support United I am supposed to hate England, loathe International breaks, curse Beckham, heap abuse upon every referee who has wronged us at some point in the past and generally become a twisted old sod? And I thought the Citizens and Scousers were the bitter ones?!?
Backham was a great player for us.. Ronaldo was a great player for us, they arent though legends..
Giggs, Scholes, Neville etc… are legends
And yes Costas i did the mohawk (sadly) for a few weeks
..But really for now Beckham is more good than bad
His goal celebration (or lack thereof) would inform my reaction.
I love Beckham, always do,and it helps that he loves us.I still do wish he’d had stayed with us.It’s awesme that he’s coming back and i’m nearly a hundred pecent sure he’ll get a great reception,and its all becuase of the way he conducts himself.True professional,and i’d choose to think that he’s a United Legend.
i always like it when good stuff’s said about Becks.i hope he does well in the games against us.
So, i’d want Becks to do well against us with us winning both ties
I’m sure inside him,he’d like that too, though obviously he wouldn’t say it out.
utdforever you’re a mind reader mate.
i’m not ashamed to admit that it was beck’s appeal that first drew me to United.. and i’ve been in love with the club ever since.
he’s probably gutted that Sir called on a former scouser to the club and gave him his once famous shirt but there’s no way back for himself.
He is no George Best.
@whiteknight03, spot on mate. I like Becks as a footballer and I think he is a United legend just as Van the man is and I am not ashamed of that.
you forget to mention how he was sold to real madrid AGAINST his will because fergie wanted rid whilst he was away on holiday. he was determined to stay at united and iron it out but fergie wouldn’t have it- and as we know, fergie’s word is final, and he thought becks’ time at united was up, so he was only going to go in the end. becks = united legend.
I wouldnt use the word ‘love’ and this might be contravesial… but that team of ’99 kicked ass and respect is due to ALL the players. I wouldnt exactely say that Yorke was a fine example after he won the treble, but for the contribution he made that year has earnt my unconditional respect for the guy.
Becks, when on his game at UTD was the type of player we all wanted at UTD he grafted, worked for the team, scored great goals (crucial ones too – spurs at home may ’99). Sure near the end he became a circus and it wasnt the best ending to his time here.
But, for his contribution to our success, our worldwide brand, the EXCITING games of the 90′s and early 00′s (unlike what we are seeing at the moment), the great free kicks… Becks – Thanks for the memories!!!!!
Oh heres a qu – ronaldo at his peak or becks who would you pick if you could only have 1 in your 1st 11 – I’d opt for Becks. No doubt.
I’ve been reading this blog for a fair bit now but this is my first post, bear with me if its a bit long but I just had to join the Beckham debate.
What makes one a legend? Is it the number of medals he wins? or the fact that he’s a crowd favourite? or the fact that he makes the right comments to the press? Truth is we all have different standards for measuring our legends. I think David Beckham is a legend for Manchester United because of what he gave to the club, true service whenever called upon. Who are we to say he did not give committed performances in the last year at United? If a player has a bad performance or loses form does that mean he’s no longer committed?I think not. David Beckham has shown nothing but tremendous respect for the club AND Sir Alex since his departure and I think at least he deserves some of that respect back from the club from which he received so much and to which he gave an incredible amount back. For those saying Becks was a ‘good’ player for us, he was an immense player for us imo. He was our single most creative outlet in our most successful era, his assists gave us the goals that won us the European cup and the premiership on multiple occasions. Yes we would all have loved him to do a Giggs and spend the rest of his career with us and tbh we have certainly been successful enough without him, but that didn’t happen. He made a choice which he felt was the best or the only one for him to join madrid. I think sometimes we fans expect the standards of gods or supermen from these players, forgetting that they are simply men like us and in most cases young men at that, who will take decisions which may with the benefit of hindsight, not be the wisest. We will never know the full details of why David Beckham really left united because none of us i think, was there from start to finish, we can only speculate and i is unfair to judge a man when we do not have the full information. think it is more fair to judge on what we do know for sure, that David Beckham contributed significantly to Manchester United’s success both on and off he field and that he has shown nothing but love and respect for this great club ever since he left. On these standards I choose to see David Beckham as a Manchester united legend.
p.s sorry for going on!
I don’t give a fuck about “branding” Beckham made his decision to leave the club and that is his right, he was a good player for us but he is controlled by his bitch whore of a wife so for me he is not even anywhere near a United legend neither is Ronaldo for that matter.
i would like him but not love him but thanks for everything you have done becks
its like me thinking if i ever became pregnant would i keep it ????????
its never gonna happen so why would i wonder about it
hargreaves for the winner
would it not have be too unbelievable to suggest that we could have taken Beckham on a 6 month loan from january somebody please tell me an argument to suggest he couldn’t have done a job for us at the current time
He would be in before Park and Nani
@ Costas
Hi buddy. Fletch is not a top top player ? But who is he ? The player we say we badly missed in the CL final ? Does the player haму to score 25 goals in order to be named top player ? Fletch IS a to top player and there is no doubt about that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3mRjV_Gk9I
Yes. He was a vital part of the history of United, his part in the treble was undeniable.
He is a pro and as such will want to beat us. Is that a reason to disrespect him again?
Would you want Owen to go easy on the Scousers when he plays against them or would you demand he want to win?
He’ll get a good reception, as he should, and then we’ll beat them and beat them well.
Well in my books,i didnt came to love united bcuz of becks.BUt rather the way that united had about playing thy football.. The situation is the same as ronaldo, great player,did evrythng for the club n put up an entertainìng show 4 us to remember.. Bt he had to move on,same goes to becks,did it all wit us but he was too big for us.. So move on, a decent player( or a great player at that era)he was but witout his downfall we would nt have fifa’s world player of the year in ronaldo. So i thank him for all that he has done.. But it wouldn’t change my feelings for him that is he is a decent player that used to play for united. Nothing and nothing less…
RedDevilzadvocate – couldn’t agree with youmore mate – Becks IS a Man United LEGEND, and it is not his fault that SAF took Umbridge with him, because he became GOLDEN BALLS and got more Newspaper attention and space than Fergie! Beckham should be an example from the United fans to get a message over to the likes of Tevez, on how true legends are received back at OT. Beckham NEVER wanted to leave, brought more revenue into our club than any other player for most of his time at OT, and has never said anything but GOOD about our club on fans, and even SAF since leaving. Anybody who boos or disrespects him should be fucking ashamed!
“There’s no denying he’s aware of the massive mistake he made when he left us.”
How can that be a mistake? He was left with no other choice.He got a boot to his head and everything is made out to be his fault.
Craig, What are you basing the fact that he never want to leave on? he has never said that, he wanted to leave and Fergie wanted him out.
“and it is not his fault that SAF took Umbridge with him, because he became GOLDEN BALLS and got more Newspaper attention and space than Fergie”!
Are you really serious? Do you honestly think Fergie was jealous of “Goldenballs”? It is precisely Beckham’s fault he got all the newspaper coverage. Poncing about in fucking sarongs and such like.
All this slating of Becks is hypocritical in my opinion. One of the reasons some fans dislike him is the fact that he had an issue with his image rights. When we feel proud of the fact that our club is the biggest in the world, of the hundreds of fans that welcome United on their tours worldwide, of the fact that almost 3% of the world population is United mad, we cannot blame Becks for trying to negotiate his image rights for it was he who brought United to Asia, which has a massive United fan base. Ofcourse, the club is greater than the individual, but when the same club became more than just a football club, became a private limited company of sorts (?) with only business in mind, then we have hundreds of fans protesting against it. The fact that Becks has got the club more revenue than any other player is enough for Becks to try and negotiate his image rights.
If United would have declined the ‘perking’, would Becks have left? I don’t think so. He would have still signed the contract. Yes, we would have loved if he hadn’t done that AT ALL. Yes, an ideal United player-fan shouldn’t have done that AT ALL. But he did, okay screw it, that doesn’t take away anything from his on-field performances, specially during ’99 when he did have a huge hand in landing us the trophies. 2nd to the European Player of the Year is a good measure of that.
I guess all of us must have read his autobiography. He wasn’t wanted by Fergie and wasn’t wanted by United. He has even explained his reasons for coming late to training once. Ofcourse, all his Hollywood image wasn’t in the best interest of his career as a footballer, but I don’t think any of it reflected on his on-field performances.
It just didn’t happen – him staying at United. Legend or not, he certainly doesn’t deserve the flak and he certainly was a fan favourite which episodes post-France ’98 show. Yes, for me, Becks was a legend who came up the hard way.