England rent by infighting
Beckham at centre of clubhouse rift
As the full extent of last week’s near brawl in England’s dressing room is revealed, it has become clear there’s a war brewing for the heart of the squad. On one side stand the star captain and his adoring coach, on the other the rest of the team. The infighting threatens to derail a strong favourite to win next summer’s World Cup in Germany.
Fans who watched the 1- 0 loss against Northern Ireland saw star striker Wayne Rooney’s onfield explosion following a yellow card given for a foolish 41stminute challenge. When captain David Beckham moved to calm the mercurial 19- year- old, Rooney reportedly told him to “ f--- off” for his trouble. Defender Rio Ferdinand was similarly abused minutes later by his Manchester United clubmate. The fireworks continued as the players entered the tunnel at halftime. Rooney muttered “ flash b----- d” in the direction of the rock star captain. Beckham squared up to the Scouser pit bull in the dressing room and demanded an apology. But Rooney would not back down. The pair had to be forcibly separated by teammates. The locker room disharmony spilled onto the field for the second half. England meekly surrendered a goal and the game to the 116th- ranked squad in the world. After the match, Rooney was called on the carpet by England assistant manager Steve McLaren. Again, he refused to be cowed. Hours later, England coach Sven- Goran Eriksson hung the loss on his teen star.
“ That was a stupid challenge, of course it was, and ( Rooney) could even have been sent off for it,” Eriksson said. “ Unfortunately for him and for the rest of the team, after this accident we lost our spirit.”
Rooney’s anger was stoked by Eriksson’s tactical experiments. After a humiliating 4- 1 friendly loss to Denmark, the Swede switched his formation to an unorthodox 4- 5- 1. Rooney was the lone striker two weeks ago in a lacklustre 1- 0 win against Wales, but against Northern Ireland Michael Owen was pushed forward. Rooney was moved to left wing, where he struggled. His unhappiness showed. He isn’t the only one unsettled by the changes.
“It’s hard enough mastering one new position, let alone three in the same match,” midfield star Steven Gerrard grumbled after the Wales match. The clubhouse dissatisfaction is reportedly compounded by the fact that some players believe Beckham is pulling Eriksson’s strings. The 4- 5- 1 allows Beckham to perform as a holding midfielder, a position from which he can quarterback England’s offence. He has long coveted the role for club and country. But Beckham’s soft tackling, slowing legs and poor decision- making render him unsuited for the job.
Sir Alex Ferguson saw that. He declined to play Beckham in the centre of the park for Manchester United. That refusal was largely to blame for their famous falling out two years ago.
If the 4- 5- 1 must be used, Gerrard or Frank Lampard are more obvious candidates to organize the attack. But Eriksson’s attachment to Beckham is well known. Beckham’s drawing power makes him a clear favourite of Eriksson’s bosses at the Football Association. Owing to his celebrity, Beckham often chooses to make his own security arrangements and travel alone. “( Beckham) likes to be treated differently. And he is,” the Guardian quoted an unnamed England player as saying.
For the past week, Eriksson has been forced to defend his tactics, his $ 8.6 million ( Canadian) salary and his influence over his players. He’s weathered the storm thus far, but his authority seems to slip daily.
In all likelihood, England will overcome Austria and Poland to qualify for next year’s World Cup. But come next summer, the squad will be in greater need of Rooney’s offence than they will of David Beckham’s chalkboard experiments. As long as Eriksson allows his most famous inmate to run the asylum, England’s chances of World Cup victory are slim indeed.