On a whinge and a prayer

Sad to witness the manipulation of David Beckham

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By Brian Glanville, World Soccer

READING the whingeing extracts from David Beckham's autobiography, you have to feel sorry for the poor feeble fellow, no longer trapped between the upper and nether millstone.

On the one arrogant hand, the domineering Alex Ferguson. On the other, the domineering Relatively Posh Spice, who from now on presumably will have things all their down way.

When it came to a conflict between these two unappealing people, it was pretty clear who would win: "That blinking woman," as Sir Alex apparently refers to her. Not that Fergie played his cards with much skill or subtlety, but then that is not his way.

To accuse Beckham, as David claims in his book, of letting down Manchester United for attending a reception for the England side given by the Queen, rather than flying off on a West Indian holiday, on the grounds that this would have been more conducive to a quick recovery from injury, seems not only gratuitous but daft. He had more of a point when infuriated by the fact that Beckham had excused himself from training on the grounds of domestic emergencies, when it turned out that they did not really exist.

Yet I find it hard to sympathize with Beckham's bizarre accusation that he realized all was lost when, having failed with a free kick against Real Madrid in the second leg European Cup quarterfinal, he saw Ferguson's reaction on television and realized he was being blamed.

Watching that TV clip, it simply seems to me, as it has to other people, that Fergie was just displaying his frustration. And if Beckham was initially dropped from that game -- in which he ultimately came on to do so well -- it was surely an objective decision, given his pallid display at the Bernabeu in the first leg against Real Madrid.

Meanwhile, sneer not at his wife for lack of talent; what pop singer has it? Rather, respect her for her astonishing gifts as an operator. How can anyone so utterly tasteless, with a voice like a corncrake, have beguiled Anna "Nuclear" Wintour, the icy editress of New York Vogue, the great arbiter of women's fashion? Yet she has done it, against all logic, and if she can do that, who can say that for all her abrasive personality, her accent, her singing (?) voice, she cannot be manipulated into some kind of success by her new American mentors, unsalubrious though they may seem.

Beckham himself, after early problems, seems to be cracking it at Real Madrid; good luck to him. But it's sad to see him manipulated so ruthlessly, even if he has escaped the bullying, the boot kicking, of sweet Sir Alex.

SO, will Roman Abramovic buy success for Chelsea? Certainly he has landed a devastating finisher in Adrian Mutu, whom Parma were so foolish to let go, so soon after they had signed him. Certainly Hernan Crespo should be equally as dangerous a finisher. But will the parts be greater than the whole?

Their first two games at Stamford Bridge in the Premiership hardly set London alight. That shocking 20th-second error by the fading Marcel Desailly makes you wonder how long it will be before William Gallas replaces him. And there was awful confusion in the defense when Andy Cole got his second goal for Blackburn, Emmanuel Petit's jump and possible contact with the ball seeming to confuse Carlo Cudicini, who so expensively missed it.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who will surely lose his place just as Eidur Gudjohnsen has lost his, is singing a happy song at the moment, glad to be at the Bridge, but for how long? And how long will Joe Cole, still the object of gratuitous criticism by Sven-Goran Eriksson, be content to come on as he did against Blackburn just for the last ten minutes of a game?

WHO will eventually partner Bobo Vieri, incensed by the sale of Crespo, up front for Inter this season?

On Sunday, it was only very late in the game that he managed to give them the lead at San Siro against little Modena, Marco Materazzi getting the second in injury time with a colossal free kick.

But the young Nigerian, Martins, had a frustrating game, and the fact that Inter wanted Mark Viduka on loan suggest that they haven't total faith in Argentine Julio Cruz, bought from Bologna.

The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writer.

Brian Glanville is Britain's most celebrated football writer. He also writes a monthly column in World Soccer magazine.

His latest book, a fully updated edition of THE STORY OF THE WORLD CUP is available in all good bookshops. Readers of worldsoccer.com can buy this highly acclaimed history of the World Cup and enjoy a 10% discount by clicking here.