MARTIN SAMUEL: The less you see of David Beckham the better he gets...

Published: 16 Feb 2010 - 07:59:46

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MARTIN SAMUEL: The less you see of David Beckham the better he gets...

He will have lookedperfectly at home asthe flashbulbsexploded and themicrophonescrowded the table in front ofhim at the Milanello sportsfacility, on the outskirts ofMilan, yesterday. David Beckham gives good face,as Madonna would say, and on theeve of a Champions League knockouttie with Manchester United hewas in his element. The action moves to the StadioGiuseppe Meazza, known to theworld as the San Siro, tonight,where a more exacting reckoningawaits. Emotional clash: David Beckham is preparing to face Manchester United for the first time For Beckham, yesterday was adoddle, the easy part. The ability tohandle the media increases thenearer a man gets to 35; it is hisability to handle a decent full backthat starts waning. The cynical will argue that theday Manchester United pulled ACMilan out of the hat in the draw forthe Champions League secondround, the sound of champagnecorks popping at Beckham Incwould have been louder than a24-gun salute. Happy days werehere again.Their man would dominate thecoverage around the first match,while his competitive return to OldTrafford in the second leg would bethe perfect PR set-piece: an emotional,agenda-setting, headlinegrabbingaffair. Beckham will not have lookedmore vital as a footballer and sportspersonality since playing his finalgame for Real Madrid almost threeyears ago. Yet, there is a downside tothis marketing jamboree.Off the field, Beckhamremains pitch perfect butincreasingly, the less that is seen ofhim in games, the better. Old hand: Beckham face the media at the pre-game press conference The matchwith Manchester United throwsBeckham the player into sharpfocus.All eyes will be on him tonight,including those of Fabio Capello,the England manager scrutinisinghis effectiveness against the bestopposition. If Beckham comes up short, ashappened the last time he was thecentre of attention in Milan, it willreignite the debate around hisinclusion in England's World Cupsquad, and his place on the plane isnot yet guaranteed. Capello does not do sentiment.He likes Beckham, not for oldacquaintance but for what hebrings to the group. He genuinelyconsiders Beckham the best professionalin the squad and isimpressed by his attention to detailin preparation, his thoroughnessand fitness. He is almost there.Even so, unlike Steven Gerrard orWayne Rooney, Beckham could stillbe displaced. He is in a straightfight for four, maybe three, placesin wide midfield with Theo Walcott,Aaron Lennon, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Joe Cole, James Milnerand Stewart Downing. Second coming: Beckham rejoined AC Milan on loan in January Many of his rivals are enduringdifficult seasons. Lennon and Walcottare plagued by injury; Cole isincreasingly an afterthought underCarlo Ancelotti at Chelsea. This strengthens Beckham'shand, but Capello also knows thatthe greatest test of Beckham'sability to influence games againstsignificant opposition in SouthAfrica will come in the ChampionsLeague, or against the best of SerieA, which is why tonight's game is soimportant. All that exploded thatnight was the myth that Beckhamwas in the form of his life sincereturning to Milan.Inter won impressively despitebeing down to nine men by the endand the Italian press comparedBeckham to a waxwork dummy. The criticism was harsh,not least because therewere a lot of stiff, lifelessfigures in red and blackthat night. More shocking was thegulf between the player on showand the one billed pre-match. Thisis why the United tie is not necessarilyhelpful.Beckham is often at his bestunseen. On camera, viewed throughthe medium of a 45-second rollingnews report, a clip of a near-missfree-kick or a decent corner canleave the impression that he was atthe heart of the play throughout. Glowing reviews in print are oftenprovided by freelance observerswho are paid by the word and havea vested interest in hyping his displayto extremes. The fact is, foreign football anoraksaside, we do not see much ofBeckham these days. Major LeagueSoccer matches are on in the smallhours and ESPN, home of Serie A,has a limited audience. Our information is gleaned fromclips, and the reports of stringerswho quickly realise 'Beckham hasquiet night' is not a theme to pursueif they are planning on eatingthat week. So, two things happen: either adecent display is glorified as a masterclass or a poor game reinventedas disaster. Old times: Beckham was an Old Trafford favourite Either story makesheadlines.This is why Beckham was singledout after the Milan derby, but alsowhy the reality of that performancecame as such a crashing disappointmentafter all that had beenwritten of him previously. It did not help that ESPN chosethat weekend to go free-to-air as apromotional campaign to encouragesubscribers, meaning more sawBeckham than usual. He cannotafford to disappoint a second time.Beckham has a record of rising tothe big occasion, of course. Indeed,since being left out of the Englandteam by Steve McClaren, he hasbeen on a mission to confoundthose who doubt him.It cannot be taken for grantedthat he will always win this battle,though. He could not against Inter,and Manchester United are asgood. The author of happy endingson so many occasions, this one maybe beyond even his remarkablepowers of invention. We've still got the legs for it, insists AC Milan superstar David BeckhamRemember me? 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