On the Table: Henry, Eto'o, Alves

After winning the coveted Champion's League, it is only natural for other players to find it easier to relate to a great team like AC Milan. A team that was disgraced thanks to Juventus' antics with the refereeing staff on Serie A matches in the previous seasons.

Henry, Samuel Eto'o, and Daniel Alves all have been strongly linked with AC Milan in the recent past, along with the likes of Ronaldinho and Emerson. Some say we have already signed Emerson, and Galliani says they have already signed Ronaldinho (proverbially). Anyhow, there is this much needed realization amongst the management of the club that the team has aged since it's second last UCL win in 2003 and there is a need for fresher blood in the team. Without compensating the traditional style AC Milan has been so successful with, signing now would ensure that we have a stronger 2007/2008 Serie A season.

As Henry has stated his displeasure in the fact that Arsenal are very biased in terms of age when signing a new player, and that they need experience in the team to win anything in the league of Europe. Which is true, as the last time Arsenal won anything was solely due to the presence of the likes of Patrick Vieira, and Sol Campbell. He has his point, and Wenger needs to listen, or risk losing their talismanic forward in Henry.

Samuel Eto'o is pure champion's material. He's a Cameroonian who has played for Real Madrid and Mallorca before coming to Barcelona. He has scored 61 goals at Barca with only 87 appearances, an average of 0.70. A goal in every other game! That is an amazing record. He is fairly young, pacey, skillful and amazing finishing with both his feet. He is the thing AC Milan needs in their attack next season.

Daniel Alves however is a right back with amazing attacking skills. His last two seasons at Sevilla have seen them win the UEFA cup twice in a row. He scores goals going forward, has amazing passing and amazing crossing. Yet, Milan have Oddo. An Italian rightback signed from Lazio in the winter of 2006. not only has he brough the much needed defensive prowess on our right flank, he has amazing attacking vision and good pace. At Lazio, he used to be their captain and their penalty taker. Do we really need Alves right away? I don't think so.

With clubs like Bayern, ManYoo, and Lyon already making their signings, its time Milan made a move with those competition money and gave the fans a dream signing.

Nothing like a David Beckham!

Since the last World Cup in 2006, a lot has gone down. The former Lazio manager Sven Goran leaving the England hot seat, and former Manchester United darling David Beckham succumbing to media and fan pressure to leave the England squad and hand in the captain's arm band.

Since then, the England National Team have found it hard to win against teams other than whipping boys Andorra, and Estonia etc. in their bid to qualify for the Euro 2008 Finals. The current England manager is under pressure to bring home the goods and has been told that he has tinkered quite enough with the squad to know his way around. Steve McClaren has gone from a 4-4-2 to a 5-3-2 to a 3-5-2. Many argue that a 5-3-2 is actually a 3-5-2 etc. and so on, but the fact of the matter is that there are high expectations yet no results. They lie 4th in Group E. With the starting 11 of England playing in teams like Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and the likes the onus is on Steve to find the right mix and 'win'!

Well, it was not surprising to find that Steve McClaren had to rely on an old foe to help him out of this sticky situation. And that being David Beckham! If anyone doubts the fact that Beckham has had an amazing form of the late for Real Madrid would be living in cave or in the stone-ages. Even Fabio Capello had to admit that the player he saw in Beckham when he came to Real, was really there!

Sky Sports came to know about it through a friend of Real main man Fabio Capello, about what he thought about Beckham's recent form.

"You cannot forget what Beckham has done for Real Madrid this year. He's been brilliant, unbelievable.

"I phone Fabio Capello, I speak to him about once a week. He said 'Giorgio, you can't believe this kid; the turnaround around he's done. We made a big mistake with this player'.

"I said 'you all sure did. It's a shame you're going to lose a player like that to the United States and not see him again in Europe'."

Said Giorgio Chinagila, a former Italian striker.

True, that the fans of European Football will really miss a great player in David Beckham, but I think he did the right thing...! After all, every other great star has the right to think about his wife and kids?! Right, Andrie? And with political statements coming from the club chair about how they would love him and regret letting him go etc. when the club board of Real Madrid was the first one to pounce on Beckham and also Capello earlier this season when they where facing a rough patch, it is good if they parted ways for good with such self-conceited, over demanding employers.

Steve McClaren on the other hand just had to make another simple, and a very obvious decision where clearly the best Englishman on the right-midfield in the World is David Beckham, save for Joe Cole who can also play on the left. Not only is Beckham the best choice for his current form, but his dead ball mastery, crossing, technique and also his vast experience at top level speaks volumes about his importance to the squad.

OK, given that 'he' could not cut it in the finals and that 'he' had a bad World Cup in 2006, but so did the rest 24 players. Yet David Beckham along with Sven were made the scape goats of the disaster, when you had the likes of Lampard, Gerrard, Terry, Ferdinand, Rooney, (Owen), and Joe Cole in the team 'also performing to their brim'.

Steve McClaren also went on to say...

"I've got to pick a squad to win a game, and I think David Beckham can help us to win that game," said McClaren.

"At the end of the day it's my decision and I've made the decision that I think is best for the team.

"I've picked him in the squad and what the starting 11 will be to play Brazil and Estonia will become apparent later on.

"He was absolutely delighted, obviously. He has been a total professional throughout, he has come into form and deserves his recall."

Sadly, in a results based industry, one has to sell their soul to survive. This is what football should not become.

Take good decisions, stick with them, or accept defeat, and move on. We wish David Beckham and the England squad success in their up coming games against Brazil (Friendly) and Estonia (Euro 2008 Qualifier).