Capello Drops Beckham - The Right Call

Poor David Beckham. Under most managers, he would have been given his 100th cap against Switzerland in what many see as a meaningless friendly. It would be a fitting tribute to a man who has provided quality, determination and flashes of brilliance to England's national team.

Unfortunately for the LA Galaxy man, Fabio Capello is not most managers.

But surely Beckham deserves to be given this honour. Fair enough, if it was a competitive match, one would be looking to have their strongest squad available. But a friendly? At least stick him on the bench.

The above viewpoint would likely have been that of Steve McLaren, or any other English manager who could relate to Beckham's contribution to their country. Again, Capello is no such man.

In an almost brutal, machine-like manner, the Italian has removed any chance of Beckham playing for England again, purely on the basis that (in his opinion) the right winger isn't good enough.

But it is the truth that if Capello is to stick to his guns and drive his adopted country forward to the depths of international tournaments, he must pick his squad on quality and form, nothing else.

Professionalism is the key here. If he bowed to the media build-up about 'Centurion Beckham', it would only undermine his leadership and authority.

The only person this negatively affects is Beckham. On the positive side, it sends out a strong clear message to England players that they'll need to be playing at the top of their game, otherwise they face the chop. Complacency is eradicated, respect is in place, and consistently good performances will arrive.

This was Capello's first big decision as England manager. He got it spot on.

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