There had long been a criticism of the English media that they were exceptionally good at creating stars. Beckham, Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard, and countless others had all been elevated into national icons. These were undoubtedly excellent players by English standards and, even on the world stage, comfortably belonged among the elite. But after years of relentless publicity, the expectations surrounding them often became disproportionate, until every leading England international was spoken about as though he belonged in the same category as Ronaldo or Ronaldinho.
The inevitable consequence came before every major international tournament. England supporters would look through the squad and convince themselves that this had to be the year. Rooney was up front, Gerrard, Lampard, and Beckham filled the midfield, while Ferdinand, Gary Neville, Terry, and others formed the defence. Apart from some uncertainty in goal, where was the weakness? How could a team with that much talent fail to challenge for the trophy?
Then the tournament would arrive, England would fall short, and the same media machine that had spent months building expectations would begin searching for people to blame.
After Euro 2004, Beckham had been one of the first targets, particularly after his missed penalty during England's elimination against Portugal. Scholes was subjected to his own wave of criticism, and shortly after the Community Shield he announced his retirement from international football.
By September, qualification for the 2006 World Cup in Germany had begun. The disappointment of the European Championship was already fading, replaced once again by optimism. England supporters wanted to believe the team could rediscover its confidence and finally demonstrate the quality everyone insisted it possessed, particularly against opponents such as Austria and Poland.
On September 4, England travelled to Austria. Gerrard and Lampard scored to put them 2-0 ahead, and for much of the match the result appeared secure. Then Austria struck twice in quick succession, in the 71st and 74th minutes, forcing England to settle for a deeply frustrating draw.
Beckham, playing on the right of midfield, had a poor game by his standards. He never looked comfortable enough to influence proceedings in the way he regularly did for New Manchester United. With Gerrard and Lampard both scoring while Beckham, one of the leading candidates for that year's major individual awards, struggled to make an impact, the England supporters who had expected an easy victory quickly found a target for their frustration.
The newspapers followed.
Eriksson defended his captain immediately, insisting that Beckham had worked hard and that responsibility for failing to beat Austria belonged to the entire team rather than one player. Terry and Curtis also spoke publicly in his support, while Gerrard suggested that Beckham's difficulties were connected to the way England were using him.
"For the last couple of seasons, he's been playing centrally and dictating games from deeper positions," Gerrard said. "He's shown he can be world-class there. With England, we're asking him to go back out to the right."
The support from his manager and teammates softened some of the criticism, but only temporarily.
Four days later, England travelled to Poland. Defoe gave them the lead, only for Poland to equalise shortly before half-time after England allowed a striker too much space inside the penalty area. England pushed hard after the interval but failed to break through again.
Beckham's performance on the right was better than it had been against Austria. Several crosses caused problems, and most of his diagonal passes found their intended targets. Even so, he still did not look like the player who had controlled Premier League matches for New Manchester United.
Many supporters wanted more from their captain. They did not want a player who merely ran tirelessly, supplied crosses, covered for Gary Neville, and occasionally dropped deep enough to resemble another defender. They wanted someone who could seize control of a difficult match and drag England towards victory.
Alan Smith was among those who criticised him afterwards. Writing in the press, the former England international acknowledged Beckham's work rate but argued that he looked increasingly disconnected from the rest of the side.
His passing, normally his greatest strength, had been inconsistent. Too many switches went astray, and even some of the long diagonal balls that had become his trademark failed to reach their target.
"If Beckham's passing isn't controlling games, then what exactly is England getting from him?" Smith wrote. "He isn't going to beat defenders with pace or dribble past three players. His value has always come from his delivery, intelligence, and ability to influence the shape of a match. If those things aren't happening, the question has to be asked."
Terry Butcher was even harsher. In his column, the former England defender argued that Beckham no longer fitted naturally into the team's tactical structure.
"He's the captain, but too often he seems to be playing a different game from everyone around him. Gerrard and Lampard want to attack space immediately, while Beckham repeatedly slows the move or recycles possession. If the system doesn't suit him, then being captain shouldn't guarantee his place."
A flood of similar criticism followed. Even Martin Samuel, who had consistently defended Beckham, admitted that the player and the England system looked increasingly incompatible.
The question was why.
Samuel's analysis was very different from the simpler accusation that Beckham had declined. Eriksson wanted Gerrard and Lampard established at the heart of the midfield, but Beckham had spent the previous two seasons evolving into a deep-lying organiser. At New Manchester United he was accustomed to controlling the tempo through his passing, directing teammates into space, and deciding when the team should accelerate or slow down. England, by contrast, remained much more direct. Too many players instinctively attacked forward as soon as possession was won, leaving little room for the slower rhythm Beckham had learned to impose at club level.
Samuel pointed out that English football had spent years lamenting the absence of a midfielder capable of controlling matches. Beckham's transformation at New Manchester United had demonstrated that he could do exactly that, yet Eriksson seemed unwilling to rebuild England's midfield around the same idea.
Lampard and Gerrard were both younger and enormously talented. They could arrive in the box, attack second balls, make late runs, and threaten from distance. What neither naturally offered, however, was Beckham's instinct for dictating the speed and direction of the entire team.
"It isn't that Beckham suddenly lacks ability," Samuel wrote. "The problem is that England are asking him to become the player he used to be instead of using the player he has become. New Manchester United have found a role that brings out the best in him. England haven't."
Samuel went further. In his view, the intelligence and positional discipline required to play around Beckham's deeper role had already been demonstrated by the Red Rebels the previous season, when their midfield had controlled matches against some of the strongest teams in England and Europe.
He ended his column with a conclusion that drew considerable attention.
"I don't enjoy saying this, but perhaps Beckham should think about doing what Scholes has done. He is twenty-nine, playing some of the best football of his career, and has every chance of challenging for the biggest individual awards this season. If England cannot use him properly and every international break merely turns him into another national scapegoat, perhaps his club career deserves to come first."
Unfortunately, Samuel represented only one side of the discussion. Much of the English press had little interest in tactical explanations. Beckham was one of the most famous athletes in the country, and criticising him sold newspapers just as effectively as praising him once had.
The English media had always possessed that contradiction. It could build a player into a national obsession, then dismantle him when the story changed, before moving on to the next star.
As the criticism became increasingly one-sided, New Manchester United eventually responded. The club published detailed Opta statistics from England's two qualifiers, including Beckham's passing numbers, tackles, interceptions, recoveries, distance covered, and defensive contributions, arguing that his performances had been portrayed far more negatively than the data justified.
Against the sheer volume of criticism, however, the response had limited effect.
Ethan addressed the subject on his own blog. He broadly agreed with Samuel's analysis and argued that Beckham's club form proved the problem was not physical decline or a sudden loss of ability. He had been among the Premier League's best performers since the start of the season. England simply were not using him in the role that now suited him best.
"When everyone is so eager to tear Beckham down," Ethan wrote, "perhaps they should spend a moment considering what England will look like once he is gone."
He was even angrier about the abuse directed at Beckham's family. Victoria was pregnant, yet that had not stopped some supporters from attacking her personally in messages and online forums. Ethan condemned it without qualification, arguing that criticism of a player's football was legitimate, while abuse aimed at his wife and family was indefensible.
Curiously, while Beckham's reputation with sections of the England support was deteriorating, his commercial appeal remained enormous.
His excellent club form had helped New Manchester United's commercial department secure another major personal sponsorship, this time with Gillette. The agreement ran for five years and was reported to be worth as much as €70 million.
Combined with his existing endorsements, the deal was expected to push Beckham's annual earnings beyond those of Tiger Woods and Michael Schumacher, making him one of the highest-paid athletes in the world.
New Manchester United's commercial department had played an important role in that transformation. Since Beckham arrived in Manchester, the club had helped structure and expand partnerships involving Pepsi, Apple, Adidas, Vodafone, Marks & Spencer, and several other international brands. The value of those agreements had pushed Beckham's off-field income far beyond what he had earned during his first spell with Manchester United.
The same commercial operation had previously helped Fernando Redondo establish an enduring brand of his own. Even after retirement, Redondo remained commercially valuable. Vodafone and several other companies were using his profile in projects connected to African markets, while Redondo himself had increasingly devoted his time to international charitable work.
Because the Gillette agreement had been negotiated through the club, Mourinho made an exception and allowed Beckham to attend the official press conference after training. The actual advertising shoot, however, would have to wait until after the upcoming Chelsea match.
There was a week's gap between the fifth and sixth rounds of the Premier League, with New Manchester United also preparing for their first Champions League group-stage fixture in midweek. Mourinho had agreed to give Beckham one day away from training during that period to complete the Gillette filming.
At the sponsorship press conference, Beckham answered questions patiently, but reporters who knew him well noticed that something about his manner seemed subdued. He smiled when necessary and spoke professionally about the contract, yet there was an unmistakable heaviness beneath the surface.
Eventually, one journalist asked whether the recent criticism had made him consider following Scholes into international retirement.
Beckham's eyes immediately reddened.
"The criticism of us as a team is fair," he said after a moment. "We didn't perform well enough at the European Championship, and we haven't performed well enough in these World Cup qualifiers. We haven't satisfied ourselves and we haven't satisfied the supporters. I understand why people are frustrated."
He paused and took a long breath before continuing.
"I'm twenty-nine now. Since coming to New Manchester United, I honestly feel that I'm playing some of the best football of my career. The manager, the coaches, and the club have helped me enormously, and I'm very grateful for that. Physically, I think I can keep playing for several more years. But sometimes you have to make a choice."
The room had gone completely quiet.
"If the feeling is that England would be better served moving in another direction, then I have to respect that."
The reporters immediately began speaking over one another. Until that moment, only New Manchester United and Gillette had known what Beckham intended to announce.
Beckham placed both hands on the table and slowly stood.
"From today, I am retiring from international football. It's one of the most painful decisions I've ever made, because playing for England has meant everything to me. I wish the national team nothing but success, and I'll always support them."
His voice tightened slightly.
"But from now on, all of my football will be devoted to New Manchester United. This is the club I intend to represent until the end of my career."
Then Beckham stepped away from the table and left the press room.
(To be continued.)
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◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)