Beckham should not become the scapegoat of our elimination

Comments from La Baule (Loire-Atlantique)

“I’m still convinced that if we had got over the ARGENTINA obstacle it would have given us the confidence to go far. Unfortunately, we will never know the potential of our team, which really upsets me. I always thought we had a chance to win this match, even when our team was reduced to 10 against 11. Michael OWEN (20) scored one of the most beautiful goals of this World Cup. He has an exceptional talent. I’m very proud of our performance – we didn’t deserve to lose. In the changing rooms after the match against ARGENTINA, the players were really emotional. David BECKHAM (7) was particularly disappointed – he didn’t say anything, he just sat alone, lost in thought. He made a foolish mistake but I don’t think he deserved a red card. He’s going to have to live with it, and learn something from it. I’m not too worried about him because he has a strong character. He is young (23) and has a promising future. I hope the fans are fair to David, that he doesn’t become the scapegoat of our elimination. No-one is to blame. We haven’t shown enough concentration in this tournament and we’re paying for it now. From now on we’re all going to have to deal with this loss. At this level the slightest lapse of attention is unpardonable. You saw this when we played ROMANIA in the first round, and even more so when we played ARGENTINA, when their 2-2 equaliser, just before half-time, could have been avoided if we’d concentrated just a little more. It’s true that this is the third consecutive time that we’ve missed out on making it in a major competition on a penalty shoot-out. It is difficult to put your finger on the reason for these repeated losses, but the psychological side and this past that goes against us are definitely part of it. As coach, my disappointment is even greater than it was as a player in the 1986 Cup – I have a broader view of things now. Now we have to concentrate on the 2000 European Championship.”