ABOUT TIME TOO

Anyone else noticed the more popularity Beckham has courted, the less effective his performances in red have become?

From the Sun:

Alex Ferguson wants David Beckham to step back from the spotlight for his own good. The Manchester United boss believes the pressure is largely of Becks' own making.

Beckham hit the headlines again last weekend when an alleged plot to kidnap his wife, Victoria, was foiled. Ferguson said:

"He has a lifestyle he enjoys and I do not know how he does it. I don't know how he can live that life because of the attention he gets all the time.

"Television has projected football players into a superstar status which is not really justified. David enjoys it. He realises he has a star status and a lot of it is by his own design.

"He has cultivated it himself. He likes to dress in a certain way, changes his hairstyle and is not aware how that is portrayed by a lot of people. I say that to him time and again."

Ferguson added:

"I think that situation is under control and the police have done their job. It just reiterates how big the profile of football is and the disadvantages it brings with it.

"It also shows the kind of world we are in. There is a price to pay for the profile of football."

"One thing I am content about is that when David is here he is a footballer, trains well and always tries. He is blessed with great stamina, always tries and you have to admire that. He is also down-to-earth and has terrific manners."

And anyone else think the whole kidnap story was another typical NotW sham?