Beckham 4 part Neflix Documentary

[Todd]

Really? Were you too young to remember - it was in the news loads at the time.

Well, I was a teen when Beckham was with United, but the prevailing factor at the time was the lack of coverage for football in the US. For example, we were very lucky to even get the latter stages of the Champions League televised, and there was basically nowhere that you could watch EPL matches in the US, at least not on any cable television channels we had. My ability to follow the club mostly came from the prehistoric ESPN website of the day. So most of what happened off the pitch was a mystery to me.

Americans being able to watch EPL matches reliably is only a fairly recent development, believe it or not. About a decade ago when NBC acquired the rights and started showing several matches every weekend was really the first time that I could watch our matches on a consistent basis.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

Google for "Rebecca Loos" and "Beckham leaked emails". They are plastic.

I don’t care about stuff like that.

People are human and he’s a global sex symbol who’s remained married to the same woman for decades, raising 4 seemingly happy children together.

I’d almost expect couples like that to have affairs (from both sides). I don’t care in the slightest or hold it against them.

 

[leeroyTX]

Well, I was a teen when Beckham was with United, but the prevailing factor at the time was the lack of coverage for football in the US. For example, we were very lucky to even get the latter stages of the Champions League televised, and there was basically nowhere that you could watch EPL matches in the US, at least not on any cable television channels we had. My ability to follow the club mostly came from the prehistoric ESPN website of the day. So most of what happened off the pitch was a mystery to me.

Americans being able to watch EPL matches reliably is only a fairly recent development, believe it or not. About a decade ago when NBC acquired the rights and started showing several matches every weekend was really the first time that I could watch our matches on a consistent basis.

Same for me. I didn’t know just how bad it was for him at home after the 98 Cup. I watched when and where I could, relying on ESPN, my Soccer America subscription, and watching any game I could. The advent of Fox Soccer Channel was huge.

 

[Todd]

Same for me. I didn’t know just how bad it was for him at home after the 98 Cup. I watched when and where I could, relying on ESPN, my Soccer America subscription, and watching any game I could. The advent of Fox Soccer Channel was huge.

Yep, Fox Soccer was a big step in the US, and around that time I also began to have access to Setanta, I think it was, which carried many of the European matches.

What's crazy is that now, if I wanted to watch every one of the competitions we're in every season I'd need at least three and possibly four streaming services/cable packages.

 

[Jordi Cruyff 99]

I've always been someone who seemed to rate Beckham higher than most. He was the type of player I really liked. I can't really put up with him as a person, though. Rarely have I come across someone who loves themselves as much as he does (and his entire family appears to be the same - plastic in many a sense!). This is a man who consciously began to incorporate "um" into his speech patterns in an effort to sound more eloquent (and probably posh). Needless to say, I won't be watching.

 

[sugar_kane]

Watched episode one last night, great watch. Loved the contributions from the United players. Very natural interviews as well, credit to the producers.

Had no idea how smitten he was with Posh, quite touching really.

Also had no realisation what an absolute bastard Hoddle was to him during the World Cup, although maybe viewing that through the lens of 2023 standards.

 

[Bastian]

Haven't finished it yet, but I am absolutely loving Ole's commentary there and his prankster laughs. Makes me see him in a different light.

 

[Gazautd18]

Really impressed with how mentally strong he is and the way he always seemed to pull something out of the bag.
Lost interest in him when he went to Madrid but the way he managed being ostracised by Capello... Damn... Sancho take note..

 

[VictoriaRed]

It made me too nostalgic. The days when we worked our socks off for each other. There was grit and fire. We were clearly a ‘team’. feck, I miss those days.

 

[Red in STL]

Yep, Fox Soccer was a big step in the US, and around that time I also began to have access to Setanta, I think it was, which carried many of the European matches.

What's crazy is that now, if I wanted to watch every one of the competitions we're in every season I'd need at least three and possibly four streaming services/cable packages.

NBC on cable and Peacock for PL, Paramount + for European games and ESPN for the cups - so 4!

 

[Todd]

NBC on cable and Peacock for PL, Paramount + for European games and ESPN for the cups - so 4!

Yep, exactly. I paid for all of those last season but canceled ESPN+ and Paramount+ this season.

Peacock was free for me (Comcast customer) for a long time, but as of this summer they began charging $2.99/month, which is honestly very reasonable given how many matches they carry.

Interestingly, there is a Hispanic channel through Comcast that has carried all of our CL matches this season so far, so that's how I will be watching today, I just won't be able to understand anything that's being said, but I can live with that if it means getting to watch the match without paying for Paramount+

 

[Cantonagotmehere]

It made me too nostalgic. The days when we worked our socks off for each other. There was grit and fire. We were clearly a ‘team’. feck, I miss those days.

No kidding, me too. I have really enjoyed it and my non-football loving wife is liking it too. It's given her insight on why I love United so much and got so into it when I lived in England in the mid 90's. But the pangs, about those awesome times sure leave a mark on me.

 

[Cantonagotmehere]

Yep, exactly. I paid for all of those last season but canceled ESPN+ and Paramount+ this season.

Peacock was free for me (Comcast customer) for a long time, but as of this summer they began charging $2.99/month, which is honestly very reasonable given how many matches they carry.

Interestingly, there is a Hispanic channel through Comcast that has carried all of our CL matches this season so far, so that's how I will be watching today, I just won't be able to understand anything that's being said, but I can live with that if it means getting to watch the match without paying for Paramount+

Yep, I enjoy watching the Hispanic coverage with all energy and I don't even speak Spanish. I hardly miss the commentary I can understand.

 

[Red in STL]

Yep, exactly. I paid for all of those last season but canceled ESPN+ and Paramount+ this season.

Peacock was free for me (Comcast customer) for a long time, but as of this summer they began charging $2.99/month, which is honestly very reasonable given how many matches they carry.

Interestingly, there is a Hispanic channel through Comcast that has carried all of our CL matches this season so far, so that's how I will be watching today, I just won't be able to understand anything that's being said, but I can live with that if it means getting to watch the match without paying for Paramount+

Haven't bothered with ESPN - some of the games are on a Spanish channel so I watch that, like you have no idea what they're on about

I have the others but I might review for next season

 

[briansy]

Rebecca Loos was absolutely stunning 20 years ago. Really don't understand any comments questioning why he would go there!

It is a shame he hasn't just admitted it and moved on. I guess they made the decision for their image and it proved to be the right one. Victoria comes across well, I thought. Beckham looks odd these days. All those tattoos, the hair transplant and botox / cheek fillers. Hasn't aged well.

 

[ROFLUTION]

You gotta give him credit. He got 125 million from Qatar and then PR'd himself out of it with a nice-guy-washing Netflix series.

Even the danish newspaper Politiken who's usually critical about Qatar just lapped it up and wrote about how the documentary had a lot of great United-clips in it without any double-thinking of why the series came out just about now.

Becks gets 125m from Qatar, Henderson gets 73m from Saudi, yet Henderson has faced twice as much fire. Two different countries yes, but both with bad humanitarian records, which is of course why they pay these players a shitton, so they can cover it all up and keep their populations happy, entertained and not revolting.

 

[Alek M]

Beks is lying in that documentary that he never wanted to leave United. He thought he was bigger than club and wanted out after the boot incidents.

Then he was childish and left Real when that didn’t work out for USA.

Then he wanted to leave them when that didn’t work out and go to Milan

Notice a pattern?

It’s up dor debate if had he not left we would have done better at the UCL.

 

[clarkydaz]

Beks is lying in that documentary that he never wanted to leave United. He thought he was bigger than club and wanted out after the boot incidents.

Then he was childish and left Real when that didn’t work out for USA.

Then he wanted to leave them when that didn’t work out and go to Milan

Notice a pattern?

It’s up dor debate if had he not left we would have done better at the UCL.

Well he does say he wanted to speak to Fergie, but he wouldnt take the call

 

[Red in STL]

Beks is lying in that documentary that he never wanted to leave United. He thought he was bigger than club and wanted out after the boot incidents.

Then he was childish and left Real when that didn’t work out for USA.

Then he wanted to leave them when that didn’t work out and go to Milan

Notice a pattern?

It’s up dor debate if had he not left we would have done better at the UCL.

That is not the case at all, he was told by Capello that he would never play for RM again, so he looked for another club, the Yanks offered him what they offered him and he accepted it.

Capello backtracked and he did play again for RM and stayed to the end of his contract, he refused a new contract with them because he's already agreed and given his word about the US one, that's called integrity, whether he should have signed the contract is debatable, honoring it isn't

 

[VP89]

That is not the case at all, he was told by Capello that he would never play for RM again, so he looked for another club, the Yanks offered him what they offered him and he accepted it.

Capello backtracked and he did play again for RM and stayed to the end of his contract, he refused a new contract with them because he's already agreed and given his word about the US one, that's called integrity, whether he should have signed the contract is debatable, honoring it isn't

Capello told him he'd never play because he entertained listening to other club offers. Which on Beckhams part was poor.

 

[Red in STL]

Capello told him he'd never play because he entertained listening to other club offers. Which on Beckhams part was poor.

So a player should never entertain another club's offers when their current club haven't offered anything, he was iirc in the last year of his contract

 

[VP89]

So a player should never entertain another club's offers when their current club haven't offered anything, he was iirc in the last year of his contract

No, you can't just go out for lunches listening to other club offers in that time. It was a really dumb move by Becks to be honest. Especially at Real Madrid where its deemed pretty offensive to do so.

 

[Red in STL]

No, you can't just go out for lunches listening to other club offers in that time. It was a really dumb move by Becks to be honest. Especially at Real Madrid where its deemed pretty offensive to do so.

I'm not so sure he went to lunch on that basis, as I understood it he went to lunch as a friend of a friend and what was offered was a surprise.

Doesn't really matter anyway, in the long run he benefited more and if he shafted RM then it was about time because they certainly shafted other clubs/players plenty of times, so it would have been poetic justice

 

[Golden Nugget]

It was a great watch, really loved the first two episodes where it was more about United but still enjoyed the final two. The Simeone part was done brilliantly - his smile was creepy and really makes a great villain.

Was young at the time, really didn’t realise how badly Hoddle threw him under the bus.

 

[VP89]

I'm not so sure he went to lunch on that basis, as I understood it he went to lunch as a friend of a friend and what was offered was a surprise.

Doesn't really matter anyway, in the long run he benefited more and if he shafted RM then it was about time because they certainly shafted other clubs/players plenty of times, so it would have been poetic justice

The owner of LA galaxy wants to have lunch with a player. The agenda is obvious. Beckenham knew what it would be, and it was a bad move.

 

[The Siege]

I liked it overall. I'm glad Hoddle's getting roasted again. He redirected the anger of a nation towards a kid who made a mistake so he could keep his job.

On the personal end, the awkward stepping around that they had to do, so that Beckham could admit guilt without admitting he cheated, was just a bizarre section of the documentary. The rest was quite nice, his parents come across as really good people.

 

[Pscholes18]

Stopped watching after the transfer to Madrid. There are some interesting bits but it's really just self indulgent shite. Don't remember the whole Hoddle comments so that was interesting to hear and the story of the boot incident.

 

[Red in STL]

The owner of LA galaxy wants to have lunch with a player. The agenda is obvious. Beckenham knew what it would be, and it was a bad move.

I'm not sure he knew he owned LA Galaxy, he was a mate of Tom Cruise, friend of a friend but who cares, it's in the past, and like I said, if RM got shafted then good because they've shafted everyone else

 

[Jamesh]

Watched episode one last night, great watch. Loved the contributions from the United players. Very natural interviews as well, credit to the producers.

Is it not Beckham's company who produced the doc? It's hardly going to be incisive or cutting edge. His family seem creepy to me, always saying how much they love each other on social media but they all seem miserable and don't have m/any friends.

 

[VP89]

I'm not sure he knew he owned LA Galaxy, he was a mate of Tom Cruise, friend of a friend but who cares, it's in the past, and like I said, if RM got shafted then good because they've shafted everyone else

You're playing a bit overly ignorant here. He obviously knew who he was going for lunch I with.

 

[Alek M]

That is not the case at all, he was told by Capello that he would never play for RM again, so he looked for another club, the Yanks offered him what they offered him and he accepted it.

Capello backtracked and he did play again for RM and stayed to the end of his contract, he refused a new contract with them because he's already agreed and given his word about the US one, that's called integrity, whether he should have signed the contract is debatable, honoring it isn't

Stop with this revisionist history. Becks was checked out and was talking to other clubs. They made him this uber professional but he was a spoiled mega star. I remember everything in real time. He thought he was bigger than out club, bigger than Madrid.

HE feckING ENGINEER THE MADRID MOVE. So no need to lie.
Ultimately I think it was best for both sides. He was a distraction for out club.

 

[Alek M]

Well he does say he wanted to speak to Fergie, but he wouldnt take the call

Because he already had made the deal with Madrid. Isn’t it weird that SAF took care of him like his own son but all of a sudden he wouldn’t talk to him???

oh it’s never Becks’ fault.

 

[Red in STL]

Because he already had made the deal with Madrid. Isn’t it weird that SAF took care of him like his own son but all of a sudden he wouldn’t talk to him???

oh it’s never Becks’ fault.

We get it, you don't like him, thing is SAF was like that, he was a bully at times and he was ruthless when he wanted to be

 

[Iker Quesadillas]

Beckham getting benched at Real Madrid for talking to LA Galaxy was pretty controversial at the time. Benching over that wasn't really the way things were done.

 

[Alek M]

We get it, you don't like him, thing is SAF was like that, he was a bully at times and he was ruthless when he wanted to be

I don’t like revisionist history. I read every headline at that time, I know what happened. Yes SAF was a tough guy and it was his way or the highway. But Beckham can’t play the victim.

 

[JediSith]

I've always been someone who seemed to rate Beckham higher than most. He was the type of player I really liked. I can't really put up with him as a person, though. Rarely have I come across someone who loves themselves as much as he does (and his entire family appears to be the same - plastic in many a sense!). This is a man who consciously began to incorporate "um" into his speech patterns in an effort to sound more eloquent (and probably posh). Needless to say, I won't be watching.

Agree with you about him being a much better player than people realise. In todays era, he’d be the perfect central playmaker either deep or more advanced.

Disagree about him being arrogant or fake. He loves his “nice things” but comes across as very humble and down to earth.

Also the abuse he got after 98 was awful. Not just from the crowd, but the press, fans in the street spitting at him etc. Hoddle really threw him under the bus.

 

[pacifictheme]

I loved Beckham the player but I have little interest in this pr piece if I am honest. I would rather just watch the season reviews from when he was a player for us.

 

[Ole'sgunnarwin]

Always loved Becks as a player but have to say, I found him rather irritating in the documentary.

1. What he went through in 98 was shocking and the way he bounced back the following season was amazing. (Forgot Hoddle being a sneaky fecker)

2. Found him rather insencere in parts. I hate this new Netflix close-up fake dramatic try to shed a tear nonsense. He was at it too, looked fake.

3. To bring up the Rebecca Loos stuff was madness. The topic had been forgotten about, he seemed to blame the media, while not addressing what had happened, not taking responsibility and allowing Loos to make a story about it again, which she did.

4. Always found Victoria quite likeable especially after the Ali G interview. She put up a lot with him moving around, the affair etc. In her interviews, I found her sincere and a good laugh despite having the reputation of being a bit wooden.

5. 02/03 Ferguson was right to get rid. There was a bit of a media circus, plus his performance were beginning to worsen as Solskjaer was really good in that position and it allowed Ronaldo to come in.

6. What Becks achieved on and off the pitch is nothing more than remarkable. His performance against Greece is one of the best I've seen. He's played for the biggest countries around Europe. And he now owns a football team who has the best player ever.

So overall enjoyed the documentary but saw good and bad sides to him

 

[Bondi77]

I felt a bit sorry for Posh, the way she was constantly pulled from pillar to post to accommodate her man.
Big respect to her for dealing with his infidelity and going on to being a great Mother and bringing up a family.

 

[clarkydaz]

I felt a bit sorry for Posh, the way she was constantly pulled from pillar to post to accommodate her man.

Girl power indeed. Even took his name