 |
By
James Beattie
Southampton and England striker
and BBC Sport Online columnist
I'm back and ready for the start of the new season, and no doubt you are as well!
It was an interesting summer, to say the least.
On the surface, it had all the makings of a quiet off-season.
Our FA Cup final appearance was put away on the shelf, there was no major championship taking place, and things were looking pretty subdued in the transfer market. And then along came Roman Abramovic to blow things wide open.
The effects of his fortune have been felt far and wide, not least at Southampton, where he prised Wayne Bridge away.
I've got mixed feelings about Bridgey's departure.
We roomed together and he was probably my best mate at the club.
But from his point of view it's a great move, he's got the chance to play with some great players.
Bridgey must be pinching himself to be in the dressing room with the likes of Veron, Geremi, Damien Duff, Joe Cole and all the others.
Chelsea's biggest problem might well be how to keep all those players happy as they won't all be able to play every week. That's not something that will affect Bridgey, though.
I've always said he's the best left-back in the country, and playing regularly in the Champions League should help him cement that.
Personally, I'm obviously sorry to see Bridgey go. We were great mates - still are - and he's a good player to have in your team.
It was also a sad summer for me with the death of Ray Harford.
I was at Blackburn when Ray was there and he gave me my debut, something I'll be eternally grateful for. Ray was one of the nicest men in the game, who didn't have a bad word for anyone.
He was never one to go shouting the odds and he had a very dry sense of humour, which explains why he was respected and liked by everyone; players, other managers and the media. I'll certainly miss him.
Onwards and upwards, though, and Graham Le Saux is a class act, and we'll certainly need players like him.
We go into this season under a fair degree of pressure.
After last season when we finished eighth and reached the Cup final our fans expect a lot more from us.
That won't be easy to deliver in a Premiership which is always tough.
More than the pressure from the fans, though, is the pressure we put ourselves under.
We want to improve on last season. You always have to strive to improve, because in the Premiership to stand still is to die.
I know what it takes to score goals in the Premiership, and I'm confident I can do it again
I'm also determined to score as many goals as I did last season. I know a lot of pundits have said they don't expect me to have another campaign like last season, but I don't see why not.
People have branded me a 'confidence player' and I suppose to an extent, every player is.
All I can say to that is that after scoring 24 goals last season, I know what it takes to score goals in the Premiership, and I'm confident I can do it again.
The signing of Kevin Phillips is a great boost to the club.
I have always enjoyed operating with a smaller guy alongside me. and if he can reproduce his past form, our attack should carry plenty of goal threat.
With Marian Pahars returning to fitness, Brett Ormerod buzzing around - and not forgetting Agustin Delgado still to come - we've got a potent-looking strike force.
The
clock is ticking down to kick-off, and I can't wait.
Return to index
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why I'm staying with Saints
By
James Beattie
Southampton and England striker
and BBC Sport Online columnist
What
price loyalty?
I tried to address that question, and it naturally caused a bit of a stir.
Firstly, I'm not about to leave Southampton.
A few paragraphs were picked out of a much longer magazine article on how modern football governs the way players are viewed and treated.
Unlike the bad old days, players are not treated like cattle, but you have to accept that you are a commodity to be bought or sold, as it suits the club.
Proof came with David Beckham's sale. This time last year you wouldn't have dreamed that Manchester United would have sold him.
But it suited them to do so. David Beckham's love of the club never entered into it, and the point I wanted to make was that it can be hard for players to show great loyalty to any club which would sell them if it suited them.
It's not a criticism, it's a fact of life. It's the system we have, and you have to accept it and live within it.
Football is a business and perhaps the only true loyalty these days rests with fans, who stick with their club through thick and thin, and thank goodness they do.
My contract at Southampton is up to 2006, and I signed it because I was happy to do so.
That's not to say that in the future, if the club felt they wanted to sell me and I felt it suited me, that I wouldn't move.
It certainly wasn't a gripe that I don't get into the England team because I'm at Southampton.
The fact I'm in the squad shows Mr Eriksson has no problem with that.
As for getting a place in the starting line-up, I must admit I was a little disappointed to be on the bench on Wednesday. But international football is a tough nut to crack.
I'm in the reckoning, and I've got to make sure I stay there. There are lots of quality strikers around, all pushing for those England shirts.
I've got to be patient and I've said before that the best way for a striker to get himself noticed is with his weight of goals.
So it was nice to get off the mark straight away last Saturday, along with a certain little fellow alongside me.
People said I shouldered the goalscoring responsibility at Southampton last year. If that was the case, it was a burden I was happy to bear.
But there's no escaping the fact that life as a striker is easier when you've got another proven goalscorer alongside you.
It means defenders have to look out for an increased threat all the time, instead of concentrating their efforts on one main source.
From the day Kevin Phillips walked into the club, you could tell what he is about.
Despite missing a chunk of the pre-season at Sunderland, he's still razor sharp. In training, he's mentally so alive and he's just a natural goalscorer.
The gaffer must be laughing because Kevin puts pressure on all the strikers at the club, including me.
With Marian Pahars and Agustin Delgado approaching fitness, the boss will soon have plenty of options, and that's what any manager of any club wants; competition for places.
And any player worth his salt also welcomes a bit of pressure.
Published: 2003/08/22 13:16:01 GMT
©
BBC MMIII
Return to index
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By
James Beattie
Southampton and England striker
and BBC Sport Online columnist
I've
got a big and important task facing me in the near future, and one I can't
put off much longer.
Thanks to our kit man Malcolm Taylor I've got to put together a new CD for
the dressing-room ghetto blaster.
Malcolm somehow managed to scratch the other one that I had so lovingly and carefully put together.
The task is a mixture of a labour of love and necessity. I take on the job simply because I wouldn't dare risk having some of the other guys' taste in music inflicted on anybody.
Leave it to Chris Marsden and we would end up with Elvis's Greatest Hits, or if it was left to Jason Dodd, we'd be trying to get ourselves pumped up to The Carpenters!!
I try and compile a cross-section of music that will suit everyone, the only real requirement is that it's upbeat. You can't really be listening to ambient elevator music if you're trying to prepare to go out and face Manchester United.
My own tastes in music are pretty eclectic. I'll listen to anything from heavy rock to hip-hop providing it's a good tune.
At the moment, my favourite bands/artistes are L'il Kim and the Black-Eyed Peas.
I can't be doing too much wrong when I put the CD together, as nobody has turned it off - apart from the boss who switches it off as the signal for us to go out and warm-up.
Music is the food of love, but as a footballer you can't really afford to have a love of food (how's that for a link!)
There's nothing we're banned from eating, although anything dripping in fat obviously isn't good for you.
Our weight is very carefully monitored - we are weighed every day.
But that's not so much to check if we're putting on weight, but also - especially at the start of the season - to see if we're losing any weight, in terms of body fluids.
That can be very damaging.
I was interested to hear that during the Twenty20 cricket competition, Sussex players kept boxes of jelly-babies and wine gums by their dug-out for a quick sugar hit to replace their lost sugars.
I
can't see us doing that. We'll have to make do with isotonic drinks.
Friday's Uefa Cup draw brought us one of the toughest draws of all the English
clubs but we're all really excited at the club.
Apart from Neil McCann and Graeme Le Saux, I think this is a first European club adventure for all of us.
Steaua Bucharest are former European champions and it is going to be a real tough one for us, but we can't wait to give it a crack.
This sort of challenge is why you play the game, and we have got another one on Sunday.
It almost goes without saying that I'm really looking forward to playing Manchester United. You should always relish pitting yourself against the best.
I think we're pretty pleased with our start. We're looking for a first win, but we haven't lost yet, either, and in the last two games we've looked solid at the back.
Our neighbours Pompey have made a good start to life in the Premiership, and good luck to them.
Story
from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/3190781.stm
Published: 2003/08/29 10:34:23 GMT
©
BBC MMIII
Return to index
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By
James Beattie
Southampton and England striker
and BBC Sport Online columnist
From a striker's viewpoint, there's no such thing as a bad goal.
Whether it's a rocket shot from 25 yards or a tap-in from six inches the result is the same. You only get one goal for it.
I've scored better goals in my time than last Sunday's winner against Manchester United but I'll take it.
It was a classic '50p piece' header, the sort that doesn't come off at the angle you intended as though you've got sharp edges to your head.
But the main things was, I was there to get it. Often, scoring goals is backing a hunch or taking a bit of a punt and I gambled that Tim Howard in the United goal might not get there.
It was a brilliantly-flighted corner from Graeme Le Saux and I timed my run just right to get the contact I needed to score, and I'm pretty deadly from about 18 inches!
Any win in the Premiership is a good one, and a win over United has to be a bit special, by its very nature.
A lot of critical eyes have been cast over United. As the biggest target, they are the easiest to snipe. People are wondering whether they will be the same without David Beckham and whether their new signings are up to it.
All the conjecture over United is a bit galling as I don't think it gives enough credit to us.
Pundits will point to a poor United performance, but we didn't allow them to play.
We knew we would have to work hard, closing them down to try and negate the gap in skill they have.
Have we found the secret to beating them? I couldn't say. All I know is that it worked on the day for us.
The fact that Mr Eriksson was there to watch on Sunday and that I scored the winner has led people to speculate that it will give me a shout at a starting spot for England against Macedonia on Saturday.
There is only one person who knows the answer to that. He had apparently left before I scored, but I doubt whether one goal on its own will get me into the starting line-up.
Hopefully, he will have seen that I've made a decent start to the season, and picked up where I left off last season.
If I am picked, whovever I play with, I would like to think I would make them a decent partner.
It's always exciting to join up with the England squad, and to train with such great players.
Mr Eriksson has been keen to instill a club atmosphere into the England camp and all the players get on well together.
Macedonia will not be pushovers. They proved that at St Mary's last September when they got a 2-2 draw.
Mr Eriksson watched them play Turkey and they outplayed the Turks on their own patch.
They're dangerous, and our preparation has to be right and that's what we're aiming at.
Story
from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/3081406.stm
Published: 2003/09/04 15:13:58 GMT
©
BBC MMIII
Return to index
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By
James Beattie
Southampton and England striker
and BBC Sport Online columnist
It
was fantastic to start in my first competitive international, and to play
the full 90 minutes against Liechtenstein on Wednesday.
It's a great feeling and one I want more of, so I've got to make sure that
I do everything I can to make sure Mr Eriksson continues to pick me.
I had my first inkling I was going to start in Tuesday morning's training session when we were separated off to practice set-pieces and I was put in with Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney, David Beckham and the others who would be involved.
Everybody sort of guesses then whether they're in or out, but the actual line-up was confirmed at the team meeting on Wednesday before we left the hotel.
We took a fair bit of stick for only beating Leichtenstein 2-0, but I think the days when England or any of the major nations can expect to rack up a cricket score against so-called minnows is gone.
On paper, their collection of part-time players, plus a couple of good full-time professionals, would be the equivalent of a good Division Three side.
But even Division Three sides can make like difficult for big clubs.
Having said that, we created enough chances to have won by more than 2-0, and should have taken them.
I smacked my best chance against the underside of the crossbar, a question of inches from it hitting the roof of the net for my first international goal.
It was also a good chance to meet up with my old mate Wayne Bridge, and I gave him a bit of stick after the game, telling him he only passes to his Chelsea team-mates these days.
It can't have been easy for Gordon Strachan or any of the other Premiership managers this week.
I
suppose part of the price you pay for being a successful club is that more
of your players are in demand for international matches.
At Southampton, the boss would have been without myself, Paul Jones (Wales),
Antti Niemi (Finland), Anders and Michael Svensson (Sweden), Chris Baird (Northern
Ireland), Neil McCann (Scotland) and Claus Lundekvam (Norway).
And that's not counting the likes of Rory Delap (Ireland), Marian Pahars (Latvia) and Agustin Delgado (Ecuador) who would have been on international duty but for injury, and David Prutton on England Under-21 duty.
The boss would have been pretty lonely setting out the cones at the training ground this week and all he can really do is cross his fingers that nobody comes back with an injury.
There's a lot talked about the demands placed upon players who have to shoehorn international matches into the domestic fixture list, but to be honest I don't find it too taxing.
If you're properly prepared physically and mentally, I don't think there's any reason why you can't manage two games in a week.
It's probably the travelling that takes more out of you than actually playing in the games. But I know I'm fit and raring to face Wolves at St Mary's.
It will be a chance to meet up with Dave Jones. I owe him a lot as he was the man who signed me for Saints from Blackburn, and I'll always be grateful to him for that.
Story
from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/3103414.stm
Published: 2003/09/12 12:00:18 GMT
© BBC MMIII
Return
to index
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By
James Beattie
Southampton and England striker
and BBC Sport Online columnist
A lot has been made of our match against Spurs at White Hart Lane this weekend.
It's been built up as a grudge match because of the way we lost Glenn Hoddle and Dean Richards to Tottenham, but I think that's more down to the supporters.
We
certainly don't hold any grudge against Deano or Glenn. They had a chance
to do what they thought would be better for them, and they decided to take
it.
That goes for all walks of life, and I don't suppose too many of those who
criticised Glenn would turn down the chance to take what they saw as their
dream job.
We keep in touch with Deano, but we still want to beat them.
I took a bit of stick from the Wolves fans last week, who were questioning my England credentials.
I don't mind a bit of banter like that - it was all good-natured stuff - and the important thing is how you react to it.
It didn't get me angry, but it did motivate me to answer them in the only way I can on the pitch - by scoring.
They certainly didn't have too much to say when I scored my second goal!
The Champions League this week only served to whet our appetites for our own European adventure which starts next week against Steau Bucharest.
I don't think there's many of us at Southampton who have experienced European club competition and we're all looking forward to it - it's certainly been a long time for the club.
We've got a tough draw in Steaua Bucharest who are still a big name in Europe.
St Mary's will be sold out, and it should be a great night, the sort you dream of when you become a professional footballer.
I
had a trip to Southampton Boat Show this week, where I found it difficult
to stop drooling.
There were some very nice and expensive toys there, a couple well into seven-figures.
I do like boats and I used to share a 35-foot power yacht with David Howells.
But when David retired through injury and moved away we sold the boat because it wasn't being put to good use.
I would like to buy another boat, but I just don't have the time at the moment to take the three or fours days you need to sail it across the Channel.
Perhaps when I retire I'll treat myself.
Talking of retirement - not that it's too close! - I don't think I'll be going into management - apart form the Fantasy League type.
I haven't got a Fantasy team at the moment, but I might well do one for next season.
Who
would I have in it?
My main striker would be Ruud van Nistelrooy, and I would build my midfield
around Roy Keane.
At the centre of defence, I would have my team-mate Claus Lundekvam, who is the most underrated defender in the country in my eyes.
In goal? Well, Antti Niemi was reckoned by most to be the best keeper in the Premiership last season, but as Paul Jones is keeping him out at the moment, I would find it hard to choose between the two of them.
Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/3123790.stm
Published: 2003/09/19 16:24:22 GMT
© BBC MMIII
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By
James Beattie
Southampton and England striker
and BBC Sport Online columnist
No prizes for guessing what everyone is talking about this week - the furore surrounding events at Old Trafford last Sunday.
I've no doubt that a lot of people will have been shocked and perhaps even horrified by the images that have come across in the acres of print and hours of video tape.
They are images that do not put the game in the best light but as an insider, while you can't condone what happened, it's also hard to condemn fellow professionals.
To be honest, most of it was handbags. Nobody got hurt, although that doesn't excuse it.
You have to be able to control yourself in those situations, which is easier said than done. We're talking about the biggest game of the season so far, and passions are bound to run high in a passionate sport.
Football wouldn't be the game it is if players did not show passion and commitment, and great players show more of those qualities than others - which is what makes them great players.
Rightly or wrongly, the Arsenal players felt Ruud van Nistelrooy had played a part in getting Patrick Vieira sent off, and I suppose it was their sense of injustice and frustration that triggered it off.
It was similar to what we felt in our Uefa Cup tie against Steaua Bucharest on Wednesday.
We were annoyed with some of their antics; time-wasting, not giving the ball back after kicking it out for an injured player, that sort of thing.
It is annoying at the time, but you have to channel your feelings.
When you sit back and think about it afterwards, you realise it's part of the learning process of playing in European club football.
Steaua might have the away-goal advantage, but we think we can still go through.
In fact, they've got more of a dilemma than we have.
I think we proved on Wednesday that they are not good enough defensively to keep us out for 90 minutes.
Once they got their noses in front on Wednesday, they just put 10 men behind the ball. That's not something you would see in the Premiership.
I don't think it's because most teams aren't good enough to hang on to a one-goal lead, we just don't have that sort of mentality in this country.
Teams will always go for a second goal, and I think that most coaches and managers in the Premiership believe attack is the best form of defence - and long may that continue!
Story
from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/3142404.stm
Published: 2003/09/26 11:28:11 GMT
© BBC MMIII
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By
James Beattie
Southampton and England striker
and BBC Sport Online columnist
I will be waiting on tenterhooks for a phone call over the weekend telling me I'm in the England squad.
The trip to Turkey is England's biggest match since the World Cup and I would love to be involved in it.
To be honest, although Mr Eriksson said after the Liechtenstein game that he woud see me in a month's time, I took it to be a bit tongue-in-cheek.
I would like to think I did enough against Liechtenstein to retain my place in the squad, but that's not a decision I can make.
What has changed is people's attitude and the things they have been saying to me.
Up until recently, I think people have questioned my right to be in the squad, and wondered what I have been doing in it.
But the message I'm getting is that there's a change of perception.
A lot of people now think I should be in the England squad on merit.
I've certainly never had any doubts about my ability.
And as somebody else picks the squad, it's not something I can control either way, whether I'm in it, or not.
I really don't think it's asking too much for us to give a little bit back in terms of a bit of time and effort
Anyway, I'll sit by the phone and wait for it to ring.
It's been a pretty busy start to the season and we actually had a rare week this week when we didn't have a midweek game.
It meant I actually had a full day off.
Now, I'm a fair-weather golfer, and can't see any sense in playing in the rain.
I play off about 24 these days, and enjoy it when I do play.
But I'm very careful when it comes to playing Paul Telfer, who plays off a handicap of two, and if he spent a bit more time, could play off scratch.
I've recently signed up as an ambassador for the Schools Football Foundation, and I try and carry out that role as much as possible on my days off.
The foundation is sponsored by Puma and Yazoo, and involves going out to schools, and really just being a presence there.
I remember when I was a lad what it meant when we got a top star coming to our school, and it's really satisfying to see how much pleasure it gives kids.
As Premiership players, we do earn a lot of money, and I really don't think it's asking too much for us to give a little bit back in terms of a bit of time and effort.
Plus, I also think it's important for all sort of reason to get kids involved in any sport - not just football - as early as possible.
Anything I can do to promote that is certainly worthwhile.
It's a small price to pay, and the reward you get back is worth it.
Story
from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/3162680.stm
Published: 2003/10/03 17:05:03 GMT
© BBC MMIII
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By
James Beattie
Southampton and England striker
and BBC Sport Online columnist
Well, it's been an interesting week to say the least.
The intense media interest surrounding the England camp hasn't made it the ideal preparation for the England squad, but that's all I'm saying on the subject.
Suffice to say that now we are in Istanbul, the clock is ticking down even quicker in the countdown to England's most important match for two years.
I'm just excited to be part of it. I was always pretty confident I would be in the squad but there's always a bit of a nervous wait until the time you actually get the text message telling you to report.
Regardless of anything else that has gone on this week, the loss of Michael Owen is a blow.
It didn't look good when he actually did the injury, and so it proved and he was always fighting a losing battle.
It means that somebody will have to step into the breach and like all the other strikers, I'll be doing my utmost to show Mr Eriksson why it should be me.
But we are a pretty tight-knit bunch and those who aren't in the starting line-up will give all the backing they can to those who are.
Football is more than just an eleven-man game these days and any disappointment you might feel at not being in the starting eleven is tempered by the knowledge that you could be called off the bench at any time.
That means you've got to be ready both physically and mentally.
And for this match, mental preparation is going to be more important than ever.
We all know what's at stake. A place in the finals of Euro 2004 if we get the result, or the lottery of the play-offs if we don't.
If those high stakes themselves aren't enough, we're going into the lions' den.
The atmosphere is going to be manic, and intimidating, but as a professional footballer, this is what you revel in.
This is what tests you as a player, going into the opposition's own patch, silencing the crowd and coming out the other end with the result.
If you've got anything about you, you're not cowed by the challenge, you rise to it.
I know England expects this weekend. We'll do our best to deliver.
Story
from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/internationals/england/3178754.stm
Published: 2003/10/09 15:45:45 GMT
© BBC MMIII
----------------------------------------------------------------------------By
James Beattie
Southampton and England striker
and BBC Sport Online columnist
There
are no doubts in my mind who the star performer was in England's qualifier
in Istanbul.
He wasn't on either side, it was the man in the middle referee Pierluigi Collina.
Players, coaches, managers and supporters are often quick to criticise referees, so it's only right that we should be just as quick to offer praise when it is due.
For me, everything Pierluigi Collina did last week confirmed that he is the best referee in the world.
I don't think anyone is under any illusions of the difficulties of the referee's job.
But all too often, when you play in or watch a game, you can't avoid the impression that some referees feel the crowd is there to see them in action.
They always say the sign of a good referee is when you have to look in the programme afterwards to see who it was, because he did his job in a calm, unruffled way, that didn't draw any attention to himself.
You
certainly can't avoid noticing Collina on a football pitch because he is such
an imposing figure.
He's a big lad, and with his bald head and wide staring eyes, you certainly
wouldn't want to mess with him.
But while he might impose his personality on the players, it's never to the detriment of the game.
He has earned the ultimate respect of every player in the game. Everyone knows where they stand with him.
Collina earns his respect, though, by his honesty.
If he makes a mistake, he will admit it - not that he makes too many - and that's what players want in a referee.
Players trust Collina. They may not like every decision he makes, but they trust him to make the right one.
He's never swayed by outside influences, and he is a referee who will communicate with you and not dismiss you out of hand.
If he handled affairs on the pitch well in Istanbul, what really marks him out is how he dealt with things off it.
The tunnel incident was quite amazing, and the speed with which it all kicked off was frightening. The video footage that everyone has seen shows even Collina was surprised.
But he stepped in quickly to quash any trouble and to stop it spiralling.
He started ordering people about and when he began pointing and called David Beckham to one side, the rumour began to sweep round that he had sent Becks off in the tunnel!
That was soon put to bed and the way he worked at half time with Becks and Alpay to cool the situation down deserves maximum respect.
We've got good referees in this country, and the best of them share the same qualities that mark Collina out as the best in the business.
It was fantastic to be part of things last Saturday, even if I didn't get to play.
I did get out on the pitch and do my bit though. About an hour and a half before kick-off, I took a stroll out on the pitch and applauded the Turkish fans.
I don't think I have ever taken so much stick in all my life, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!!
Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/internationals/england/3201894.stm
Published: 2003/10/18 01:36:26 GMT
© BBC MMIII
Return
to index
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By
James Beattie
Southampton and England striker
and BBC Sport Online columnist
No prizes for guessing the big talking point of the week down on the South Coast - the Carling Cup draw against Portsmouth.
We were already looking forward to the first Premiership derby with our neighbours, this just adds a bit of extra spice.
It's a fantastic draw, and certainly all the players here at Southampton are well up for it.
I've never actually played in a derby match down here before. The last one in 1996 (which we won!) was before my time, so it's going to be a great occasion.
It goes without saying that it will contain all the usual passion and fire on the pitch, as well as off it.
It also doesn't need me to say that I hope all of that doesn't spill over, and that it's a great night for everyone.
The spice is added by the fact that the Carling Cup is the one that everyone fancies their chances of doing well in.
You can tell by the number of Premiership clubs in the last 16 that the competition is being taken more seriously than it has been by some people in the past.
And so it should be - it's a passport into European competition, and that's what everyone wants to be involved in.
Some figures were produced this week showing how clubs were reliant on one player for their goals.
Apparently, I top the list, scoring something like 70% of Southampton's goals.
Well, as a famous politician (Disraeli, if my history is correct) once said, there are lies, damned lies and statistics.
The tone was slightly derogatory, in that it tried to brand us a one-team player.
I don't think that's the case at all. We've got plenty of goals elsewhere in the side, it's just a matter of time before they start going in.
Young Leandre Griffit (remember his name, you'll hear a lot of it in the future) showed that when he came on and scored against Blackburn last Saturday.
And we spread the goals around against Bristol City in the Carling Cup in midweek.
But, again, it's a question of perception.
Alan Shearer has been the cornerstone of Newcastle's goal-scoring for years, and where would Arsenal be without Thierry Henry?
They're not seen as one-trick pony teams, but what is wrong with having one player scoring the majority of the team's goals?
That's what strikers are for.
People might say, 'stop him, and you stop them scoring', but as long as the striker is scoring consistently, where's the problem?
It was certainly nice to get back on the goal trail last week, not that I felt I had ever wandered too far off it.
Five games (including European ties) seems a long time to go without a goal, but during that spell I never lost confidence.
And that's the most important thing, always retaining that belief - knowledge, really - that the goals will start flowing again.
Story
from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/internationals/england/3230251.stm
Published: 2003/10/31 11:54:45 GMT
© BBC MMIII
Return
to index
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Toiling on the training ground
By
James Beattie
Southampton and England striker
and BBC Sport Online columnist
It's been hard work for us this week.
And the hard work has been designed for one purpose - to put things right.
At times like this, professional football is no different to any other business.
Whatever your trade, you should always want to do the best possible job you can and when you don't, for whatever reason, you can't wait for the first opportunity to put it right.
The
manager Gordon Strachan will have watched the weekend's game thoroughly and
seen and noted the things on it that he doesn't like - as well as the things
he does.
During the course of the week we will work on those aspects to put them right.
It's an old cliche that has almost got whiskers on it, but it's true that the place where you put right the mistakes is on the training ground.
I'm not going to give away trade secrets and give precise details of the things we worked on.
But it's not giving away the secret combination to the safe where the crown jewels are kept to say that one thing we did work on was offering more support to the player in possession.
We trained every day this week, which was unusual in itself.
The boss normally likes to break up the week by giving us one day off, simply so that we don't over-cook and come to boil too early.
Of course, in professional football - or any sport - you are constantly under the spotlight.
You know that any short-coming in your performance is going to be scrutinised under a microscope and enlarged.
But
there is a lot of criticism you tend to disregard.
Of course, the people who pay your wages - the fans - are normally the first
to let you know when you're not doing well. That's their entitlement.
Then there's the media. Some of it is constructive criticism, but by and large, we tend not to take much notice.
Obviously, the manager will have his views, and as he's the guy who picks the team, what he says carries an awful lot of weight.
But you'll find that the harshest critic of most footballers is themselves.
That's certainly the case with me, and again, although I'm talking football here, you should apply it to whatever you do.
You should always set yourself standards, and if you are honest with yourself - which you have to be - you will know when you have slipped below them.
I'm not daft enough to think that I don't make mistakes, and I constantly replay games over in my mind.
The idea is not to dwell on your mistakes and get morose, but to learn from them.
Of course you have to listen to advice and criticism from other people in the game - otherwise you won't learn.
But you should always be your own harshest critic.
Story
from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/3252011.stm
Published: 2003/11/07 19:35:27 GMT
© BBC MMIII
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
By
James Beattie
Southampton and England striker
and BBC Sport Online columnist
It goes without saying that I was very disappointed to be left out of the England squad.
"Gutted" was the word I think I used.
But you have to remain positive and the secret is how you handle setbacks and bounce back from them.
If I'm not involved against Denmark, then I have to accept it. There's little I can actually do about it, Mr Eriksson picks the squad as he thinks fit.
What I can do is what I've said all along - score enough goals to make him pick me.
I'll quite happily put my goal record over the past couple of seasons up against any English striker in the country, and all I can do is hope that is good enough.
The good thing is that he has said the door is not closed to me - or any other English striker for that matter - and there is still a long way to go and a lot of football to be played before next summer's European Championships.
If I'm not involved this weekend it will at least give me a bit of a rest, which I could do with.
We've been given a few days off and it will seem funny around the training ground while the other lads like Claus Lundekvam are off on international duty.
We'll keep things ticking over until we start looking forward to our next task - the little matter of taking on Chelsea. It will mean a confrontation with my old mate Wayne Bridge.
We're still close mates and I talk to him just about everyday.
As you can imagine, he's flying at the moment, but he know he won't get any favours from me next week. In fact, I might just have to go over and give him a little 'reminder'.
A lot of people have expressed surprise at how well Chelsea are doing, but I'm not.
Don't forget, even before Roman Abramovich came along with all his money this summer, Chelsea finished fourth last season.
They were already a good side. They've now bolted on some extra quality and when you sign players of the class they have, they're good enough that Claudio Ranieri doesn't have to worry that much about how they will all gel together.
When you look at the players in their line-up, and those they have on the bench, it's a frightening prospect.
But it's fantastic pitting yourself against players and teams like this.
We've already upset Manchester United at St Mary's this season and Bridgey will be reminding his new team-mates that they won't get an easy ride against us.
Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/3259811.stm
Published: 2003/11/11 11:09:25 GMT
© BBC MMIII
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
By
James Beattie
Southampton and England striker
and BBC Sport Online columnist
I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so as far as I'm concerned, it was great to be back in the England set-up.
The circumstances might not have been the best, but when your country calls, you go.
To be involved with England in any way, shape or form is tremendous, and although I wasn't originally picked in the squad, I didn't hesitate to go when I got the call.
I know there were various comments flying around in the media about my presence in the squad, but all I was concerned about was trying to grab another opportunity to stake my claim.
I thought I did well enough when I came on, and when I got the ball, I did what was asked of me.
And I shall be having a word with Frank Lampard! If he had squared the ball instead of shooting I would have scored. But there you go.
It's
a shame that England won't be having any company from among the British nations
in Portugal next summer.
I was really rooting for Scotland and Wales as I would love to have seen Neil
McCann and Paul Jones make it.
But it wasn't to be, and having more than a bit of Scottish blood in me, I felt really sorry for Scotland.
They came up against the other half of the Jekyll and Hyde team that is Holland.
Holland have a frightening embarrassment of riches when it comes to players and you can't help but wonder why they struggled to qualify through the play-offs.
Perhaps it's because they are such great players that there are a lot of strong wills in the squad, and Holland have earned a a bit of a reputation for allowing players to have a bit too much power.
The best result of the week saw Latvia qualify at Turkey's expense, which means Marian Pahars will be in Portugal.
I don't think it came as much of a surprise that England weren't among the top seeds. We weren't really expecting to be among the top four seeds and to be honest I don't think it makes a lot of difference.
If you set your sights on winning a competition, you know you're going to have to play and beat the best teams somewhere in the tournament, so you may as well do it at the group stage instead of the knock-outs.
No doubt where I will be on Saturday morning.
I'll be in front of the television cheering on our rugby boys.
It goes without saying that just about every professional footballer in the country sends their best wishes and will be keeping their fingers crossed that they bring the Rugby World Cup back.
Sport as a whole in the country gets a lift whenever a major title - Olympic gold, a world championship - is lifted, and just about everyone in football will get a big buzz if the rugby boys do the business.
The fact that we can beat the Aussies in the process just makes it that bit sweeter and I'm tipping England to win 26-20.
Come on England.
Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/3224450.stm
Published: 2003/11/20 16:22:02 GMT
© BBC MMIII
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------