And I've said this everytime Beckham is discussed... He still remains underrated. Yeah he had drive and all but his technical skill doesn't get enough mention. His only weakness was probably dribbling on the ball
It does cross my mind that given the general move to 3 more central midfielders, 2 wide attackers and 1 centre forward these days how things might have played out a few years ago
For example we essentially let kanchelskis go and had beckham on the right wing, but these days beckgam would probably have been one of the three midfielders and kancheslkis a wide forward (a role he would have suited well I think given his ability to cut in and score
....................................................Keane.............................................
..........................Beckham.................................Scholes...................
....Kanchelskis............................Cole.....................................Giggs
I think Beckham would possibly have been even better than he was as a pure winger - he would still be able to drift wide for the crosses but would also be involved more in the general play where his workrate would have been even more useful I think
As you say beckhams ability to beat his man for pace on the wing was his major weakness (though offset by his ability to deliver a cross without having to get past his man) - in the more typical modern set up that weakness would not have been so prevalent - he would have been involved more and would have had the opportunity to play more balls through the middle whilst still having the space to drift out wide... I think KDB is a good comparison