The handling of England captain David Beckham in their World Cup campaign was seriously flawed, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson told today's British press.
Ferguson felt the midfielder's fitness levels suffered as a result of him being rushed back into the England camp for the pre-tournament trip to Dubai while he was still recovering from a broken bone in his foot.
"David should not have gone to Dubai - that was a mistake," said Ferguson. "He wanted to go but he should have stayed behind at our place and trained. We tried to keep him back, but they wouldn't move on it.
"He tired badly in England's first game and that was something I never thought I would see with Becks because he has a great engine."
England reached the quarter-finals where they lost 2-1 to eventual champions Brazil.
AFP