Beckham prepares for hostile reception

There is not much doubt that opposition fans will give Beckham a lot of stick, he has been used to that since he arrived at the MLS and before that in the premiership. However it is not often that prominent team mates will nail their colours to the mast quite so emphatically as Landon Donovan has done recently.
Landon is a big name in US soccer and has richly deserved his position as a top player by doing that thing that cannot be argued with...ie. scoring goals. His left foot has got his team mates out of trouble on countless occasions whether he was playing for the Galaxy or for the US national team. This time he seems determined to plant his foot in something slightly smaller that a soccer goal - his mouth...! The bad-mouthing began when Beckham declared his intention to play for Milan in the off-season. Donovan voiced his annoyance stating that there could be no benefit to Beckham travelling half-way around the world to cosy up with chums in Italy - Donovan then looked an idiot when he took a similar journey himself trying his hand in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich. Donovan had to come back home without signing for Munich, Beckham stayed at Milan even though it was reportedly at his own expense - and there's the real problem that Donovan has... Beckham can afford to take a wage cut to play where he wants to play, Donovan was forced to come home from Munich because they didn't want him enough.
Don't get me wrong, Donovan is indeed a top player and a valuable asset to The Galaxy - however I don't think he gives himself anything but a big headache by kicking out at Beckham - shortly the two will have to do a job together and Donovan is making things very difficult for himself. Maybe he is right (and I happen to think he is) to point out that Beckham lost interest when Ruud Gullit left LA, but he does no good to point it out and call it a lack of committment. I personally think that a top European manager was part of Beckhams requirement, and when Gullit left allowing The Galaxy to appoint Bruce Arena, a problem was created. It seems to me that Bruce Arena and Beckham were not on the same wavelength - don't forget that Beckham counts Sir Alex Ferguson and Fabio Capello amongst managers that he has clashed heads with over the years. I believe this was where the story went sour, a point where The Galaxy were not performing well and Beckham may have felt isolated and began to think about how he might escape from this 'fine mess' he had gotten himself into.
For players like Beckham loyalty and committment do not equate to cash, the advisors might want the cash deal, but the player has to feel part of a team otherwise it is 'just' a job, and this is how it has ended up for Beckham in my opinion. He has not played badly for LA, I defy Donovan to cite the match that Beckham played badly - he has maintained a level of professionalism and has steered clear of voicing his protests publicly. Maybe that is the difference between a superstar and just a good footballer, the difference between Beckham and Donovan.
Donovan wants Beckham to be benched - I have never heard a professional sportsman talk about a team mate in those terms - except When Amr Zaki repeatedly did not return to Wigan after international duty in Egypt - at least Beckham went through the proper channels before not returning the LA in March...
I hope the two men can work out their differences like professionals in the coming weeks otherwise winter will be a long time coming for both of them. I think The Galaxy would be very ill-advised to bench Beckham and if they do, I think he would be within his rights to tell the MLS to stick the mega-wages and walk away... Beckham owes his employers a performance, if he doesn't get the chance to perform then they have forfeited their rights as an employer. It is the Galaxy and MLS that should also be controlling what comes out of Donovans mouth into the public arena - in the premiership a player would surely be benched himself for offering such opinions publicly.