Time to step aside?

There are others, me included, who have grave doubts whether he can ever recapture that magical mood.

Certainly it was missing in Euro 2004. There have been reports from Spain that he has shown flashes of his former self, but he needs to show more than that over the next 18 months to convince the sceptics.

Not long ago it would have been treason to have doubted whether Beckham should remain in the England team as captain, but now, in the wake of his anaemic form in Portugal, it is a reasonable debate. Some, such as Sir Geoff Hurst, believe Beckham forfeited any right to the England captaincy when he manipulated the system and got himself booked against Wales.

It has to be said that there was a different atmosphere around the place when he was suspended for the next match in Azerbaijan.

Too often, the preparation for matches has degenerated into a Becks bunfight, a circus, - often not of his own making, to be fair.

His influence within the squad and on Eriksson, though, remains considerable.

Once he was impregnable, the first name on the teamsheet. Now there are options, both in the team and as captain.

The one enduring criticism of Beckham the player, even when he was at his peak, was that he did not go past players.

He would admit that himself. He had other qualities that brought so much to the cause.

Shaun Wright-Phillips is the young man who could, sooner or later, replace Beckham in the England team. He can go past defenders and leave full-backs trailing.

The Man City winger is player of the moment and maybe it is time to see what he can do and give our captain a rest.

Perhaps the pragmatic England coach would then have to grasp the nettle and throw the armband to someone else.

Decisions have to be made soon, but it would be a mistake to hold your breath.

Time to step aside?

NO - he should remain captain
By Michael Hart

David Beckham will be England captain for as long as Sven-Goran Eriksson is England coach. For Eriksson to strip Beckham of the captaincy midway through a World Cup qualifying campaign would be completely out of character for the Swede.

Eriksson's loyalty to his players is beyond dispute and his belief in Beckham as a front-line leader is unshakable.

Beckham is not the best player in the England team. But, among Eriksson's squad of millionaire celebrities, he is best equipped for the job of captain.

This is partly because he enjoys an iconic status among his contemporaries.

The players accept him as the natural leader of the team. This helps ensure dressing-room harmony. They acknowledge that he is probably the biggest personality in world football and, as such, is a powerful and influential spokesman for them.

The Football Association also recognise Beckham's unique status. Almost everything that affects the players, from training pitches to hotels and travel arrangements, usually has Beckham's stamp of approval. The FA are mindful, too, of his value to them as a marketing tool.

His relationship with Eriksson is as close as any I can remember between an England manager and captain.

While the Swedish coach is cool, distant and schoolmasterly, Beckham represents the modern, in-your-face attitude that so many of England's followers identify with today.

He is a significant driving force on the field and, as we saw so spectacularly against Greece at Old Trafford in the critical World Cup qualifier in 2001, no one could ever question his will to win.

The experience gained in 77 appearances - he is the most-capped player in the squad - is an important element in the Beckham package and the fact that he has lived with a high profile for a decade enables him to be particularly useful with his advice to young celebrities such as Wayne Rooney.

It is unthinkable that Eriksson would take the captaincy from him midway through a qualifying tournament. But it's not beyond the realms of possibility that poor form might cost him the armband.

This, in my opinion, is the only scenario - injury apart - in which Beckham could lose the captaincy during Eriksson's reign. By his own high standards, his form in some of England's recent matches has been below par.

I suspect sometimes, because of his fame, he feels the need to produce super-charged performances every time he plays. This is not necessary. What is required is that he does the simple things well, which is exactly what he used to do.