Football: WE FEARED WORST FOR BECKS - RYAN GIGGS

IT LOOKS like David Beckham is going to be all right, but on Tuesday night he really thought his world had caved in. So did the rest of us.

He was inconsolable as he was carried off against Deportivo with his dreams of leading England into the World Cup in the balance.

It was a nasty tackle and, although he could be back in action this week, his immediate reaction told another story.

He had already taken a bad knock to his right ankle in the first half but typically wanted to play through the injury.

I didn't see the challenge by Diego Tristan. I just turned to see Becks on the ground in considerable pain.

When the stretcher arrived I must admit I was among a number of players who feared the worst for him. His face said it all as he left the field, you could clearly see the tears welling up in his eyes. Afterwards it was too early to tell the extent of the injury, but Becks clearly felt his season was as good as over and nothing anyone could say could console him.

Most of the players were lost for words when they went back into the changing room because it's hard to find the right thing to say under the circumstances.

But I guess Becks' silence said it all really. This was a player facing his worst nightmare. Everything he had worked hard to achieve was in danger of being taken away from him in a moment of complete madness. I've never seen him so low, he just sat there shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head. That said volumes for what he was probably thinking.

His injury and that of Roy Keane marred a great team performance. I think Keane's injury could undermine our season further unless he makes a dramatic recovery.

We've got one foot in the semi-finals of the Champions League but he's not easily replaced. That will make it all the more difficult to salvage something from a very disappointing season. Unlike Becks, Keane is a player not easily disturbed by anything that happens in football, no matter how severe.

Of course it's too early to be talking about the extent of the damage on his knee but I can assure you he won't be courting any sympathy from any of us. Most of us are probably more distraught than he is. He has a pretty strange outlook, really, and seems to accept his fate with remarkable calmness.

Perhaps he goes home and kicks the cat 10 feet in the air to escape the frustration.

But how cruel can football be? He missed our last European final and there's a World Cup coming up. He's certainly had his share of heartbreak. Let's hope that he recovers quickly because United are not the same team without him.

I've been asked about our chances of reaching the Champions League Final, and despite likely home opposition in Liverpool, I feel we are still on course to reach the final.

Of course Deportivo have nothing to lose at Old Trafford but the hard work was done in Spain and to lose the home tie would be nothing short of a disaster.

The mere fact that they will come to attack could play into our hands. United are never stronger when the opposition try to take us on in our own back yard.

If we and Liverpool do go through the hype will be ridiculous, and it won't be helped by the unhealthy rivalry between the two sets of fans.

Liverpool will be confident because they have got the better of us in recent seasons but I believe our European experience will be telling in two games that would be tight and low on goals.

Yet it's not lost on the players that no matter what happens in Europe, losing out in the Premiership will undermine any success we have.

Were not throwing in the towel but let's be honest, the damage was done earlier in the season.

We knew when we had an alarming dip in form and lost a succession of home games that we couldn't afford to lose another match in the league.

Our draw away to Derby and the untimely loss to Middlesbrough have put Arsenal firmly in the driving seat.

Drop another point and I reckon our dreams of becoming the first team to win four successive titles will be at an end.

Copyright 2002 MGN LTD
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.