Either way, once Ronaldo goes to AC Milan (Football Italia says the deal is stalled by a last-minute attempt to loan Ricardo Oliveira from AC Milan to Real Madrid), Real Madrid's management must surely turn its attention to the David Beckham situation, says Grahame L. Jones of the Los Angeles Times. Beckham, after all, is simply rotting on the bench, and it's still unclear whether Coach Fabio Capello plans on using him. So why keep him? Either way, the Galaxy says it expects the player to arrive when his contract ends on June 30.

It turns out that Real may need him yet. While the team has improved its defense (conceding two goals in five matches) since the 2-0 loss at Deportivo La Coruna on Jan. 7, it's also managed just three goals since then. Against Villarreal in a 1-0 away loss on Saturday, Madrid never looked dangerous apart from a few chances from set pieces. And somehow, despite the sustained indifference of its form, Real is just four points behind Barcelona.
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Capello, meanwhile, continues to hint that David Beckham may return: "People can make mistakes," Capello said Friday. "When I see that he is in good shape and has a good attitude, then he can form part of the team. But he has to show it." Read the original story...