HOW can the media continue to mock David Beckham for his alleged stupidity?

He's a footballer, not a TV presenter, but even so, his performance in front of camera has matured and improved since he became England skipper.

Interviewed after helping to demolish Denmark, it was particularly satisfying to see how Becks has learned to use the media for his own agenda.

Reflecting on the criticism his side had inexplicably received after qualifying for the second round, he said: "We all came in for some stick after that Nigeria game.

"Someone even described that performance as 'awful'."

At which point he looked straight into the camera with a wry, so-look-who's-stupid-now smile at the mystery sniper.

No, David Beckham isn't stupid. But a lot of people in the broadcast world obviously are.

For some reason all and sundry suggested that the pacy, wide playing Danes would give England exactly the same game as long-ball merchants Sweden. Forgive me, but since when has the proximity of two nations decreed how they play football? Top marks to Guilleme Balague of Talk Sport's excellent '2002 Today' show, for pointing this out 24 hours before Beckham et al proved it out on the pitch.