In a new book due out later this month, Donovan claims Beckham
has demonstrated little commitment to the Galaxy cause and has been
a negative influence on the team since the ousting of former coach
Ruud Gullit.
"All that we care about at a minimum is that he committed
himself to us," Donovan says in 'The Beckham Experiment',
authored by Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl.
"As time has gone on, that has not proven to be the case in many
ways - on the field, off the field.
"Does the fact that he earns that much more money come into it?
Yeah. If someone's paying you more than anybody in the league, more
than double anybody in the league, the least we expect is that you
show up to every game, whether you are suspended or not. Show up
and train hard, show up and play hard."
Donovan, who is the Galaxy's captain in Beckham's absence, also
questioned the former England skipper's leadership abilities,
claiming he is too often silent in team meetings.
"Maybe he's not a leader, maybe he's not a captain," he said.
"Fair enough. But at a minimum, you should bust your ass every day.
That hasn't happened. And I don't think that's too much for us to
expect. Especially when he's brought all this on us."
Beckham's first two seasons in MLS were largely a miserable
experience. An unbalanced Galaxy team struggled all year and missed
out on the play-offs, with Gullit quitting before the end of the
campaign.
Gullit's departure, is the moment Donovan believes the light
went out for the club's marquee player.
"When David first came, I believed he was committed to what he
was doing," Donovan said. "He cared. He wanted to do well. He
wanted the team and the league to do well.
"Somewhere along the way - and in my mind it coincides with Ruud
being let go - he just flipped a switch and said, 'Uh-huh, I'm not
doing it anymore'."
Donovan even claimed Beckham is a bad team-mate, because of his
lack of commitment.
"He's not shown (he's a good team-mate)," he said. "I can't
think of another guy where I'd say he wasn't a good team-mate, he
didn't give everything through all this, he didn't still care. But
with (Beckham), I'd say no, he wasn't committed."
Beckham pushed for a loan move to AC Milan in January, and then
extended it to the point that he missed half of the 2009 MLS
season. That served as evidence that he does not care for the
league, according to Donovan, who gave up his chance to play in
Europe early in his career in order to stay at home.
"My sense is that David's clearly frustrated, that he's unhappy
and, honestly, that he thinks it's a joke," he said. "I also kind
of feel (he has taken the team) for granted. I don't see dedication
or commitment to this team, and that's troubling."
Beckham is due to make his return for the Galaxy against the New
York Red Bulls on July 16, two days after Wahl's book is due to be
published.
He will line up alongside Donovan in that game, but the striker
does not want that to be the case for much longer.
"Let's say he does stay here for three more years," Donovan
said. "I'm not going to spend the next three years of my life doing
it this way. This is f****** miserable. I don't want to have soccer
be this way."