Ben Davies: 'Beckham is still the best in the world'

English Football League / Ben Davies / 12 November 2009 / Leave a Comment

"Beckham is still the best in the world from a dead ball but he also possesses the best range of passing in the England squad and is the best crosser of the ball, not to mention his wealth of experience."

The Notts County midfielder discusses the importance of the FA Cup, casts a discerning eye over the candidates for England's right midfield berth and selects the best bets from this weekend's internationals...

Last Friday we beat Bradford City 2-1 in the first round of the FA Cup. It was nice to play a Friday night game for a change. The atmosphere was fantastic and we got the weekend off as we won the match.

The FA Cup is a fantastic competition and we want to do as well as we possibly can in. We have been drawn away to Bournemouth in the next round with a place in the third round up for grabs and the possibility of being drawn against a big name team.

The FA Cup provides a great chance for lower league teams to earn some much needed cash as well as the chance to play against the biggest names. Our trip to Bournemouth will be extremely tough but it is a game we are really looking forward to, despite the long journey. The cup is not as important to us as the league, but it's not far behind. A tie against a Premier League club is what every lower league footballer dreams of.

It was good to see so many non-league teams getting great results against league opposition. Northwich Victoria's win over Charlton was an incredible result!

This weekend, England take on Brazil. The fringe players can stake a claim for a World Cup place next summer and I'm fascinated by the battle to make the plane to South Africa . Aaron Lennon seems to be the current holder of the number seven shirt but after two average performances in the last qualifiers it seems up for grabs again. Shaun Wright-Phillips, Theo Walcott and David Beckham are all vying for the position. It's a very tough one to call but Beckham should definitely go to South Africa - perhaps not as a starter but definitely on the bench .

World Cup games are tight affairs, especially in the knock out stages, with countless games decided by set pieces. Beckham is still the best in the world from a dead ball but he also possesses the best range of passing in the squad and is the best crosser of the ball, not to mention his wealth of experience.

If Beckham does go, which he will, then the other person included in the right side position will have to be a quick direct winger. The other three all fit this bill so I guess it is about who progresses and is in the best form. It will be a tough call for Fabio Capello, but I am sure he will get it right and may even include three out of the four.

Ireland take on France in their World Cup play-off on Saturday . There is so much at stake. A place at the World Cup awaits the victorious team. I was looking forward to seeing Frank Ribery play but he may be a doubt. Ireland are a strong and resolute outfit and have a tactical genius in manager Giovanni Trapattoni. Robbie Keane will be their biggest threat along with wingers Damien Duff and Aiden Mcgeady. It really is set up for a cracking couple of games .

For my bet for this week, I am going for a draw between Republic of Ireland and France at [3.2] and both teams to score at [2.06].