Such have been the superhuman qualities attributed to David Beckham since Saturday it was tempting to wonder whether he joined his Manchester United colleagues on their flight to Athens yesterday or flew on his own, dressed in a red cape and blue tights.
Beckham-mania has reached new proportions, but with every high there inevitably comes a low and one was duly provided here in Athens last night. That it should come from Alex Ferguson was wholly unexpected but, in an extraordinary statement of intent, the United manager revealed he plans to drop England's captain from tonight's Group G encounter against Olympiakos because, among other things, he might need bringing "back down to earth".
Although seasoned United-watchers will know better than to take him totally at his word, knowing this could be one of his cunning ruses, Ferguson has clearly been embittered by the media's coverage of England's qualification for the World Cup and, in particular, the adulation coming Beckham's way.
The manager spent the weekend in Paris, where his horse Rock of Gibraltar won the Group One Grand Citerium at Longchamp, and he returned on Monday to find the Sun calling for Beckham to be knighted and the midfielder being lauded as the world's best player.
"You (the media) have gone completely over the top, as usual," seethed Ferguson. "You people don't give a damn about us. It's all about selling papers. The whole thing has gone too far. You don't have to pick up the pieces, pick a team and get your players back down to earth.
"David always wants to play but, as it stands, I will probably put him on the bench. I don't think he will play and my instinct is to leave him out. Physically and mentally it's the whole thing, tiredness and the whole England media circus."
Yet it could never be said that Beckham, in good times or bad, has allowed being under the microscope to harm his performances, while the fatigue argument is somewhat nullified by the fact he is regarded at Old Trafford as the club's fittest player.
If it's true he ran 16 kilometres on Saturday, it's amazing," said Ferguson. "But there is only so much you can get out of one player. And, strange as it may seem, we have more than one player."
It is a valid point, although in front of 70,000-odd Greeks at the Olympic stadium Ferguson might need Beckham if his players are to become the first side to beat Olympiakos at home in the Champions League.
Ferguson will once again emphasise the need for his players to begin reproducing their domestic form on the continental stage. In four years Olympiakos have qualified from the opening phase on only one occasion but their home form is formidable, whereas United have won only one of their last 10 European excursions.
Beckham or no Beckham, it is time to buck the trend.
