Two-goal Beckett blasts Latics boss

Beckett told the press in Manchester, "It has been very harsh of the manager to leave me out for our last two games. I’d had a couple of bad performances, but so had everybody else and I feel I was made the scapegoat. I scored three goals in three games over Christmas and then I was out of the side with no explanation. I don’t mind competition for places, but it has been one rule for me and one rule for the rest. You expect to keep your place after three in three games and, at the age of 29, I’ve reached a stage where I deserve to be told why I’m dropped. I’ve been unhappy for the last couple of weeks because the manager doesn’t mind ringing the changes when it comes to me."

It's not the first time Beckett has been dropped by Moore, and he feels he deserved to be benched when it happened earlier in the campaign, but is clearly angry at how he is being treated at the moment.

“I had no complaints at all when I was dropped earlier this season. I was my own worst enemy and my form merited it. But that isn’t the case this time and I’ve been given no explanation for it happening. He’s the manager and I’ll abide by his decisions, but that doesn’t mean I’ll agree with them or hide my disappointment. I deserve to know what’s happening because I’ve proved I can score goals and I felt my form was just coming back. I was in the team in training last week, but then I turned up on Saturday and found I was on the bench, again with no word as to why. I went on and did quite well so hopefully I might get a game at Huddersfield next week. I haven’t been in to see the manager because he's had enough on his plate after losing two games. He has been in management for a long time and he knows what he’s doing, but I’m disappointed with the way things have happened.”

Despite Beckett's anger at the situation, Latics boss Ronnie Moore is unrepentant.

“Luke is as honest as the day is long, and I’m sure he would agree he wasn’t pulling up any trees. He’ll have been upset to be out of the side, but I’ve got to choose the players who I think will win us games. He came on and did what he does best, which is showing a cool head in the box. Sometimes it’s nice to use a player sparingly, and it isn’t about individuals, it’s about the whole squad. As a manager you can't worry about what players think, you have to do what you think is right to win. It is a squad game and about all your players, others were left out."

Beckett, who opted to join Oldham on loan this season despite a number of offers from other League One sides, is clearly not happy at Boundary Park - and this week's outburst might have alerted a few clubs who are looking to bolster their forward lines during the transfer window. 

The Blades would want a fee in exchange for Beckett, which almost certainly rules Gillingham out, but there could be a talented striker with a point to prove in the shop window, should a club stump up the funds to take him.

If only Paul Scally could find the money...