Andy Gray hopes Spurs' interest in David Beckham doesn't undermine the club's progress.
'Becks need to be influential on the pitch to be beneficial addition'
David Beckham is a global superstar but does that make him a valuable asset for Tottenham Hotspur?
From what I hear Harry Redknapp and his staff have fully embraced the idea of signing him on loan and if they can make it happen, they will make it happen.
Part of me says 'why not?'
After all David is a good lad who knows what it takes to win the Premier League and you don't hear his former clubs saying many bad things said about him.
But his presence often comes at a price - and not just a financial one.
I remember Sir Alex Ferguson warning his players last February before United's Champions League clash against AC Milan about the 'Beckham circus' and the distractions it can bring.
He was spot on and I really hope that the added attention Beckham has drawn on Spurs this week doesn't undermine all the fantastic work that Harry and his players have done so far this season.
For me that danger has the potential to outweigh any potential benefits.
Influence
I guess Harry may be thinking of getting rid of a few in January and sees David as a good addition to the squad - someone who can come on for 20 minutes at the end of a game if they are struggling.
It could prove a masterstroke if Beckham helped Spurs gain three points that they otherwise might have missed out on.
Harry also sees Beckham as a great role model.
But for me that's not enough. After all, there are plenty of people in football who could be fantastic influences around the training ground, great characters all of them.
Beckham has got to bring more than that - he's got to be influential on the pitch and let's face it, age is against him. I wonder how much he'll be able to contribute at the age of 35 in a league where the game is played at an incredible pace.
I wouldn't be half as worried if he was a centre-back but he's not; he plays in an area of the pitch that is physically demanding and where Spurs already have some great options.
Some people have compared Beckham's situation to the loan deal struck between Everton and the LA Galaxy over Landon Donovan but that was very different.
Donovan spent far more than a couple of months at Everton and contributed on the pitch on a weekly basis - something Beckham can't possibly do at this stage of his career, not in the Premier League at any rate.
I'm sure one or two will privately be thinking 'what on earth can Beckham bring that we haven't already got?'
That's my main worry - the fuss it might cause within the squad and the impact that could have on any title challenge.
Experience
Beckham, of course, has lifted plenty of silverware in his time and I'm sure that successful managers like Sir Alex or Carlo Ancelotti will say that experience within the squad is crucial to any side's success.
Yet while it is helpful I don't believe it is the be-all and end-all.
The Everton side that won the title in 1985 (a long time ago admittedly but the point is still valid) had precious little experience whatsoever; we learnt as we went along and everyone grew with it.
Similarly, Spurs have a great group of lads who are willing to play for each other and they are reaping the rewards; they are now fourth in the table and their title credentials are closely scrutinised every time they go up against the big boys.
If those credentials are going to hold water they will have to play better against United than they did against Chelsea, when they drew a game that to all intents and purposes they should have lost.
I don't know if they froze a little or it was too big a game for them but I do know that they can't afford to start slowly on Sunday otherwise their poor record against Sir Alex's side is likely to continue.
Admire
You have to admire the fact that United remain unbeaten halfway through the season even though, as Ryan Giggs admitted earlier this week, they've been fortunate on many occasions.
There is plenty more to come from this side but we'll have to wait and see if they find it this season. The Champions League will kick in again soon so there will be more demands on players who in turn will have to make a few more sacrifices and that's how pressure grows.
Even with the extra man against Liverpool in the FA Cup, United weren't at what you would call their commanding best but they got the job done and that's been systematic of them this season.
I saw them ride their luck at Villa, where they looked to be beaten, and they also struggled at West Brom when they should have lost Gary Neville early on.
While they've been pretty imperious at home - winning 10 of 11 - there is plenty of room for improvement on the road and Spurs will be a massive test for them.
Sunday's match is exactly the type of game when you need your big players to come to the fore and put in a full shift.
From Spurs' point of view, I'm not sure Beckham fits that category any more.
