Beckham's own goal

Question: What would David Beckham be called if he joined his wife's pop group? Answer: a waste of spice. So read one of the more printable anti-Beckham jibes on the Los Angeles Galaxy's official bulletin board yesterday. To Beckham, raised on the less charitable barracking of English Premier League crowds, such criticism may seem slight and may even go unnoticed, but to the marketing moguls with a vital stake in brand Beckham it signalled something much more disturbing – that the fans' love affair with England's former captain is over.

Their casual indifference to their star player during Galaxy's final game bore witness to the fact that, while Beckham's celebrity marriage to Hollywood's local football club may still be intact, the controversy surrounding his recent loan signing to AC Milan has almost certainly ended its honeymoon period.

In recent days it has become increasingly clear that supporters and the media are now turning against him in numbers. Despite both Beckham and LA Galaxy insisting he will be back for the start of the North American season in the New Year, many locals would now rather he remained on their side of the Atlantic.

"I can only judge by my emails, and the vast majority now say let him go; it hasn't worked," says Grahame Jones, soccer correspondent for the Los Angeles Times. "The circumstance of the Milan signing was an embarrassment for Galaxy, and lots of people's attitude is now basically 'Goodbye and good riddance'."

Beckham's loan signing certainly wrong-footed his club, which was unaware it had taken place when it became public at the end of last month. It took Galaxy several days to confirm that a deal had indeed taken place, since its management was unable to contact its star employee.

Most pundits now believe Beckham is unlikely to see out his five-year contract, which would keep him in Los Angeles until 2012. Galaxy have refused to disclose who will foot the bill for his $500,000-a-month salary while he's in Italy, and what might happen if he's injured. It is also unclear how the loan deal will impact on Galaxy's finances.

Until recently it was a case of there being no business like Becks business. Games Beckham played in drew an average gate attendance of 37,000 fans – well above the league average of 16,000 – making Galaxy, which has the worst performance record in the league, the best supported. Sales of shirts rose 780 per cent. His arrival stimulated enormous interest in the US game and most experts agree it looks "less embarrassing" than it did before he came.

However, Beckham's income from endorsements fell six per cent the year he joined Galaxy, according to the latest accounts of his company, Footwork Productions. Beckham paid himself and other staff £5.2m, a 49 per cent drop on the previous year. His revenues, which do not include his US$5m salary and other benefits from Galaxy, dropped for a third straight year to £10.4m.

Galaxy's dismal performances can only have contributed to this – they failed to make the play-offs, making it imperative Beckham secured the Milan loan deal in order to remain in contention for his place in Fabio Capello's England squad and a 2010 World Cup place. As a result of his departure, LA Galaxy were forced last week to cancel a lucrative close-season friendly in Australia.

Therein lies Beckham's and his financial gurus' dilemma: whether to go to Milan to try to keep his international career, but in so doing risk alienating his US fans and undermining the multimillion-pound endorsement contracts. Beau Dure, USA Today football correspondent, believes the choice is clear. "I don't actually think leaving Galaxy makes sense for Beckham from a financial point of view. He has a lot staked on being in Los Angeles, and I don't think that you would see quite so many advertisements featuring him if he were to leave. His image is his most valuable asset, more so even than his feet, and any desire to stay in Italy full-time would irreparably tarnish it."