Yeah it's largely bollox.
Gareth Bale is...The most expensive player ever?!
- Thread starter Mickey
- Start date
-
In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
it basically all goes back to the fact he was able to run faster than a declining Maicon.
Bale is quite clearly a top class player. At the Emirates, he was the one Spurs player who didn't deserve to be on the losing side. I do think it's bordering on delusional when people claim he's not Top 4 quality(whatever that is).
I don't recall him doing that recently at City.
You asked if I thought he had developed further last season. I've given you my answer ("yes"), but apparently it doesn't qualify as an "opinion".
I gave you some stats to support the point ... pretty convincing stats IMO. So now you shift the ground from "developing as a player" onto whether or not the stats scream top-class player
Well, I thought you could perhaps elaborate a bit more than "yes".
I'd have thought that 2 and a half years on from his exploits v Arsenal and Chelsea at the back-end of 09/10 and his hat-trick v Inter the following year you'd have expected him to have pushed on a bit more than that. My flatmate certainly did. Maybe you've just got more realistic expectations of him.
He's a good player, but he isn't BaleBaleBale good.
he did deserve to be on the losing side against City though. He hung his full back out to dry by hanging up the park hoping for glory.
He didn't, but what I'm saying is those initial Inter games are what kick started this bollocks with the media in Britain.
He's also a player who I imagine would look a hell of a lot better in a top side.
Nope, he'd pretty much still look like a chimp
No one's saying he's not top 4, we're saying he isn't bleedin' Messi as you might be tempted to believe from the hype.
Well, if you want more elaboration than just the stats, then for example I'd say he's developed by showing he can play effectively in other roles besides that of just left winger, and by improving his crossing and shooting ability with his right-foot.
Some posters in this thread say he's inconsistent. But he almost never plays badly and usually plays well, and not infrequently plays brilliantly well.
But I get the feeling that some posters expect him to shine in every single match, and if he doesn't they seize on it for their "over-rated" claim. But when it comes to Rooney, who IMO puts in a mediocre (or worse) performance quite often, the same yard-stick is not used.
Rooney isn't the yardstick - Walcott is. And Bale delivers about as much as often. But you wouldn't get that from the media or deluded Spurs fans.
Most of the "he's inconsistent" stuff is in response to people saying they'd take Bale over Nani because Nani is inconsistent. The truth is, both are.
I was talking about the yard-stick for measuring inconsistency of performance.
Re. Walcott v Bale, it isn't just the media or Spurs fans. I doubt that the fans from any Prem club would opt to sign Walcott over Bale, given the choice and no financial considerations to take into account.
Everybody's taking Walcott for £20M over Bale at £40M. It's a paradigm of Bale's inflated rep.
Hopefully, we can all agree that Gareth Bale would be a massive upgrade from Ashley Young. Whether he would be an upgrade of any kind from Nani is reasonably debatable, but let's not get carried with away with criticism of Bale. He's still only 23 and has already had a huge impact in both the English prem and in CL play. It's not far-fetched to believe that better is to come from the young Welshman with the cringeworthy "love" goal celebration.
Ryan Giggs on the wings would be an upgrade from Ashley Young.
Did you read the last two pages?
Are people on here actually arguing that Bale had a great game against Arsenal? He was awful most of the game. It took me 45 minutes to realise he was on the pitch, was outpaced at least once by Walcott (no shame in that), didn't track back to defend, except that one time, and didn't do all that much going forward - scored a goal though, didn't he?
but he ran unchallenged and scored with his right foot = brilliant game from Bale
Wasn't impressed at all in that game and I think he has become quite a selfish player. It looked like he is playing for himself rather than the team, maybe he feels he should be at a better team?
Walcott isn't the yard stick for Bale anymore than Darren Bent isn't the yard stick for Rooney.
Walcott plays a similar role to Bale and scores alot of goals. But all round Bales game is in a different league to Walcott's. Some seasons Bent score as many or more than Rooney, but it doesn't mean he was anywhere near as good as Rooney.
Have you looked at the tackling, interception, passing, clearances, aerial challenges and chances created and compared Bale with Walcott? If you did, I think you'd see why there is a big difference in how they are rated. Bale plays a major part in all Spurs play, whilst Walcott is more comparable in role with Lennon, as they are both more on the periphery of games. Walcott is there to play the final ball or score, whilst Bale offers much more to his team over all.
Maicon wasn't declining he was rated as one of the top attacking full-backs in European football. For distance covered in the match at WHL he was number 5 on the list. He just could not contain Bale, gave him too much space and was punished. Bale's performance stats (running,sprinting) etc. were absolutely phenomenal that evening....I've posted them in here a few pages back but I will spare you the bore of looking at them. It won't make any difference to how you view him.
You do him a disservice though with comment above.
bollocks. That season was the start of a rapid decline for Maicon.
Yep and that's football, pace is everything,whether it be in the legs or in the mind. Bale is faster and stronger than most and strangely that seems to be used as a negative these days.
Who cares if he's overhyped by the media,it's such a tedious and irrelevant argument. I don't understand the continuing debate on this. All that matters is if we're in the market for a left sided player, is he good enough for us? Given our current options, that's a resounding yes.
OK - that was bloody impressive!
So too was the own goal 
& the yellow for diving!
In fairness though, he sure does strike a wicked free kick - its hilarious how blatant his Ronaldo infatuation is. His stance at FK's, how he strikes the ball, the wrist band
Is Cal? not perhaps Bale?
& the yellow for diving! In fairness though, he sure does strike a wicked free kick - its hilarious how blatant his Ronaldo infatuation is. His stance at FK's, how he strikes the ball, the wrist band
Is Cal? not perhaps Bale?
Wait, is he doing the Ronaldo stance now? Pathetic.
Yeah, watched it. It's pretty similar and he's even doing the same kicking technique.
twat of a boy. To be fair I've seen him score 2 or 3 of those, thats it.
Can't wait for MOTD glossing over or having a laugh at him being a serial cheat whilst they go to town on Saurez every week.
Can't wait for MOTD glossing over or having a laugh at him being a serial cheat whilst they go to town on Saurez every week.
BALEBALEBALEBALE
Hahaha
Hahaha
Looks like the new Best on the highlights of this game.
an absolute cock up from Reina aswell.
Maybe he's doing it better than Ronaldo? Ronnie cant score FK's for love nor money these days
Maybe he's doing it better than Ronaldo? Ronnie cant score FK's for love nor money these days
The own goal.Any gifs of the dive?
Saw Dowd running in and book someone (bale it ended up) didn't see the dive but.
Saw Dowd running in and book someone (bale it ended up) didn't see the dive but.