Gareth Bale is...The most expensive player ever?!

towcester_red said:
But did Giggsy stand out as an intelligent footballer at that age?

I think if he was a Utd player Bale would get so much more credit here. Valencia relies just as much on pace as Bale. Slowing the man down, before taking him on.
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I think its often the case that quick players are accused as "being all pace" and not much else when its often not the case.

Valencia is quick, but he also puts a great shift in and is great at getting back and help[ing out his full back.

Bale likewise has a great final ball but decent movement as well - seems to able to get himself into goal scoring positions more often that a lof of wingers.
 
Balebalebalebale.
He wouldnt want to be 3rd choice.. wouldnt want him over Nani or Valencia.
And he will cost more than we would be willing to pay..
So... not happening
 
Cina said:
Man, you love your multi quotes. You and Chief would get along well.
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I find it's an easier way of addressing these things.

Cina said:
Meh, calling someone a cnut on here generally gets you an infraction, so I'd say it's worse than dissing someone's posts (which you have done too, by the way). I don't take anything here personally, I couldn't care less what you called me.
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Of course it's worse than dissing someones posts, don't disagree. The reason I didn't get infracted was probably because it was a tongue in cheek reply to you calling me a knob (well calling me and someone else knobs).

Cina said:
The bold bit, I was clearly not just basing it on that match, but when it comes to Bale, people do overreact when he starts playing well again. He was poor for 2 or 3 months, and he had a good game, suddenly that gimp Coleman says he's the best left footed player in the entire world. He's very overrated, I don't think he's as good as Nani, or Valencia. Yes he does have age on his side and can probably become better than the latter (a more similar player than Nani) by that time, but he isn't as talented as Nani, not nearly so, for me anyway. I don't think the fact that he's 3 years younger is a defining factor to go and swap them, that's for sure.
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I'm not Coleman, I'm not Welsh for a start, I agree he goes over the top a lot and it happens with lots of British players. The "basing it on one match" was in reference to this bit;
suddenly he has a good game yesterday against Swansea and he's the shit again
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The people who rate him have been doing it consistently, it's only the media that need to sell a story that hype it to high heaven. You shouldn't apply that to people here, with the amount of football available people can make their own minds up.
 
Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber said:
Giggs was a footballing god at 17 and he hasn't retired from being one even at age 38. I love Bale but he ain't in that class. Bale is a white, left footed Valencia. With more time on his hands to develop other aspects of his game.
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Added two words. Pretty much spot on there. :)
 
Dion said:
I find it's an easier way of addressing these things.


Of course it's worse than dissing someones posts, don't disagree. The reason I didn't get infracted was probably because it was a tongue in cheek reply to you calling me a knob (well calling me and someone else knobs).


I'm not Coleman, I'm not Welsh for a start, I agree he goes over the top a lot and it happens with lots of British players. The "basing it on one match" was in reference to this bit;

The people who rate him have been doing it consistently, it's only the media that need to sell a story that hype it to high heaven. You shouldn't apply that to people here, with the amount of football available people can make their own minds up.
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I rate Bale, he's good. He's not 35m good, or good enough to displace Nani or Valencia in our first team. I think he'd be a pointless signing, especially at that price. There are far more areas that need improving in our team and far more players out there capable of doing so that I'd prefer we spend money like that on instead.
 
R_Kelly said:
Just? Valencia is a superb player, it's no slight on Bale to call him a left footed version.
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"just" doesn't mean I consider valencia to be inferior, I meant he ain't valencia. Shouldn't have used the word "just".
 
Someone else summed up why I don't really like Bale.

He can go weeks with average to poor performances, then he'll have a good game against Swansea, or Norwich or Wigan, and suddenly the talk will be about how good he is and how hard it is to deal with him.

I also read recently he said a move to either of Spain's big two would be hard to resist. hes getting ahead of himself because for me, he aint good enough to play for either of them yet.
 
I think many people are a bit harsh on Bale. He scores goals, he puts in a regular supply of quality deliveries, and his powerful running with the ball would be a handful for any team.

While Giggs was fantastic and much more unpredictable than Bale, i remember him being more like Nani, capable of moments of sheer genius but often frustrating and inconsistent.

I think Bale is a lot like Valencia, he doesn't have the skill of Nani or Giggs, but then Ronaldo doesn't have the skill of Messi, but it still does not hinder him from being consistently very effective. That is the key in my view, it's not always just about talent, but how often the team really benefits from their contributions.

Personally i think we would be a better team with Bale in it. I am not suggesting we should go for him or anything like that, before anyone starts, i am fully aware of the cost and other potential complications. But hypothetically i really believe Bale on the left and Valencia on the right would be a truly devastating duo, and regularly so. I mean what strikers would not benefit hugely from such a consistently high quality service?

Nani is a special talent, and he is the type of player needed when games are tight and a bit of unpredictable magic is required. But he is often still too inconsistent and unpredictable to know what you are going to get, his crossing is very erratic, and he is overly greedy at times. Valencia and Bale would be much more dependable, and a regularly effective threat can often be enough to significantly improve the performances of a team.
 
LTS10 said:
... He can go weeks with average to poor performances, then he'll have a good game against Swansea, or Norwich or Wigan, and suddenly the talk will be about how good he is and how hard it is to deal with him ....
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I wonder how many of Spurs' games you've seen in full this season, because 11 goals and 12 assists does not square with your description.

And this tally would probably be significantly higher if Harry had not experimented mid season with allowing Bale to roam freely, instead of sticking mainly to a LW role.
 
apotheosis said:
I think many people are a bit harsh on Bale. He scores goals, he puts in a regular supply of quality deliveries, and his powerful running with the ball would be a handful for any team.

While Giggs was fantastic and much more unpredictable than Bale, i remember him being more like Nani, capable of moments of sheer genius but often frustrating and inconsistent.

I think Bale is a lot like Valencia, he doesn't have the skill of Nani or Giggs, but then Ronaldo doesn't have the skill of Messi, but it still does not hinder him from being consistently very effective. That is the key in my view, it's not always just about talent, but how often the team really benefits from their contributions.

Personally i think we would be a better team with Bale in it. I am not suggesting we should go for him or anything like that, before anyone starts, i am fully aware of the cost and other potential complications. But hypothetically i really believe Bale on the left and Valencia on the right would be a truly devastating duo, and regularly so. I mean what strikers would not benefit hugely from such a consistently high quality service?

Nani is a special talent, and he is the type of player needed when games are tight and a bit of unpredictable magic is required. But he is often still too inconsistent and unpredictable to know what you are going to get, his crossing is very erratic, and he is overly greedy at times. Valencia and Bale would be much more dependable, and a regularly effective threat can often be enough to significantly improve the performances of a team.
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Personally I don't care how reliable and predictable Valencia or Bale are. I'd never ever pick both them over Nani. As long as Nani is in decent form he is way better than both. It seems Valencia's great run of form is making folks forget just how crucial Nani is to us when his game is working. Even when he isn't at his brilliant best he is still a special threat.
 
GlastonSpur said:
I wonder how many of Spurs' games you've seen in full this season, because 11 goals and 12 assists does not square with your description.

And this tally would probably be significantly higher if Harry had not experimented mid season with allowing Bale to roam freely, instead of sticking mainly to a LW role.
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Stats don't tell the full story do they?

Ifs and buts aren't worth much either. You can go weeks without hearing anything about him, thats something ive noticed, as someone who watches the PL on sky week in week out.
 
Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber said:
Personally I don't care how reliable and predictable Valencia or Bale are. I'd never ever pick both them over Nani. As long as Nani is in decent form he is way better than both. It seems Valencia's great run of form is making folks forget just how crucial Nani is to us when his game is working. Even when he isn't at his brilliant best he is still a special threat.
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They are all special threats Chief, all are unplayable on their best day. The difference being that the likes of Bale and Valencia are always going to have more best days than a player like Nani, even if their best days are not quite as good.

Their contributions may not be as technically exhilarating, but they are still highly effective and very dangerous in the vast majority of games. Nani adds something extra, i concede that point as obvious, but his form is still erratic. Yes when he is on he is undroppable, but he is still off quite a bit too, and often for runs of games at a time.

It's personal preference in the end, what type of player you prefer. I love players like Nani myself, but i also accept that those types of players can be inconsistent and when they are off, their whole game seems to drop significantly. The highs are higher, but the lows are also lower.

At their best both are just as dangerous as Nani, even if not as capable of something out of the ordinary. Their quality is still easily high enough and the consistency of that type of contribution on both flanks would imo, still be enough to improve the overall effectiveness of our team.
 
Would have Bale no doubt, our wings would be unplayable.
Could start with Bale on the left and Nani on the right. If it doesnt work, no problem, just put on Young on the left then Valencia on the right....rotate each game as required.

Cue mass fullback suicide.
 
Skholesy said:
Would have Bale no doubt, our wings would be unplayable.
Could start with Bale on the left and Nani on the right. If it doesnt work, no problem, just put on Young on the left then Valencia on the right....rotate each game as required.

Cue mass fullback suicide.
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So your first choice would be to leave out one of our most influential players of late?
 
LTS10 said:
Stats don't tell the full story do they?

Ifs and buts aren't worth much either. You can go weeks without hearing anything about him, thats something ive noticed, as someone who watches the PL on sky week in week out.
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True, stats don't tell the full story. But Bale's stats certainly don't square with your claimed story that he "can go weeks with average to poor performances, then he'll have a good game against Swansea, or Norwich or Wigan".

And watching the PL on sky week in week out is not the same as seeing every Spurs game in full week and week out, otherwise you'd know that Bale is a rare talent ... which is why Barca are interested.
 
peterstorey said:
His stats against the other 4 of the top 5 tell the other side of the story. 0 assists and 0 goals.
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He missed at least one of those fixtures this season off the top of my head. I'd be interested to see how many he actually played in.

By the way, he demonstrated that he can perform against top opposition last season in the Champions League.
 
Actually Pete, forget about how many of those fixtures he played in, your statistic isn't even correct. He had an assist at home to Chelsea and scored away at Man City.
 
Against the "big 4": 7 games, 1 goal, 2 assists. But he's clearly been a bit streaky. I certainly wouldn't exchange him for Valencia.
 
Stats solely against the top 4/5/6 are pretty pointless I mean how many goals does Valencia have for us against those teams? 1 goal against Arsenal and 1 goal against Chelsea in the Shield. That doesn't disprove he's not currently the best winger in the league though.

As for Bale yeah he scored against City earlier this season and he's got at least 3 goals against Arsenal down the years and at least 1 against Chelsea as well. I'd love him at United, him and Valencia would literally give opposing full backs no chance whatsoever not to mention the threat of Nani and Young from the bench.

Bale to United wont happen though
 
Also not true, in his two seasons for Spurs Berbatov scored at least twice against Arsenal and at least 3 goals against Chelsea. Also scored once against us (cant remember what he did against City but I know he didn't score against Liverpool until he came to us)
 
He scored most of his goals against bottom half teams. It's documented if anyone can be bothered to look it up. Really good players like Henry are quite democratic who they do the business against - flat track bullies like Bale rack up the numbers against Rangel.
 
peterstorey said:
He scored most of his goals against bottom half teams. It's documented if anyone can be bothered to look it up. Really good players like Henry are quite democratic who they do the business against - flat track bullies like Bale rack up the numbers against Rangel.
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Ronaldo scored a total of 2 goals against Liverpool AND Chelsea during his time at United and that was at a time where he was named TBPITW. Did he deceive the world and was nothing more than a flat track bully as well?
 
GlastonSpur said:
True, stats don't tell the full story. But Bale's stats certainly don't square with your claimed story that he "can go weeks with average to poor performances, then he'll have a good game against Swansea, or Norwich or Wigan".

And watching the PL on sky week in week out is not the same as seeing every Spurs game in full week and week out, otherwise you'd know that Bale is a rare talent ... which is why Barca are interested.
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From what ive heard theres zero interest from Barca. All rumours and thats why they're working to tie up Alba.

A rare talent? Not for me, plenty of players who can sprint down the line and knock the ball into the box.

Obviously when Spurs arent on Sky i'll watch them on MOTD, but maybe MOTD regularly cut his good bits out and it looks like hes underwhelmed.
 
charlenefan said:
Ronaldo scored a total of 2 goals against Liverpool AND Chelsea during his time at United and that was at a time where he was named TBPITW. Did he deceive the world and was nothing more than a flat track bully as well?
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To be fair there are people who think hes a flat track bully, when he was still at Utd there were people who said he didnt do it enough in 'big' games.

With Bale its a bit closer to the truth imo.
 
crappycraperson said:
Cina, while I agree with you regarding Nani being the most talented and best winger in Prem. Your opinions on Bale are quite clueless. He is far from a pace merchant like Lennon or Walcott. He has plenty in his locker other than just out pacing a defender. And it is also a fact that he IS playing better than Nani was at his age. That does not mean he will translate into a better player in another 2 years but you can not just brush that aside because it does not suit your narrative. There is every chance Bale progresses more than Nani and ends up being a better player. Talent is not everything. Beckham did not have the talent of Nani and Nani still has 2 levels to go before he can claim to be as good as Becks was for us.
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Just saw that.

I haven't just called Bale a pace merchant (though I can see why it came across that way, looking back), if that was the case I'd rate him on the same level as Walcott, obviously he has more to his game, and as I said, he's a really good player. I haven't really dissed Bale here, I just have emphasised things to argue my point that he's not as good or talented as Nani. I basically agree with Chief, he's a left footed Valencia, which is a bit of a compliment to be fair, and he can probably be better than him by the time he's 26 if he keeps going.

He is very reliant on pace, that's why I bring it up. Not so much that he'd turn into a shit player without it, but it's a major factor of his game right now, he hasn't shown the magic to prove that without it he could still beat his man and ping the crosses in.
 
R_Kelly said:
So your first choice would be to leave out one of our most influential players of late?
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Nah, there wouldn't be a first choice or second choice. Just rotation between the four of em, horses for courses, and fitness etc.

Basically which ever combo is played its unplayable and if any one of them is not having a great day, just replace them with another!

Yeah. thats the muppet in me speaking, but i'd be perfectly happy to have Bale and a central midfielder signed this summer; striking wouldn't be a problem even if berba/owen/macheda leave, since young can play there and we can promote keane
 
peterstorey said:
In a dead game when Maicon switched off and Spurs lost anyway - classic 'when it doesn't really matter' stuff.
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Bale's performance was fantastic in that match. His hat-trick can't be dismissed simply by saying that Maicon "switched off".

And saying that it didn't matter is rubbish. It was crucial, since it kept Spurs in the tie and set up realistic possibility that Spurs could win the 2nd leg (in which Bale again ran Maicon ragged) and thus go through to the next round .
 
You seem to be forgetting it was in the group stages, no?
 
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