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

If it wasn't for pens, Falcao would have only scored 11 goals this season. Basically he and Bale have scored the same amount of league goals that weren't from the penalty spot. So why is Falcao so highly rated? Lets face it we don't look to sign strikers for their ability to take pens. Most clubs have a reliable penalty taker.

I don't know much about Falcao, maybe he has a great all round game, but I didn't think he was a Rooney type of player, who brings much more than goals. I thought he was more of a finisher.

Scoring pens is an art to master, it's not like they're guaranteed goals.In fact scoring penalties regualrly tells you a lot about the player in terms of mental strength
 
Scoring pens is an art to master, it's not like they're guaranteed goals.In fact scoring penalties regualrly tells you a lot about the player in terms of mental strength

This.
Plus, Falcao has missed quite a few matches this season. His team aren't known for creating a huge number of chances and Falcao is an incredible finisher. One of the world's best. Remember that hat-trick against Chelsea anyone? I do. Bale is not even close to that level of finishing.
 
Sky really lathered up the sponge for Bale today, but he did play well, he's clearly improving his game and at his age with the kind of attributes he has I doubt many managers wouldn't want him, especially ours.

I get why most dislike him, the pundits overate his current level by a chunky margin and he's went from the quiet boy next door to a GQ hairstyling, hand gesturing, diving, cocky prick on the field. However I think he is somewhat underrated here, at least the progression of his game is not appreciated by quite a few here.
 
Did you miss the game at Old Trafford where Bale blistered through our defence from the halfway line?

Around that time our defense wasn't the greatest...so I'd say that was another example of him being a flat track bully ;)
 
Around that time our defense wasn't the greatest...so I'd say that was another example of him being a flat track bully ;)

Ah so now we change the parameters. Who do we measure him against then? City? Arsenal? Liverpool? Chelsea? Because he's done it to everyone in the past, he's performed against everyone and its silly to suggest otherwise.
 
Is Walcott faster than Bale? Perhaps over the first few yards but I think it's open to debate, Bale is lightening quick, and is always in control of the ball at that pace and can cross well when running at full pelt, something that Walcott suffers with sometimes.

Personally I struggle to think of anything Walcott is better at than Bale. Possibly finishing, but we've even seen Bale be extremely clinical when clean through one on one with the keeper.

Bale said in an interview when asked if he was the fastest player in the league that he didn't know about that; for one thing, he knew that Walcott was faster from when they played at Southampton, so I think his take on it would be evidence enough. I also think Valencia would give him a good run for his money.

Bale is a bit too wasteful for my liking; against United he also took on shots that he had no right to - they were too far out and he was too pressured, and thus he ruined a couple of attacks. He is a real threat and a great player, but I do feel he is a bit hyped up tbf, certainly not in the Ronaldo bracket just yet.
 
Saying Bale is a flat track bully is pure idiocy IMO. He ripped us apart in the first half at OT and was also brilliant for Spurs last season at Etihad where he scored an excellent goal.

It's even more idiotic when it's being said when compared to Walcott whose nearly half of the goals and assists have come against the 3 promoted sides and an out of sorts Newcastle at Emirates.
 
Ah so now we change the parameters. Who do we measure him against then? City? Arsenal? Liverpool? Chelsea? Because he's done it to everyone in the past, he's performed against everyone and its silly to suggest otherwise.

He has shown that he can perform well against the best defenders in the world, so I agree with you there. My worry with him is that he is just as inconsistent as Nani, and tbf I don't think he was as good as Nani the year he won an award ahead of him. They had about the same amount of goals and Nani had 18 assists or so. Bale has 1 assist this year!

I would love him at United though - him at the left and Nani at the right and then the could switch sides when they wanted to... I would still want Valencia though - nice backup as both Nani and Bale will have spells where they are off form.
 
Plus Walcott is now playing as a striker, so obviously you'd expect more goals.
 
Id take Bale in a heartbeat

He has not added power and consistency to his game, and is the right age for further development. No disrespect to Spurs but i feel he has now reached the stage where he is outgrowing them fast. Under SAF at United I feel that Bale would develop into a true world beater.

Anyone still harbouring doubts about Bale really needs to open their eyes and quit living in the past. He has now got over his previous injury problems which were holding him back slightly and has found his niche.
 
Sky really lathered up the sponge for Bale today, but he did play well, he's clearly improving his game and at his age with the kind of attributes he has I doubt many managers wouldn't want him, especially ours.

I get why most dislike him, the pundits overate his current level by a chunky margin and he's went from the quiet boy next door to a GQ hairstyling, hand gesturing, diving, cocky prick on the field. However I think he is somewhat underrated here, at least the progression of his game is not appreciated by quite a few here.

Ronaldo took a similar path - and United fans loved him for it.

He's underrated on here for sure. The fact is he's not the best left winger in the world - but he's got bags of ability and most importantly seems to be regularly stepping up and being a match winner.

Would love him here - think with the right coaching he could be superb.
 
He has shown that he can perform well against the best defenders in the world, so I agree with you there. My worry with him is that he is just as inconsistent as Nani, and tbf I don't think he was as good as Nani the year he won an award ahead of him. They had about the same amount of goals and Nani had 18 assists or so. Bale has 1 assist this year!

I would love him at United though - him at the left and Nani at the right and then the could switch sides when they wanted to... I would still want Valencia though - nice backup as both Nani and Bale will have spells where they are off form.

I think Bale is far more consistent than Nani, this season he is scoring a goal every other game. And when he doesn't play, Spurs look half the team, the game against Chelsea at White Hart Lane showed that up. I think Bale is near unstoppable when he picks the ball up with space in front of him and gets moving.
 
We will never sign Bale!

If Spurs can get £30m off us for Berbatov just think what the asking price will be for Bale?
 
I think Bale is far more consistent than Nani, this season he is scoring a goal every other game. And when he doesn't play, Spurs look half the team, the game against Chelsea at White Hart Lane showed that up. I think Bale is near unstoppable when he picks the ball up with space in front of him and gets moving.

This season he has been more consistent, but then you are forgetting previous seasons, and Tottenham fans are pulling their hair because of him lots of times, just as we are with Nani.

I think Rafael would disagree with Bale being unstoppable ;)
 
Plus Walcott is now playing as a striker, so obviously you'd expect more goals.

Sure, but you would expect Bale to have more assists, which he doesn't - Bale has ONE assist and Walcott has seven. Theory down the drain. Fact is that Walcott is quite productive and Bale, as good as he is, is a little too selfish and doesn't create enough assists (don't blame the strikers - Defoe is quite lethal and Giroud hasn't exactly been clinical). Creating chances isn't enough, if it was, Downing would be one of the greatest - Liverpool fans still believe they played well when having 20 shots - 17 of them made by Downing shooting once receiving the ball, always four yards or more off the goal in one direction or the other.
 
We will never sign Bale!

If Spurs can get £30m off us for Berbatov just think what the asking price will be for Bale?

If there really is interest in him from either of the Spanish teams this summer, then I'd let him go there. They can pay whatever Spurs will be asking and bow to their other demands - and then the following season when it becomes clear that he's not in fact Ronaldo or Messi, then we can bring him back to England for half the price.

Win-win all round :boring:
 





This from a game in which he "didn't get a kick against a 19-year-old fullback".
 
Are you saying he's at the same level as Bale?

Surely not...

He's more productive in terms of his final ball and goalscoring. This old argument about having poor decision making doesn't really wash anymore with Theo. I'd put them about the same level with Theo having a slight edge.
 
Theo's had a great season and provides a lot to our team but in terms of the potential to really become one of the world's top players, Bale is higher. He must have won Spurs about 10 points already this season on his own.
 
The feck was with the MOTD panel going overboard with Bale again last night? I was watching the highlights and thinking how underwhelming it was compared to how they described it. He seems to cut in centrally, get ushered onto his right foot, ends up right across the pitch on the right wing, resulting in a shite cross with his right foot. This guy is way overrated. I'd be pissed off if he ever ends up here. Nani has better moments of quality on a frustrating day.
 
The feck was with the MOTD panel going overboard with Bale again last night? I was watching the highlights and thinking how underwhelming it was compared to how they described it. He seems to cut in centrally, get ushered onto his right foot, ends up right across the pitch on the right wing, resulting in a shite cross with his right foot. This guy is way overrated. I'd be pissed off if he ever ends up here. Nani has better moments of quality on a frustrating day.

You'd be positively fuming that we had signed one of the best young talents in Europe?

Yes, Ferguson must have been mental when he identified his quality at 16 and wanted to sign him from Southampton.

I'm convinced some people are on a wum here. No-one sane can believe this sort of shite people are writing. :lol:
 
You'd be positively fuming that we had signed one of the best young talents in Europe?

Yes, Ferguson must have been mental when he identified his quality at 16 and wanted to sign him from Southampton.

I'm convinced some people are on a wum here. No-one sane can believe this sort of shite people are writing. :lol:

Look over at the Bebe thread and you'll see the same guy saying that he has 'all the tools' to be a great player. It's kind of ironic that he'd then come here and say that he'd be fuming if we signed Bale.

I think that the criticism Bebe has gotten has been harsh, but I just thought that was funny. :lol:
 
The feck was with the MOTD panel going overboard with Bale again last night? I was watching the highlights and thinking how underwhelming it was compared to how they described it. He seems to cut in centrally, get ushered onto his right foot, ends up right across the pitch on the right wing, resulting in a shite cross with his right foot. This guy is way overrated. I'd be pissed off if he ever ends up here. Nani has better moments of quality on a frustrating day.

Well wouldn't really matter.. He's direct style would mean Valencia would be out the team.
 
The feck was with the MOTD panel going overboard with Bale again last night? I was watching the highlights and thinking how underwhelming it was compared to how they described it. He seems to cut in centrally, get ushered onto his right foot, ends up right across the pitch on the right wing, resulting in a shite cross with his right foot. This guy is way overrated. ...

There were two examples of Bale crossing from the right, in both cases after having reached the byline. In the first example, he runs/dribbles past 4 or 5 defenders, moving from a central position, and puts in a good cross. In the second, he breezes past two defenders, again moving to his right, and again puts in a good cross.

Very few left-footed players have a decent right foot like Bale and can cross/shoot with their right. And very few left-footed players can beat defenders like Bale. Even fewer can do both.

He can now play left, centrally or right to great effect. That makes him very difficult to mark out the game and it makes his direction of movement very unpredictable when he does have the ball. In short, he is a defender's nightmare.

As I've said before, the more he scores great goals, the more he shows his array of talents, the more desperate become the cries of "over-rated" from some on here.
 
i would take him here in a heartbeat, hes already a pretty incredible player.