Bale's ball hogging

lillywhites61 · May 13, 2013

I wouldn't say he ball hoggs but sometimes it is frustrating when he doesn't pass when we are clear to score, but this is the mentality that is making him one of the best players in the world right now.

He may well improve his vision as well and if he does he will be quite something! Ronaldo is also greedy, messi is but he will pass when needed and as such makes him the complete player.

E17yid · May 13, 2013

How does it effect team spirit when he is the best player we have. If anything, we are more likely to sign top players if we keep Bale. Sure, Gylfi might of been a bit pised off in the moment but I'm sure he would rather train/play with the likes of Bale, even if it does mean he go's for goal a bit more than he used to

JerryGarcia · May 13, 2013

Bale has averaged 2.3 key passes per game in the Prem this season which is higher than any of our other players by a long way (Dembele and Lennon closest on 1.9).

http://www.whoscored.com/Teams/30

CoopsieDeadpool · May 13, 2013

JerryGarcia said:
Bale has averaged 2.3 key passes per game in the Prem this season which is higher than any of our other players by a long way (Dembele and Lennon closest on 1.9).

http://www.whoscored.com/Teams/30

And the defence rests...

.

Shadydan · May 13, 2013

Dharmabum said:
No, I do not want Bale to be sold and I do appreciate his contribution to day - by always occupying at least 2 players whenever he gets the ball - but his ball hogging to day was terrible for team spirit. In the later part of the 2nd half he decided to for goal on 2 occasions when he SHOULD have passed the ball to much better placed players. One was 7-8 meters out when he took a shoot when Dempsey was near by and would have been clean through from 5-6 meters (at 1-1) and the second came from a run when Siggi was wide open on the other side but Bale went for a shoot (ok, Spurs were up 2-1 by then, but still). Plus, he went for a shoot when Jan was well positioned - and Bale had no chance to make a straight shoot - and thus distracted him enough to make it go far wide.
Bale no doubt is a world class player but he MUST pass to better placed players as this team is also bigger than any player, including Bale. Being selfish/"greedy" at times I don't mind, as he's show can can score "impossible" goals, but there are limits for how "greedy" even the best players should be; and to day Bale went beyond his "greed limits" even for a star player.
It will make him even a better player, and harder to mark - as he becomes more unpredictable - if start to pass the ball smarter...

Dharmabum · May 13, 2013

E17yid said:
How does it effect team spirit when he is the best player we have. If anything, we are more likely to sign top players if we keep Bale. Sure, Gylfi might of been a bit pised off in the moment but I'm sure he would rather train/play with the likes of Bale, even if it does mean he go's for goal a bit more than he used to

There is a limit to how many times you can piss of team mate or team mates during a game/season. All I said that yesterday he stretched it a bit - and hope he learned his lesson. Do you really believe team mates don't care if they keep being ignored? If so then you don't know the ego of players.

Adam · May 13, 2013

If anything, I don't think he is selfish enough. I'd have no problem with him trying to shift the ball and smash it towards goal a few more times a game. As with all the top players though, they rarely make the wrong decision. Bale was imperious yesterday, and just because he may have missed a chance, it doesn't mean it was the wrong decision. If he'd been less selfish this season, we'd probably have 10 less points.

E17yid · May 13, 2013

Dharmabum said:
There is a limit to how many times you can piss of team mate or team mates during a game/season. All I said that yesterday he stretched it a bit - and hope he learned his lesson. Do you really believe team mates don't care if they keep being ignored? If so then you don't know the ego of players.

But when we need to get something out of the game they are the first ones to look to Bale and pass it to him, almost like "I don't want it, here, you have it"

Can't then moan if he has the odd shot on goal, especially as he is our top goal scorer. I wish Ade was a bit more selfish sometimes.

I see what you are getting at but at the moment it really is not a problem

eViL · May 13, 2013

Dharmabum said:
Regarding attempt of being funny by bringing Ronaldo into this: it's obviousl you - like a Ben Thatcher or Charlie Adam - atempts to attack the man rather than going for the ball.

I'm actually more of a Figo, Gascoigne, Kaka or Zidane kind of guy.

Dharmabum said:
But for all I care, just keep believing that a great player do not need to pass the ball. And that Bale in your mind is a holy cow.

There's actually been a severe lack of off the ball movement in our forward play this season, meaning there aren't as many options to pass into the final third, particularly into the box (thus why we're getting no penalties) for the more creative players - Adebayor likes to come deep, Defoe lacks the intelligence to run into 'the kill zone' where a pass can reach him.

Kendall · May 13, 2013

For me, Bale should've passed it against West Ham instead of having that shot from distance.

He got lucky with it going in the top corner.

SteveH · May 13, 2013

This is my nomination for the category 'Comedy Thread 2012/13 Season'.

Kendall · May 13, 2013

eViL said:
I'm actually more of a Figo, Gascoigne, Kaka or Zidane kind of guy.

There's actually been a severe lack of off the ball movement in our forward play this season, meaning there aren't as many options to pass into the final third, particularly into the box (thus why we're getting no penalties) for the more creative players - Adebayor likes to come deep, Defoe lacks the intelligence to run into 'the kill zone' where a pass can reach him.

Agree 100%

I've said it a lot on here recently, but I think our movement off the ball is awful, the worst out of the top 6.

You look at both of Everton's goals at the weekend, fast movement of the ball and great movement off the ball.

Donki · May 13, 2013

Its an interesting question as I myself was shouting at the TV as he attempted to score when poor old Siggy was wide open. It would be interesting also to see how many times Bale scored from distance or was unlikely to score when there were better options open for a pass. Its like everything else, hindsight is a great thing, if Bale had somehow managed to slide his chance in yesterday I doubt anyone wold care. IMO the season he is having he is hard to criticize, sitting 3rd in the EPL top scorers and not even an out and out striker is phenomenal especially considering his age.

Ironskullll · May 13, 2013

If this post spoke more of decision-making and the need to improve in certain situations it might have got a better reception, but the use of the term ball-hogging implies habitual greediness and habitual refusal to pass. The part "his ball-hogging today was terrible for team spirit" is rubbish. He went for goal a few times. So what. The final opportunity when he drew a corner was absolutely the right decision. Deep in injury time; that shot was never going to be held; it was either going to be a goal, a corner or very possibly but unlikely, a spill resulting in another chance. The pass, on the other hand, might have resulted in a clearance and a counter-attack, even if the possibility of a goal might have been higher. It was Bale's pass which led to the winning goal, albeit following a lucky deflection, and I'd guess his pass-completion rate was among the highest in the match. I wish Lennon would "hog" the ball a bit more, get into range and have a shot more often.

Nocando · May 13, 2013

the other option is always better in hindsight. unless it comes off of course.

Riandor · May 13, 2013

Actually this is all wrong.
Bale was an unselfish LB then Winger who got plenty of assists and the occasional wonder goal.
Now he has been asked to adopt a different role and be the fulcrum of our attacking play. That means he HAS to be a tad greedier because he is sole role is no longer to put the ball into the box. YOu can't ask a player in attack to score 20+ goals a season and not expect them to occasionally try something themselves rather than look for assists all the time. He has essentially adopted the VdV role and he hogged the ball a plenty.

And yet... he passes an awful lot still.
Did he occasionally try his luck rather than pass in yesterday's game? yeah all of what twice? TWICE, one he arguably did the safer thing by wasting time rather than risk a pass that IF intercepted could have led to another Stoke attack. Of course we want to see a 3rd, but how many times when countering do most teams waltz over to the corner flag. It's sensible, safer, etc... So, was Bale being selfish OR sensible. You won't know unless you ask.
The one where he doesn't pass to Dempsey, he either doesn't see him or he decides to go it alone, err i mean we are really having to nitpick a little here aren't we??

I could pick faults in nearly every other player on that pitch that were worse decisions than Bale's.

He isn't the perfect player, sure, he makes mistakes, but feck me we would be scrapping with Everton if he hadn't had the season he has.

Misfit · May 13, 2013

Sorry, Dharma, I'm not feeling this. At all.

eddiev14 · May 13, 2013

I can only think of two occasions. The one where he didn't pass to Dempsey when Clint was in a better position to score. And the Sigurdsson one in stoppage time when we needed to wind down the clock and got a corner.

I don't think they warrant a rant at our best player though. There have been countless times this season when his hard work to create a chance has gone to waste due to our utterly shoddy strikers, so who can blame him for occasionally trying to do it himself?!

Mr Pink · May 13, 2013

To be honest I thought it was pretty greedy of him not to roll that ball to Siggi who was breaking a gut to get into the box in oceans of space, not a defender in sight. In fact it was so simple and Bale definitely saw him, just slide it across to him and he picks his spot with ease, he scores for sure.

I felt for siggi there to be honest. It was such the obvious choice.

SoulDog · May 13, 2013

I agree he should of passed it to siggy at the end of the Stoke game but you cannot fully blame him as he has proved what he can do. Course he is going to try and score himself and go on them amazing runs but yeh he should sometimes set someone up and play the simple ball

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