Gareth Bale to return to Tottenham Hotspur?
- Thread starter tototoner
- Start date
- Status
The Apprentice
Charles Big Potatoes
- Mar 10, 2005
- 11,145
- 15,632
Would love Gaz Baz back.
Metalhead
But that's a debate for another thread.....
- Nov 24, 2013
- 25,401
- 38,407
Good old Gal Bal.
'O Zio
Well-Known Member
- Dec 27, 2014
- 7,405
- 13,785
All just my opinion of course, but given that his game relies a lot on his blistering acceleration, I think that his increased age and the toll that all these injuries will surely have taken, will mean he's lost a lot of that or at least is very likely to in the not so distant future. I just don't see how he can be as good as he was when he left after everything that's gone on.
D
Deleted member 27855
We should be focusing on finding the next Bale. Martins, Pulisic, Leon Bailey, Inaki Williams, etc. There are tons of young wing prospects that would suit us. I’ll always love Bale for his time here and what he did for the club but his time here is over.
Trix
Well-Known Member
- Jul 29, 2004
- 19,493
- 330,231
People keep saying "he's had a few injuries". Fact is though he's had a lot of injuries.
worcestersauce
"I'm no optimist I'm just a prisoner of hope
- Jan 23, 2006
- 26,949
- 45,206
So did Robin van Persie who then went injury free and had three blistering years probably the best of his career.
Trix
Well-Known Member
- Jul 29, 2004
- 19,493
- 330,231
Although RVP spent the majority of 2011-12 injury free, prior to Yanited signing him. Barring an issue with his ankle at the very start of the season, he had no other lay offs during his final year. We are talking about Bale who has had three separate injuries in the last three months. We are talking about paying a huge sum of money for someone who has been plagued with calf problems over the last few years, and they are no longer his only problem.
I love the guy, I really do, but we are not Man Utd or Man City. If he does not work out we won't have the funds to replace him at the drop of the hat.
Last edited:
Everlasting Seconds
Well-Known Member
- Jan 9, 2014
- 14,914
- 26,616
Way I see it, there are three possibilities with Bale after a possible return.
1) The club has some miraculous understanding of how to treat his body that Madrid doesn't have, and his injury frequency will be heavily negated. (Not extremely likely).
2) He will be just about fine enough and be able to rotate just enough that he actually influences our seasons, put a way a few goals and maybe show up when it's truly decisive. He also has a major off-pitch influence on the squad (not unrealistic at all).
3) The return will flop as his injuries persist or worsen (also not unrealistic).
Knowing the three possible outcomes, and looking at 1+2, I'd be willing to risk it. Whatever the transfer fee for Bale will be, we are looking at spending that sort of money anyway. And if we put it towards another player, he will come with risks and uncertainties too. At least with Bale we know his attitude, we know his ceiling, he has extreme experience by now, and has gotten used to playing for a team with a killer winning mentality. He can still rip apart any team under the sun on his best days.
So yes, I understand fully the risks and subsequent reasons for not getting Bale back. However, I always believe that few risks are too great, if they come with upsides that potentially are huge enough that the risk is warranted. And for a Bale return, I believe the risk is huge, but the potential upside should be enough to go for it.
1) The club has some miraculous understanding of how to treat his body that Madrid doesn't have, and his injury frequency will be heavily negated. (Not extremely likely).
2) He will be just about fine enough and be able to rotate just enough that he actually influences our seasons, put a way a few goals and maybe show up when it's truly decisive. He also has a major off-pitch influence on the squad (not unrealistic at all).
3) The return will flop as his injuries persist or worsen (also not unrealistic).
Knowing the three possible outcomes, and looking at 1+2, I'd be willing to risk it. Whatever the transfer fee for Bale will be, we are looking at spending that sort of money anyway. And if we put it towards another player, he will come with risks and uncertainties too. At least with Bale we know his attitude, we know his ceiling, he has extreme experience by now, and has gotten used to playing for a team with a killer winning mentality. He can still rip apart any team under the sun on his best days.
So yes, I understand fully the risks and subsequent reasons for not getting Bale back. However, I always believe that few risks are too great, if they come with upsides that potentially are huge enough that the risk is warranted. And for a Bale return, I believe the risk is huge, but the potential upside should be enough to go for it.
NinjaTuna
Well-Known Member
- Jul 9, 2017
- 1,878
- 7,155
How have we managed to create 26 pages of the same six posts being repeated over and over?
- "We should be looking for the next Bale"
- "He isn't the same player as the one who starred under AVB"
- "You'd be a fool to not want him back"
- "His wages are too high"
- "Him and Harry up front would win us the league"
- "Perhaps Madrid's training regime is causing all the injuries"
- "We should be looking for the next Bale"
- "He isn't the same player as the one who starred under AVB"
- "You'd be a fool to not want him back"
- "His wages are too high"
- "Him and Harry up front would win us the league"
- "Perhaps Madrid's training regime is causing all the injuries"
Graysonti
Well-Known Member
- May 8, 2011
- 3,904
- 5,823
Everlasting Seconds
Well-Known Member
- Jan 9, 2014
- 14,914
- 26,616
What are you trying to say?
Relax - the whole 'it'll make you go blind' thing is an old wives' tale.
worcestersauce
"I'm no optimist I'm just a prisoner of hope
- Jan 23, 2006
- 26,949
- 45,206
I was referring to that last year at the Arsenal as one of his best years though, his transfer wasn't really my point, the fact that his injuries stopped and he was excellent was my point.
Led's Zeppelin
Can't Re Member
- May 28, 2013
- 7,340
- 20,192
Here's my contribution to No. 4 in the list:
If we were to employ Dr. Frankenstein, preferably in the style of Gene Wilder, to merge the fit parts of Gareth Bale with the fit parts of Moussa Dembele and throw away the off-cuts, we'd have a cracking player. (As long as we don't throw away the good bits and keep the bad ones by mistake.)
I don't think this is any more unlikely than getting Bale to accept the necessary cut in salary.
'O Zio
Well-Known Member
- Dec 27, 2014
- 7,405
- 13,785
Sure, there is a chance that Bale could come in and be injury free, it's not impossible, but it's more unlikely than likely so it would be a huge gamble on our part. The problem is, like Trix said, we aren't City, Utd, Chelsea etc. where if it doesn't work out we can just shrug it off and buy someone else. The amount of money it would take to get Bale + his contract will really stretch our resources so we can't afford for it not to work out. And that's before you take into account that if we throw money at Bale then it'll be a matter of hours before the agents of Kane, Rose, Eriksen, Toby, Jan, Hugo etc. are knocking on Levy's door wanting new contracts as well. All of that for the slim chance of him returning to his former self isn't a gamble I'd be looking to take personally and I'd be surprised if Levy is.
worcestersauce
"I'm no optimist I'm just a prisoner of hope
- Jan 23, 2006
- 26,949
- 45,206
Who dares wins.
In other threads people have posted that players will want to leave if they feel we aren't going to be able to win trophies and that we need to do something to make them want to stay, I would argue that a signing like this far from upsetting our players as some have said, would excite them so that would be an additional benefit.
'O Zio
Well-Known Member
- Dec 27, 2014
- 7,405
- 13,785
True, but all of these things we can only speculate on. Some players might get a boost from having such a start around the place, other might get pissed off because they've constantly been told that 100k is our limit and that's final, only for Bale to swan in on 250k/week, especially if he's then only fit for 1/3 of the season but still making more than they do playing all year. We just don't know. Same as we don't know how his injuries will be etc.
It all just comes down to a gamble. I'm all for the "to dare is to do" mentality, but you still have to weight up the odds one way or another. If you think he'll come in and be the difference between us winning the title and not, then he's worth every penny obviously. But I'm personally not sure the odds of that are high enough to warrant the gamble.
- Status
Similar threads
