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An Article from the Mirror for us romantic Spurs fans.

garryparkerschest

Well-Known Member
Apr 24, 2012
1,306
2,467
If Tottenham sell Gareth Bale they will also be selling their heart, their soul.. and a golden future
31 Jul 2013 07:30

But if they keep him, and prosper BECAUSE they keep him, maybe other wonderful players will want to join him at Spurs, writes Oliver Holt
As good as it gets: Spurs have one of the three most explosive footballers on earth in Bale As good as it gets: Spurs have one of the three most explosive footballers on earth in Bale
Getty

Common sense says Spurs should sell Gareth Bale.

Take the £80million or £90m or £100m Real Madrid are offering. Cash in.

Sell while the Welshman’s value is at its height and there is still time to bring in new players for the start of the season.

Take the money because, well, is anyone really worth that much?

Take the money because imagine how you will feel if Bale’s injury woes return and he only plays in fits and starts next season.

Take the money because £80m well invested might even give Tottenham a better chance of making the Champions League next term, than if they keep Bale.

Spend that £80m on two or three elite additions and Spurs might even be favourites to force their way into the top four ahead of Arsenal.

The money’s eye-watering, even in today’s climate. It could take Tottenham to the next level.

But despite all the logic, despite the feeling money always talks loudest in the end, it is hard to escape the feeling that, actually, Bale is priceless.

He is not Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, but he is not far off.

And he plays not for Real Madrid or Barcelona or Bayern Munich or Manchester United, or one of the other giants of the European game, but for Tottenham.

Spurs have uncovered a jewel, one of the best players in the world.

If they sell, it might be a long, long time before they get another like him.

When was the last time Spurs had one of the best players in the world?

When Gary Lineker and Paul Gascoigne were at White Hart Lane 20 years ago, maybe?

When Jimmy Greaves was there 30 years before that? Ossie Ardiles, Jurgen Klinsmann? Maybe.

It doesn’t happen often. That’s the point.

And even though it’s hopelessly romantic, that’s why I hope Spurs don’t sell.

Because every other week, their fans get to sit on the edge of their seats and watch Bale do magic.

Every other week, they get to watch Bale do something special.

They get that feeling of anticipation when he gets the ball. They know that when the ball’s glued to his left foot, anything is possible: a dazzling run, a sizzling cross, an unstoppable shot.

There are other wonderful talents around but at the moment, apart from Ronaldo and Messi, none as explosive as the Welshman.

If Spurs sell now, are they ever going to attract anyone like him to White Hart Lane?

But if they keep him, and they prosper because they keep him, maybe others will want to come to Tottenham, too.

It’s already happening.

They broke their transfer record to sign Paulinho from Corinthians.

They are close to doing it again with their pursuit of Valencia’s Roberto Soldado.

What if they build around Bale, not without him?

What if they do what US sports teams often do with their prize assets?

Use Bale as the cornerstone, like the Chicago Bulls once did with Michael Jordan, and the Indianapolis Colts with Peyton Manning.

Different leagues, sure. Different conditions. Salary caps, drafts and the rest of it.

But the same principle applies.


That’s why I hope Spurs and their chairman Daniel Levy hold their nerve.

That’s why I hope Levy sticks to his guns, as he has before, and maintains that Bale is flat out not for sale.

Not because I want to deny Bale the chance to play for Real Madrid - I’ve no problem with his desire to play at the Bernabeu.

This is about Tottenham.

Because it feels as if Spurs are within touching distance of not being a selling club.

They are on the verge of something big.

Through the financial management of Levy and the football management of Harry Redknapp and Andre Villas-Boas, they are so close to not having to sell top players.

They are an ace away from not having to roll over if Manchester United come calling for a Dimitar Berbatov or a Michael Carrick - or if Madrid decide they would like to buy Luka Modric.

They’re tantalisingly near to being an established power in the English game.

And somehow, despite all the arguments to the contrary, it feels like selling Bale will move them further away from that goal, not closer to it.

How many top-line players would still be on the market once Bale has been sold?

Manchester City have done most of their business. So, too, Bayern and Barcelona.

Edinson Cavani’s at PSG, Radamel Falcao’s at Monaco, Neymar’s at Barcelona.

Most of the rest of the world’s top talents have already been signed up for the season ahead.

Sell Bale and you make an awful lot of money, sure.

Sell Bale and the people who play the percentages will tell you you’re doing the right thing.

Sell him and you don’t have to worry about the fact he may struggle to replicate the feats of last season.

But sell him and you lose something you can never replace. Sell him and you lose the magic.

Sell him and that feeling a Spurs fan gets when Bale receives the ball and moves it on to his left foot is gone for ever.
 

Smokinhotspur

Well-Known Member
Jun 11, 2012
510
953
Fair balanced article. It does not mention the possibility that the club has already decided to sell Bale in order to finance Soldado, Paulinho etc.. which is very clever I have to say. Bale had a blinder last season but it was still not enough to get us CL so we clearly need more around him. Yes the magic is all well and good but we really need to kick on as a club now and start challenging at the top. If we genuinely have the dough to strengthen the squad without selling Bale then by all means keep him. I very much doubt it though so looks like Bale was effectively sold weeks ago when we failed to improve his contract and kicked off the spending with Paulinho with the others to follow
 

JonnySpurs

SC Veteran
Jun 4, 2004
5,345
12,398
Now THAT is how to write a good, balanced, fair article.

Well done Oliver Holt. Well done Sir.

Alas, I don't think it's going to matter now. Our only saving grace is the hope that RM can't meet the valuation......that's all we got to cling to.
 

DreadySpur

Well-Known Member
Dec 15, 2006
1,037
642
Can someone fax this over to WHL and mark for the attention of Mr. Levy please. This has virtually perfectly summed up all the reasons why we must not sell this season....

(oh and get a copy sent to Spurs Lodge, enlarged and pinned to the changing room too.....)
 

avonspurs

MoPo's lover
Apr 28, 2006
4,072
4,100
Like the article - if pasted as it's written, Mr. Holt sure likes his short paragraphs.

Doesn't he?

Yes, he does.

He most certainly does.

Anyway, agree with most of that. Of course, it doesn't take into account any of the pressure that Bale, or his agent, may be putting on Levy/Baldini/AVB to allow him to move. Also, I don't remember us 'rolling over' to Man U when they wanted to buy Berbatov. In fact, we tried our hardest not to sell to them but the player made it crystal clear he wanted to go.

Lastly, as much as I love Spurs, linking players like Cavani, Falcao or Neymar as potentially players we would've looked at to sign with the money from Bale is foolish. We are not at that level, both on the pitch and (as importantly) off it (financially).

We are close, ever so close to becoming one of the permanent fixtures at the top-end of the league (damn, I remember when the last month of the league campaign was utter boredom because we were in mid-table obscurity or, conversely, was utterly draining emotionally because we were fighting against relegation). Will selling Bale give us the finances to purchase more players that will strengthen our squad as a whole.....probably. Do I want him to be sold....f**k no. Not yet.

In the end, it will take an absolutely massive offer from RM for us to agree to it, I think. I just hope that they don't back up all of their public tapping up with a solid offer.
 

Kalim

Pakispur
Dec 10, 2006
1,285
996
To sum up:
Ambition v lottery win
A shot at footballing glory v financial well being

I'm a dreamer.
 

vigospur

Well-Known Member
Dec 10, 2006
1,115
807
I think Levy has a far better record than he is given credit for when it comes to our top players. He eye-balled Man U over Modric and only allowed Real to step in a year later when the player was threatening to destabilise an entire season. No chairman could have hung onto Berbatov either.
I think it is quite likely he wants to keep Bale and I certainly don't buy the argument that he is already spending the money. All the evidence is that Real couldn't pay cash up front anyway.
Personally I would throw a skip full of cash at Gareth Bale and see what he wants to do. But if he really wants to go and Real really have a world record pot in the bank then it is a no brainer.
 

leelee

Well-Known Member
Oct 6, 2004
4,364
2,095
One more season Gareth, just one more! Help get us into chmp lge and go to Madrid with our blessing. Fuck it, I'll even buy the shirt with your name on it!!
 

Spurs 1961

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
6,665
8,739
So much in this article is true. We have a shot at moving up a level but selling Bale throws everything back into the melting pot. Bale is a game changer a rare commodity in any sport.
 

ultimateloner

Well-Known Member
Jan 25, 2004
4,539
2,149
I hate this sort of article. It's imprecise. 'Sell him and you lose the magic'. What magic? We need results and good football and it doesn't matter whether an individual delivers it or a group of players do.
 

Maske2g

SC Supporter
Feb 1, 2005
4,257
1,726
I hate this sort of article. It's imprecise. 'Sell him and you lose the magic'. What magic? We need results and good football and it doesn't matter whether an individual delivers it or a group of players do.

We have a history and culture as a football club. The rest of the team had it drummed into them to be as cautious as possible last season. Another year of that, but without Bale, and the fans will be bored to tears. Spurs fans won't put up with boring football.
 

ultimateloner

Well-Known Member
Jan 25, 2004
4,539
2,149
We have a history and culture as a football club. The rest of the team had it drummed into them to be as cautious as possible last season. Another year of that, but without Bale, and the fans will be bored to tears. Spurs fans won't put up with boring football.

We have an entire squad of players capable of good football we should play that way whether we have bale
 

chinaman

Well-Known Member
Jul 19, 2003
17,974
12,423
One door closes, another opens. Townsend might improve out of all proportions with more game time.
 
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