Bale Media Watch - post the latest Media stories here
- Thread starter Dharmabum
- Start date
SpurSince57
Well-Known Member
- Jan 20, 2006
- 45,213
- 8,229
I'm sure I read somewhere that Madrid would want a buy-back clause for Morata. We know what the second word of the answer to that bright idea would be.
tototoner
Staying Alert
- Mar 21, 2004
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AS lose the plot over Bale
http://sportwitness.ning.com/forum/...nally-lose-the-plot-over-tottenham-and-gareth
Today has been quite an, erm, interesting day in the Gareth Bale saga. The Spanish newspapers came out with the usual guff this morning but this afternoon news filtered through of an Al Qaeda warning to Tottenham about being 'Unscrupulous merchants' with relation to Gareth Bale and threatening that the club would be punished as a result of their greed. Quite unbelievable.
Now AS, perhaps feeling a little usurped by an international terrorism organisation, have an article all over their website's front page about Tottenham's Twitter account. The gist is that Tottenham have taken Gareth Bale off the picture and therefore he must be leaving the football club. They say that Spurs no longer see the player as an image of the club. and that removing Bale from Tottenham's Twitter profile shows that the player is one step closer to Real Madrid.
They conveniently ignore the fact that the previous picture featured Clint Dempsey who has now moved to MLS, and therefore the Twitter account had to be updated. They also conveniently ignore the fact that Tottenham don't really use their Twitter image as a way of putting news out, it's just a background on a social media website!
Nevertheless, AS are quite chuffed with themselves for noticing the difference. They've sent a journalist to London to follow the saga full time, they could just have got someone to stare at a computer screen. Gareth Bale is still featured on Tottenham's website, he's on the front page, AS ignore that too.
http://sportwitness.ning.com/forum/...nally-lose-the-plot-over-tottenham-and-gareth
Today has been quite an, erm, interesting day in the Gareth Bale saga. The Spanish newspapers came out with the usual guff this morning but this afternoon news filtered through of an Al Qaeda warning to Tottenham about being 'Unscrupulous merchants' with relation to Gareth Bale and threatening that the club would be punished as a result of their greed. Quite unbelievable.
Now AS, perhaps feeling a little usurped by an international terrorism organisation, have an article all over their website's front page about Tottenham's Twitter account. The gist is that Tottenham have taken Gareth Bale off the picture and therefore he must be leaving the football club. They say that Spurs no longer see the player as an image of the club. and that removing Bale from Tottenham's Twitter profile shows that the player is one step closer to Real Madrid.
They conveniently ignore the fact that the previous picture featured Clint Dempsey who has now moved to MLS, and therefore the Twitter account had to be updated. They also conveniently ignore the fact that Tottenham don't really use their Twitter image as a way of putting news out, it's just a background on a social media website!
Nevertheless, AS are quite chuffed with themselves for noticing the difference. They've sent a journalist to London to follow the saga full time, they could just have got someone to stare at a computer screen. Gareth Bale is still featured on Tottenham's website, he's on the front page, AS ignore that too.
tototoner
Staying Alert
- Mar 21, 2004
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Bale-out will hit Tottenham hard
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/419961/Bale-out-will-hit-Tottenham-hard?
History suggests Gareth Bale sale will hit Spurs hard
TOTTENHAM beware. Sell Gareth Bale for a record fee and research shows you can forget Champions League football next season.
Since the Premier League launched in 1992, the highest transfer fee for a move involving at least one British club
has risen 10 times.
Andy Cole, Dennis Bergkamp, Stan Collymore, Alan Shearer, Nicolas Anelka, Juan Sebastian Veron, Rio Ferdinand, Andriy Shevchenko, Robinho, and Cristiano Ronaldo were involved.
Significant milestones. Flash bulbs. Awkward managerial arm around the shoulder. Newly printed shirt held high. Occasionally there was even a real pen to put to a real piece of paper for the benefit of the cameras. Exciting times. But nobody ever spared a thought for the club who had just been left behind. The jilted former employers, watching reluctantly from behind a massive cheque and wondering what to do next. Retail therapy is the obvious solution.
“£100 million? Spurs should go out and buy four world-class players and they’d win the league.” It all sounds so simple for Andre Villas-Boas when, rather than if, Bale is unveiled at the Bernabeu.
So how did the Tottenham manager’s predecessors cope with their unprecedented windfalls?
The stark truth is that every single one of the clubs left behind by the record-breaking players listed above did worse the following season.
Three of the clubs – Collymore’s Nottingham Forest, Shearer’s Blackburn and Ferdinand’s Leeds - never recovered. For them, cashing in their star player for a mammoth fee was the start of a downward spiral. Even Sir Alex Ferguson, who only finished second in his first season without Ronaldo, could not compensate for the loss of his talisman.
Replacing the £80m Portugual international with Michael Owen, Gabriel Obertan and Mame Biram Diouf never looked like being the answer. But Ferguson was not alone in having more money than he knew what to do with.
There have only ever been three other £50m-plus cheques written – for Zlatan Ibrahimovic (£59m), Kaka (£56m) and Luis Figo (£52m). All led to dips in form
for Inter Milan, AC Milan and Barcelona respectively.
Napoli and Atletico Madrid now face an anxious season trying to buck that trend by compensating for the high-ticket departures of Edinson Cavani and Radamel Falcao respectively.
However, this summer the potential hole for Tottenham would be bigger than anybody’s. Bale’s goals alone were worth 25 points in the Premier League last season. By way of comparison, Ronaldo’s departure left Ferguson with just a 12 points’ deficit to make up.
No wonder Villas-Boas is the last man standing in insisting Bale is not for sale. He is clutching at straws.
Having missed out on Champions League football
last season, he needs to do better this year, not worse. Luckily, there is a recipe for success, but it is a very old one, and actually took a year to marinade.
Statistically, the last record British transfer not to be missed was Aston Villa’s David Platt in 1991.
After finishing 17th with the England international in their side, his £5.5m sale to Bari sparked a rise to seventh the next year.
With all due respect to Paul Mortimer, Ian Teale, Kevin Richardson and Steve Staunton, the players bought in that summer, the revival in fortune would have had more to do with Ron Atkinson replacing the hapless Jozef Venglos at the helm. One English club in recent history that did cash in on their star player for a British-record transfer fee reinvented themselves.
When Liverpool sold Ian Rush to Juventus for £3.2m, in 1986, the feeling was it would spell the end of their domination, especially as they only finished second to Everton the following year.
Kenny Dalglish, though, used the last of that Rush windfall to sign John Barnes and Peter Beardsley. He had built a new team capable, according to Sir Tom Finney, of putting on “the finest exhibition in all my time playing and watching the game”.
Of course £105m is a lot of cash. But it will take all of Spurs chairman Daniel Levy’s negotiation skills
and Villas-Boas’s vision to do anything approaching that.
More likely, as history shows, he will need to use a large slice of the money to cover long-haul flights to the far ends of the continent for all those unfashionable Europa League jaunts.‘Even Ferguson could not compensate for the loss of Ronaldo’
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/419961/Bale-out-will-hit-Tottenham-hard?
History suggests Gareth Bale sale will hit Spurs hard
TOTTENHAM beware. Sell Gareth Bale for a record fee and research shows you can forget Champions League football next season.
Since the Premier League launched in 1992, the highest transfer fee for a move involving at least one British club
has risen 10 times.Andy Cole, Dennis Bergkamp, Stan Collymore, Alan Shearer, Nicolas Anelka, Juan Sebastian Veron, Rio Ferdinand, Andriy Shevchenko, Robinho, and Cristiano Ronaldo were involved.
Significant milestones. Flash bulbs. Awkward managerial arm around the shoulder. Newly printed shirt held high. Occasionally there was even a real pen to put to a real piece of paper for the benefit of the cameras. Exciting times. But nobody ever spared a thought for the club who had just been left behind. The jilted former employers, watching reluctantly from behind a massive cheque and wondering what to do next. Retail therapy is the obvious solution.
“£100 million? Spurs should go out and buy four world-class players and they’d win the league.” It all sounds so simple for Andre Villas-Boas when, rather than if, Bale is unveiled at the Bernabeu.
So how did the Tottenham manager’s predecessors cope with their unprecedented windfalls?
The stark truth is that every single one of the clubs left behind by the record-breaking players listed above did worse the following season.
Three of the clubs – Collymore’s Nottingham Forest, Shearer’s Blackburn and Ferdinand’s Leeds - never recovered. For them, cashing in their star player for a mammoth fee was the start of a downward spiral. Even Sir Alex Ferguson, who only finished second in his first season without Ronaldo, could not compensate for the loss of his talisman.
Replacing the £80m Portugual international with Michael Owen, Gabriel Obertan and Mame Biram Diouf never looked like being the answer. But Ferguson was not alone in having more money than he knew what to do with.
There have only ever been three other £50m-plus cheques written – for Zlatan Ibrahimovic (£59m), Kaka (£56m) and Luis Figo (£52m). All led to dips in form
for Inter Milan, AC Milan and Barcelona respectively.Napoli and Atletico Madrid now face an anxious season trying to buck that trend by compensating for the high-ticket departures of Edinson Cavani and Radamel Falcao respectively.
However, this summer the potential hole for Tottenham would be bigger than anybody’s. Bale’s goals alone were worth 25 points in the Premier League last season. By way of comparison, Ronaldo’s departure left Ferguson with just a 12 points’ deficit to make up.
No wonder Villas-Boas is the last man standing in insisting Bale is not for sale. He is clutching at straws.
Having missed out on Champions League football
last season, he needs to do better this year, not worse. Luckily, there is a recipe for success, but it is a very old one, and actually took a year to marinade.Statistically, the last record British transfer not to be missed was Aston Villa’s David Platt in 1991.
After finishing 17th with the England international in their side, his £5.5m sale to Bari sparked a rise to seventh the next year.
With all due respect to Paul Mortimer, Ian Teale, Kevin Richardson and Steve Staunton, the players bought in that summer, the revival in fortune would have had more to do with Ron Atkinson replacing the hapless Jozef Venglos at the helm. One English club in recent history that did cash in on their star player for a British-record transfer fee reinvented themselves.
When Liverpool sold Ian Rush to Juventus for £3.2m, in 1986, the feeling was it would spell the end of their domination, especially as they only finished second to Everton the following year.
Kenny Dalglish, though, used the last of that Rush windfall to sign John Barnes and Peter Beardsley. He had built a new team capable, according to Sir Tom Finney, of putting on “the finest exhibition in all my time playing and watching the game”.
Of course £105m is a lot of cash. But it will take all of Spurs chairman Daniel Levy’s negotiation skills
and Villas-Boas’s vision to do anything approaching that.More likely, as history shows, he will need to use a large slice of the money to cover long-haul flights to the far ends of the continent for all those unfashionable Europa League jaunts.‘Even Ferguson could not compensate for the loss of Ronaldo’
tototoner
Staying Alert
- Mar 21, 2004
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Gareth Bale ‘sent death threat by Spurs fan’ as he closes in on Real Madrid transfer
By Jamie Sanderson Tuesday 6 Aug 2013 10:28 am
http://metro.co.uk/2013/08/06/garet...e-closes-in-on-real-madrid-transfer-3912947/?
Gareth Bale was reportedly sent a death threat by an angry Tottenham fan this week as he closes in on a move to Real Madrid.
Bale, who has been chased by Madrid for much of the summer, is widely expected to complete a world record switch to the Bernabeu in the coming days.
But it seems his exit from Tottenham is likely to be far from smooth, with one supporter so outraged at Bale’s departure he made a threat against the player’s life.
According to the Daily Star, the 24-year-old was warned off making the move in a chilling anonymous phone call to Spurs’ Enfield-based training complex.
Bale was not present at the time, but the club are said to be taking the threat ‘extremely seriously’ and have stepped up security around the training ground.
It’s not yet clear whether the police have been involved, but the incident is believed to have shaken up Bale.
The news comes as Madrid step up their attempts to lure him to Spain, as fresh talks with Tottenham are expected before the weekend.
Madrid have already made an £85million offer for Bale, but Spurs are thought to want up to £120million to even consider doing business.
By Jamie Sanderson Tuesday 6 Aug 2013 10:28 am
http://metro.co.uk/2013/08/06/garet...e-closes-in-on-real-madrid-transfer-3912947/?
Gareth Bale was reportedly sent a death threat by an angry Tottenham fan this week as he closes in on a move to Real Madrid.
Bale, who has been chased by Madrid for much of the summer, is widely expected to complete a world record switch to the Bernabeu in the coming days.
But it seems his exit from Tottenham is likely to be far from smooth, with one supporter so outraged at Bale’s departure he made a threat against the player’s life.
According to the Daily Star, the 24-year-old was warned off making the move in a chilling anonymous phone call to Spurs’ Enfield-based training complex.
Bale was not present at the time, but the club are said to be taking the threat ‘extremely seriously’ and have stepped up security around the training ground.
It’s not yet clear whether the police have been involved, but the incident is believed to have shaken up Bale.
The news comes as Madrid step up their attempts to lure him to Spain, as fresh talks with Tottenham are expected before the weekend.
Madrid have already made an £85million offer for Bale, but Spurs are thought to want up to £120million to even consider doing business.
Dharmabum
Well-Known Member
- Aug 16, 2003
- 8,274
- 12,242
- Thread starter
- #688
The human tragedy apart, and let's focus on the footballing side of it: what Spurs fans in their right mind would even think of killing Bale 
Spurs would still lose Bale, naturally, and also the £££ an eventual transfer would bring in.
And how do they know it's Spurs fans who've been calling in and not, say, a jornou from Marca or some messed up Arsenal fans or some other idiots...?
Spurs would still lose Bale, naturally, and also the £££ an eventual transfer would bring in. And how do they know it's Spurs fans who've been calling in and not, say, a jornou from Marca or some messed up Arsenal fans or some other idiots...?
tototoner
Staying Alert
- Mar 21, 2004
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http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/foo...we-cant-force-him-to-play-for-us-8747976.html
Tottenham director Sir Keith Mills accepts that the club cannot stop Gareth Bale from making his dream move to Real Madrid.
The 63-year-old has just been awarded a second knighthood — a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire — for helping to win London the 2012 Games and then organising them.
Initially, he repeats Tottenham’s standard response to Madrid’s pursuit of their prize asset: “We very much want Bale to stay.”
But, when pressed, he accepts: “If a player is desperate to leave, it’s very difficult to force him to stay. We’ve seen it in other clubs. Even if he has a contract, you can’t force somebody to play for you.”
Mills agrees Tottenham are in a Catch-22. If they’re not in the Champions League, Bale may not stay. But, to get into the Champions League, they need players like Bale.
“That’s precisely the issue,” he says. “So this summer, we are investing in a great squad and we hope that provides us with Champions League football next year and we start to win trophies, FA Cups. That’s what Tottenham need. We have made some good acquisitions.”
They include £17million Brazilian Paulinho and Spaniard Roberto Soldado, £26m; signings which have, twice in the closed season, seen the club break their transfer record. “There are others in the pipeline,” he promises.
This could mean another striker for Andre Villas-Boas. Last season, the combined tally of Jermaine Defoe (15) and Emmanuel Adebayor (eight) fell three short of Bale’s 26 goals.
“Strikers are very high on AVB’s list of priorities and Daniel [Levy, the chairman] is trying hard to make sure we have strength up front. It’s a really exciting time to be at the club.”
For Mills, this sense of excitement is heightened by managerial changes in three of the four clubs which finished above Spurs last season.
“It will take the three new managers at Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea — Jose Mourinho’s gone back so he counts as new — a bit of time to settle down. They’ve mostly inherited their squads, the previous managers did things slightly differently and that may just be unsettling enough. We all know that in sport things unwind pretty quickly.
“Tottenham are in a very good place. We’re optimistic this is going to be a good season and I fancy our chances to get one of the four Champions League slots. We’ve got a great manager now.”
Such support for a manager who is yet to win a trophy may seem extravagant but, for Mills, the way the Portuguese overcame the shadow cast by his Chelsea failure merits special praise.
Mills said: “He’s done a great job. He is very professional, uses statistics and the technology in a very intelligent and considered way.”
At Stamford Bridge, AVB lost the confidence of the dressing room but, at Spurs, Mills says: “He has built a lot of confidence and trust with the players. His job is to get the best out of every player and he does it very well.”
Mills is keen to reassure fans that the arrival of Franco Baldini as director of football is no threat to AVB. This continental style of management has rarely worked in this country and was abandoned by Tottenham after a brief trial pairing manager Jacques Santini with director Frank Arnesen in 2004.
Mills, however, argues: “We have returned to that model because you need a gap between the manager who is running the first team and the chairman who signs the cheques. We need somebody in the middle who takes a more holistic view of the youth and development squads, talent spotting and keeping an eye out internationally. That is Baldini’s role and we are very pleased with him.”
Encouraging as all this is, Mills accepts that Spurs will not be able to match Manchester United and Arsenal unless the club have a new stadium.
“It’s very difficult for us to keep pace with a United or an Arsenal who can bring in 60,000-plus when our capacity is 37,000. We don’t have the marketing and sponsorship of the Emirates or Old Trafford. We don’t generate their match-day income. A new stadium equals substantial additional revenues which will enable us to fund the quality of players we need to get to the Champions League. And being in that League will produce more money. That’s why the stadium is so important.”
Tottenham are planning a new ground at White Hart Lane but the search for revenue explains why they were prepared to migrate to east London.
Mills reveals the club’s controversial bid for the Olympic Stadium was because: “[Mayor] Boris Johnson and the Government were very keen for us to bid. We said, ‘Look, there’s no point in us bidding if you want a running track. We don’t think that’s a good enough experience for the fans. We’re happy to bid and provide a separate athletics’ legacy at Crystal Palace.’ But it was clear that the track was more important than we were led to believe. That’s history. We’re building our own stadium now.”
The new stadium can only go ahead when £350m funding is secured. To do that, the club need to sell the naming rights. “We don’t have that in place and that’s an integral part of the financing,” says Mills. “Once we get that, it’ll open up the rest of the funding.”
With Middle East organisations keen to attach their names to British sport, Levy has travelled to the region but all Mills is willing to says is: “There’s been some interest.”
Mills, whose business success includes the creation of Air Miles and Nectar cards, could prove crucial in securing finance. It is interesting that he is happier trying to make Spurs great again than managing English football.
“I was approached to see whether I’d be interested in putting my name forward [to take over from David Bernstein as FA chairman],” he reveals. “I turned it down straightaway.”
He also turned down an approach to take over from Sir David Richards as Premier League chairman. “Both jobs have their complexities,” he says. “I have other things going on in my life.”
But he is willing to give advice to Bernstein’s successor, Greg Dyke. “Growing great talent is something that has to be top priority for the new FA chairman,” he says. “It would certainly be my priority. Young talent is what inspires the next generation.”
But that will not happen overnight: “In order to get young talent, you need to grow the coaching talent, too. Producing great coaches will result in great players and that is a long-term project. You’re really talking about a generation.”
@mihirbose
Tottenham director Sir Keith Mills accepts that the club cannot stop Gareth Bale from making his dream move to Real Madrid.
The 63-year-old has just been awarded a second knighthood — a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire — for helping to win London the 2012 Games and then organising them.
Initially, he repeats Tottenham’s standard response to Madrid’s pursuit of their prize asset: “We very much want Bale to stay.”
But, when pressed, he accepts: “If a player is desperate to leave, it’s very difficult to force him to stay. We’ve seen it in other clubs. Even if he has a contract, you can’t force somebody to play for you.”
Mills agrees Tottenham are in a Catch-22. If they’re not in the Champions League, Bale may not stay. But, to get into the Champions League, they need players like Bale.
“That’s precisely the issue,” he says. “So this summer, we are investing in a great squad and we hope that provides us with Champions League football next year and we start to win trophies, FA Cups. That’s what Tottenham need. We have made some good acquisitions.”
They include £17million Brazilian Paulinho and Spaniard Roberto Soldado, £26m; signings which have, twice in the closed season, seen the club break their transfer record. “There are others in the pipeline,” he promises.
This could mean another striker for Andre Villas-Boas. Last season, the combined tally of Jermaine Defoe (15) and Emmanuel Adebayor (eight) fell three short of Bale’s 26 goals.
“Strikers are very high on AVB’s list of priorities and Daniel [Levy, the chairman] is trying hard to make sure we have strength up front. It’s a really exciting time to be at the club.”
For Mills, this sense of excitement is heightened by managerial changes in three of the four clubs which finished above Spurs last season.
“It will take the three new managers at Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea — Jose Mourinho’s gone back so he counts as new — a bit of time to settle down. They’ve mostly inherited their squads, the previous managers did things slightly differently and that may just be unsettling enough. We all know that in sport things unwind pretty quickly.
“Tottenham are in a very good place. We’re optimistic this is going to be a good season and I fancy our chances to get one of the four Champions League slots. We’ve got a great manager now.”
Such support for a manager who is yet to win a trophy may seem extravagant but, for Mills, the way the Portuguese overcame the shadow cast by his Chelsea failure merits special praise.
Mills said: “He’s done a great job. He is very professional, uses statistics and the technology in a very intelligent and considered way.”
At Stamford Bridge, AVB lost the confidence of the dressing room but, at Spurs, Mills says: “He has built a lot of confidence and trust with the players. His job is to get the best out of every player and he does it very well.”
Mills is keen to reassure fans that the arrival of Franco Baldini as director of football is no threat to AVB. This continental style of management has rarely worked in this country and was abandoned by Tottenham after a brief trial pairing manager Jacques Santini with director Frank Arnesen in 2004.
Mills, however, argues: “We have returned to that model because you need a gap between the manager who is running the first team and the chairman who signs the cheques. We need somebody in the middle who takes a more holistic view of the youth and development squads, talent spotting and keeping an eye out internationally. That is Baldini’s role and we are very pleased with him.”
Encouraging as all this is, Mills accepts that Spurs will not be able to match Manchester United and Arsenal unless the club have a new stadium.
“It’s very difficult for us to keep pace with a United or an Arsenal who can bring in 60,000-plus when our capacity is 37,000. We don’t have the marketing and sponsorship of the Emirates or Old Trafford. We don’t generate their match-day income. A new stadium equals substantial additional revenues which will enable us to fund the quality of players we need to get to the Champions League. And being in that League will produce more money. That’s why the stadium is so important.”
Tottenham are planning a new ground at White Hart Lane but the search for revenue explains why they were prepared to migrate to east London.
Mills reveals the club’s controversial bid for the Olympic Stadium was because: “[Mayor] Boris Johnson and the Government were very keen for us to bid. We said, ‘Look, there’s no point in us bidding if you want a running track. We don’t think that’s a good enough experience for the fans. We’re happy to bid and provide a separate athletics’ legacy at Crystal Palace.’ But it was clear that the track was more important than we were led to believe. That’s history. We’re building our own stadium now.”
The new stadium can only go ahead when £350m funding is secured. To do that, the club need to sell the naming rights. “We don’t have that in place and that’s an integral part of the financing,” says Mills. “Once we get that, it’ll open up the rest of the funding.”
With Middle East organisations keen to attach their names to British sport, Levy has travelled to the region but all Mills is willing to says is: “There’s been some interest.”
Mills, whose business success includes the creation of Air Miles and Nectar cards, could prove crucial in securing finance. It is interesting that he is happier trying to make Spurs great again than managing English football.
“I was approached to see whether I’d be interested in putting my name forward [to take over from David Bernstein as FA chairman],” he reveals. “I turned it down straightaway.”
He also turned down an approach to take over from Sir David Richards as Premier League chairman. “Both jobs have their complexities,” he says. “I have other things going on in my life.”
But he is willing to give advice to Bernstein’s successor, Greg Dyke. “Growing great talent is something that has to be top priority for the new FA chairman,” he says. “It would certainly be my priority. Young talent is what inspires the next generation.”
But that will not happen overnight: “In order to get young talent, you need to grow the coaching talent, too. Producing great coaches will result in great players and that is a long-term project. You’re really talking about a generation.”
@mihirbose
Ironskullll
Well-Known Member
- Nov 15, 2010
- 1,378
- 1,894
Wasn't surprised to see Mihir Bose's name at the end. Tends to make sense and has a good way about him. Not that I agree with the opening sentence though. Admitting that something is likely to be difficult doesn't equate to accepting that you cannot achieve it. Where would humanity be if that were the case?
SlunkSoma
Like dogs bright
- Oct 5, 2004
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I can't stand Mihir Bose, all his articles to me seem like he hasn't a clue what he is talking about and has just made some assumptions based on Wikipedia.
Ironskullll
Well-Known Member
- Nov 15, 2010
- 1,378
- 1,894
Maybe I don't pay enough attention but when I hear him on the radio he seems well informed, and he does seem to get access to some pretty left-field people. By the way, hope nobody takes my "self-employed" jibe too seriously. I'm self-employed, and just about every one in my family is too!
tototoner
Staying Alert
- Mar 21, 2004
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according to the Bangkok Post yes he did
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/sports/363319/?
Tottenham Hotspur winger Gareth Bale reported for training on Tuesday, amid continued speculation about his future at the club.
The 24-year-old Wales international is the subject of interest from Real Madrid and there were reports in the Spanish media that he would skip training in a bid to force through a move to the Bernabeu.
However, he was driven into Spurs' training complex in Enfield, north London at around 10:30 local time (0900GMT) on Tuesday.
Bale missed Spurs' 5-2 friendly loss to Monaco at the weekend due to a foot problem and has not played for the club since a 1-1 draw against Swindon Town on July 16.
He was unable to take part in the pre-season tour of Hong Kong because of a buttock injury.
Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said last week that his club were in talks with Tottenham over Bale's transfer, but Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas says the former Southampton player is not for sale.
Bale scored 26 goals for Spurs last season and was voted the Professional Football Association (PFA) Player of the Year, the PFA Young Player of the Year and the Football Writers' Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year.
tototoner
Staying Alert
- Mar 21, 2004
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Real Madrid will announce Cristiano Ronaldo has agreed a new three-year contract after they have completed the signing of Gareth Bale, according to Goal.com.
Ronaldo was said to be attracting interest from former club Manchester United this summer but he has agreed to stay at the Bernabeu for the foreseeable future.
Speculation of a move back to Manchester United intensified when he said at the beginning of last season that he was unhappy at Real Madrid due to 'a professional issue'.
However Ronaldo's new deal will not be publicly announced until Madrid have sealed the capture of Bale.
Ronaldo's new deal will see him earn €1m more than rival Lionel Messi.
Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti's Madrid are reportedly readying a £85million deal for the Tottenham superstar - which would break the current record set when Ronaldo moved to Madrid in 2009.
Real Madrid fans will be delighted with the news that Ronaldo and Bale could be teaming up next season - amid previous suggestions that the latter was being signed to replace the Portuguese international.
Ronaldo was said to be attracting interest from former club Manchester United this summer but he has agreed to stay at the Bernabeu for the foreseeable future.
Speculation of a move back to Manchester United intensified when he said at the beginning of last season that he was unhappy at Real Madrid due to 'a professional issue'.
However Ronaldo's new deal will not be publicly announced until Madrid have sealed the capture of Bale.
Ronaldo's new deal will see him earn €1m more than rival Lionel Messi.
Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti's Madrid are reportedly readying a £85million deal for the Tottenham superstar - which would break the current record set when Ronaldo moved to Madrid in 2009.
Real Madrid fans will be delighted with the news that Ronaldo and Bale could be teaming up next season - amid previous suggestions that the latter was being signed to replace the Portuguese international.
SlunkSoma
Like dogs bright
- Oct 5, 2004
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Imagine it has something to do with image rights. i.e. each player needs to get a percentage of/equal exposure. Yes Bale is our star man, but in Belgium and Holland no doubt Vertonghen/Dembele is a big draw.
Wolver
Well-Known Member
- May 21, 2008
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Paxtonite
Active Member
- Nov 28, 2004
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People read so much into the minutest of things............ To date Real Madrid have not come up with an offer or a payment structure that is acceptable to our club and until they do Bale will remain a Spurs player. I personally doubt the vast majority of what has been spouted in the media (who by the way are swiftly turning to Rooney and Suarez as the Bale story starts to run out of steam). If RM want him then they can pay up or shut up. And if they can't 'put up' then no matter how much Bale or his agent wants a move (questionable anyway) then it isn't going to happen!
