Gareth Bale (Rumour to Deal Done)

[Bus-Conductor]

As exciting as the prospect of Bale linking up with the new signings we have made is, I find myself strangely untroubled by the thought of Bale going for a kings ransom to RM. It's not one single reason, but a few. I hope some of the money will be invested wisely in 1-3 very decent players, strengthening us in more than one area. I think in Soldado we have potentially already replaced Bale's goal/assist production (just in a different role/area). I am slightly uncomfortable with being a team that relies so heavily on one individual - having them is great, but the best managers and teams prove time and again that they can prosper when their star individuals leave (Ferguson/ManU are the best example of this but Mourinho, Klop, Bielsa and Wenger are also good models of team ethic over the individual).

Personally I'd take Coentrao, Di Maria and 60-80m yesterday and go and by another creative like Eriksen, Dzagoev, Lamela, Bernard (or two of them) and I'd feel better about the future than keeping Bale and making no more signings.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

As exciting as the prospect of Bale linking up with the new signings we have made is, I find myself strangely untroubled by the thought of Bale going for a kings ransom to RM. It's not one single reason, but a few. I hope some of the money will be invested wisely in 1-3 very decent players, strengthening us in more than one area. I think in Soldado we have potentially already replaced Bale's goal/assist production (just in a different role/area). I am slightly uncomfortable with being a team that relies so heavily on one individual - having them is great, but the best managers and teams prove time and again that they can prosper when their star individuals leave (Ferguson/ManU are the best example of this but Mourinho, Klop, Bielsa and Wenger are also good models of team ethic over the individual).

Personally I'd take Coentrao, Di Maria and 60-80m yesterday and go and by another creative like Eriksen, Dzagoev, Lamela, Barnard (or two of them), a top quality CB and I'd feel better about the future than keeping Bale and making no more signings.

 

[hodsgod]

Bored now, I just want it finished.

 

[Blake Griffin]

i'm disappointed by it all. i really think that a title challenge isn't unthinkable with the current squad(need a cb though), i don't see us being anywhere near without bale. i'm also disappointed in bale if he's being a bit of dick behind the scenes, you want to go to madrid, fair enough, but just get on with playing for tottenham and let the clubs sort it out. maybe his injury is actually legit but i doubt it.

 

[heythisisjay]

 

[MR_BEN]

Erm.... isn't there a thread about Gareth in the transfer rumours section :-D

Me personally....would like to keep him but yeah... this is life - players come and go. And the club is a business at the end of the day. Unlike madrid... who dont opperate like a business at all.

 

[mill]

Unless we use the money to sign 2-3 real quality players I'm dead against it

 

[THFCSPURS19]

MaRCA
REAL WON'T UP THE ANTE AND LEVY WANTS ANOTHER PLAYER THROWN INTO THE BARGAIN
The Bale tug of battles on

​

RUBÉN JIMÉNEZ 08/03/2013​

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It's no bluff. Gareth Bale has put all his chips on the table and has played his card. The Welshman is still banking on playing for Real Madrid next season. His latest move has been not to travel to Monaco with the rest of the Villas-Boas' squad to play a friendly in the Principality.
Bale is training alone and not taking part in friendlies. His exit is seen as a forgone conclusion in London. The player has no intention of putting on a Tottenham shirt again and wants to join Real Madrid as soon as possible.
Nothing has changed regarding the negotiations however. Real Madrid has not budged from its initial offer of €98.5 million and has on no account offered €120 million for the Welshman. Tottenham is counting on getting £85 million, although this amount is expected to go up when the deal is closed, as the club is trying to prise away a Real Madrid player in the bargain.
The player most likely to swap shirts with Bale is Coentrao. The Portuguese player didn't make the trip to Phoenix to play in the friendly against LA Galaxy and stayed put in UCLA. The official version was that he was suffering from a muscle injury, but this is almost as coincidental as the injury Gareth Bale suffered in Hong Kong. All of this only serves to fuel the rumours that Coentrao will be soon joining fellow countryman Villas-Boas.

You fucking bastards.

 

[SpursMadDave]

My thoughts exactly, towards the end of last season the performances were lacklustre at best it was almost like we will be Baled out (sorry) so no need to really put a shift in.... It was similar when we had Gazza & Lineker and to an extent Klinsmann/Ginola & Berbatov, relied too much on one or 2 individuals

 

[Shadydan]

I'm indifferent.

I think we have replaced the goals in Soldado, Chadli and Paulinho however Bale is unique, he is what the Americans call a clutch player, a player who the team look towards for divine moments of inspiration when they're not playing so well. There's only a handful of them in football and indeed sports so we are most definitely going to miss that.

In regards to the money we'll receive for him, if we sell him this window do we honestly think we'll be able to get any decent players for the prices that we want. We'll most probably over spend as clubs know we'll have money burning a hole through our pocket, something that DL will be well aware of.

 

[coopsy13]

As exciting as the prospect of Bale linking up with the new signings we have made is, I find myself strangely untroubled by the thought of Bale going for a kings ransom to RM. It's not one single reason, but a few. I hope some of the money will be invested wisely in 1-3 very decent players, strengthening us in more than one area. I think in Soldado we have potentially already replaced Bale's goal/assist production (just in a different role/area). I am slightly uncomfortable with being a team that relies so heavily on one individual - having them is great, but the best managers and teams prove time and again that they can prosper when their star individuals leave (Ferguson/ManU are the best example of this but Mourinho, Klop, Bielsa and Wenger are also good models of team ethic over the individual).

Personally I'd take Coentrao, Di Maria and 60-80m yesterday and go and by another creative like Eriksen, Dzagoev, Lamela, Barnard (or two of them) and I'd feel better about the future than keeping Bale and making no more signings.

Not sure about Barnard... Wasn't great in his first spell with us.....

 

[Flashp]

Bored now, I just want it finished.

So RM has finally succeeded...

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Did anyone else think the buttock injury supposedly keeping Bale out is a very sardonic quip by the club - ie: a pain in the arse ?

 

[mpickard2087]

I agree with some of what you are saying BC.

I don't think in the long term it would be healthy to have a team so reliant on him and integral to how we play. Obviously if he does move back wider this year it remains to be seen if everything will go through him but the 'No.10' role he had I feel, whilst not excusing the limitations and underperforming of our strikers, it did make things harder for the No.9. When the ball goes into Bale, he is more often than not looking to run and shoot himself than get his head up and thread a pass or through ball, which when in his central role, and so seeing more ball, leads to less service for the striker.

If we could get in say three players with more footballing intelligence than we have in our current squad, players who just understand how and where to move in order to receive the ball and can spot a pass quickly, then we could have a more varied threat and have possibly a more rounded attack with threats from different areas.

 

[Spursh]

WhoScored.com ‏@WhoScored 50s
Gareth Bale: Converted just 12.7% of his shots last term - the 3rd worst rate of the 38 players to score 15+ goals in Europe's top 5 leagues


Sell the useless sod

 

[Mullers]

As exciting as the prospect of Bale linking up with the new signings we have made is, I find myself strangely untroubled by the thought of Bale going for a kings ransom to RM. It's not one single reason, but a few. I hope some of the money will be invested wisely in 1-3 very decent players, strengthening us in more than one area. I think in Soldado we have potentially already replaced Bale's goal/assist production (just in a different role/area). I am slightly uncomfortable with being a team that relies so heavily on one individual - having them is great, but the best managers and teams prove time and again that they can prosper when their star individuals leave (Ferguson/ManU are the best example of this but Mourinho, Klop, Bielsa and Wenger are also good models of team ethic over the individual).

"Hope, it is the quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of your greatest strength, and your greatest weakness"

Personally I'd take Coentrao, Di Maria and 60-80m yesterday and go and by another creative like Eriksen, Dzagoev, Lamela, Barnard (or two of them), a top quality CB and I'd feel better about the future than keeping Bale and making no more signings.

I'm sure you would, whether all these players would want to come to the club and whether Levy would sanction such things is a different matter altogether.

 

[Danners9]

Sandro just shared this on Twitter/Facebook. His verified Twitter account is @sandroraniere

 

[Legacy]

We've lost our best players in the past, but we always end up improving as a club. I'm not fussed now tbh. For the prices being mentioned, we could buy some serious quality to replace Bale and then some.

I think right now I want to keep him more for the statement of intent it shows to the world. Tottenham Hotspur, the club who rejected a world record fee for their best player from Real Madrid and instead offered them two middle fingers and an official complaint for illegally attempting to tap up their player. Even Manchester United couldn't turn down £80m for their best player when Real Madrid came calling.

 

[Gilzeanking]

Bit cheeky copying a post of mine from the transfer forum , here its a bit more relevant...​

With the ITK's now split... It now occurs to me that 85 mill plus is a good price for Bale . His last season was sensational...but the sensations were heightened by the drama surrounding them . ie he was again and again scoring last minute goals and saving us , often from distance .. maximum drama . Then with the free kicks it was sensational because he scored was it 3 in a row...but then stopped scoring from them.​

Ronaldo's price was 80 millish... did I read recently his scoring ratio is practically one per match . Ronaldo's close control is phenomenal ,he can really dribble . Bale is more a power surge player and imo can be quietened by super efficient defenders , as long as they stop his left foot shots . Its my belief that top defences once alerted to his threat rather than surprised by it (eg Inter)
will learn ways to reduce his effectiveness .

If Real fans are expecting another Ronaldo , which at this price they will , then not sure how pleased they will be .

Not saying Bale is anything other than very special of course , but priced as a world superstar a la Ronaldo ? Not sure this price bubble wouldn't be reduced by a more normal Prem season . This must be in Levy's mind .

I hope he stays myself , but last season was incredible for him , we sure this is gonna continue at that level ?​

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[mill]

Sandro just shared this on Twitter/Facebook. His verified Twitter account is @sandroraniere

Brilliant