Gareth Bale

[SambaSpurs]

Our set up though is far more akin to City than it is Pool. Getting someone to play a De Bruyne role(which is what we are seriously lacking imo) would be easier than changing the way the front three play.

I really think Eriksen can be our De Bruyne, leaving space in the AMs for a bale/martial.

We need to take note of what city have done this year - they've changed the game in the PL.

IMO Eriksen, Dele and Lamela are all capable of playing CM a la De Bruyne/Silva with a defensive mid behind. Freeing up space for Son/Lucas/Bale or Martial in the Sane and Sterling roles.

 

[Lilbaz]

I really think Eriksen can be our De Bruyne, leaving space in the AMs for a bale/martial.

We need to take note of what city have done this year - they've changed the game in the PL.

IMO Eriksen, Dele and Lamela are all capable of playing CM a la De Bruyne/Silva with a defensive mid behind. Freeing up space for Son/Lucas/Bale or Martial in the Sane and Sterling roles.

Think we are looking for a gazza or gerrard. Not a stopper but someone who can get the ball and drive forward. With maybe a bit of end product.

Hard to find though.

 

[dtxspurs]

Think we are looking for a gazza or gerrard. Not a stopper but someone who can get the ball and drive forward. With maybe a bit of end product.

Hard to find though.

Dele?

edit: meant that in the case of the 4-3-3 that he and Eriksen could play on either side of a DM.

 

[Spursh]

I really think Eriksen can be our De Bruyne, leaving space in the AMs for a bale/martial.

We need to take note of what city have done this year - they've changed the game in the PL.

IMO Eriksen, Dele and Lamela are all capable of playing CM a la De Bruyne/Silva with a defensive mid behind. Freeing up space for Son/Lucas/Bale or Martial in the Sane and Sterling roles.

Agree. Eriksen's work rate and tactical awareness make him more than capable of fulfilling that 'De Bruyne role' IMO, and I hope that's the system we try to employ next season as it suits our style and personnel. And in Dele we have someone who can drive forward with the ball, although I believe he needs to improve his ball-retention capabilities, as he relinquishes possession a touch too easy at the moment.

Getting in a holding midfielder capable of moving the ball around quickly and effectively is imperative this summer in order to play this way, however.

 

[Lilbaz]

Dele?

edit: meant that in the case of the 4-3-3 that he and Eriksen could play on either side of a DM.

Think he could do it. But he is good on the edge of the box aswell.

 

[Luka Van der Bale]

Would Bale have won us a trophy this season? That I doubt simply because Poch infuriatingly outright refuses to play his strongest XI in a domestic cup semi final.

Sorry mate this simply isn’t true. He plays the backup keeper and his best outfield side. Just because the Toby scenario was ongoing at the time doesn’t change that fact. At the time, Pochettino didn’t consider Toby part of our best XI.

 

[ebzrascal]

Guys he is on £350k a week after tax. That means we'd have to pay him about £600k a week just for him to break even.

I suspect RM would need to subsidise the wages or he gets a lump sum payment, probably accept a pay cut also.. This has all happened before with other players leaving high paying clubs.

 

[Hans Gruber]

I suspect RM would need to subside the wages or he gets a lump sum payment, probably accept a pay cut also.. This has all happened before with other players leaving high paying clubs.

Hmm. A lot of wishful thinking going on here I feel.

Bale taking a small pay cut to play for a club he has emotional ties to is one thing. Taking a cut of £600k to £150k is another. That's quartering you're salary, and even that's only if we're breaking the wage cap for him.

Please don't tell me that if United come in for him for £300k and an offer to take up that vacant RWF slot he's turning it down to come back to us just... because.

Because we know that's what'll happen if it looks like we've wrangled a palatable deal from Madrid and Mourinho gets wind of Bale wanting to come back to the UK.

We're not his boyhood club. He doesn't have any mates in the squad. He probably doesn't even know anyone in the squad. What he has are memories of a time he played bloody well for a team that was ultimately a stepping stone for him, and hence he would undoubtedly regard returning there as a backward step, or at least he would know that's how it would be seen around the world, regardless of how far we've come in the meantime.

United gives him a nice big fat paycheck, a move closer to Wales, and the pretence of a 'sideways' move from Madrid. If he moves, it's a no fucking brainer.

I don't know why we do this to ourselves.

 

[ebzrascal]

On Bale injury record I notice in the last 3 seasons he has played the following number of matches... not all matches missed would have been injury related but due to competition within the Real Madrid squad. so I expect you could add his availability at 5 more games per season if he was playing at Spurs where he would likely face less rivals for his spot.

I personally think he would be a very effective player and still value for money at £60 million considering the £100 million plus being quoted for other players.

Number of League and cup matches played per season

Bale
2015/16 - 31
2016/17 - 27
2017/18 - 38

M Dembele
2015/16 - 35
2016/17 - 39
2017/18 - 35

Zaha
2015/16 - 43
2016/17 - 37
2017/18 - 29

Kane
2015/16 - 50
2016/17 - 38
2017/18 - 48

Son
2015/16 - 40
2016/17 - 47
2017/18 - 52

Hazard
2015/16 - 43
2016/17 - 43
2017/18 - 51

 

[Trix]

On Bale injury record I notice in the last 3 seasons he has played the following number of matches... not all matches missed would have been injury related but due to competition within the Real Madrid squad. so I expect you could add his availability at 5 more games per season if he was playing at Spurs where he would likely face less rivals for his spot.

I personally think he would be a very effective player and still value for money at £60 million considering the £100 million plus being quoted for other players.

Number of League and cup matches played per season

Bale
2015/16 - 31
2016/17 - 27
2017/18 - 38

M Dembele
2015/16 - 35
2016/17 - 39
2017/18 - 35

Zaha
2015/16 - 43
2016/17 - 37
2017/18 - 29

Kane
2015/16 - 50
2016/17 - 38
2017/18 - 48

Son
2015/16 - 40
2016/17 - 47
2017/18 - 52

Hazard
2015/16 - 43
2016/17 - 43
2017/18 - 51

So a lot less than all of them except Zaha and Dembele who everyone agrees has injury issues. It's also pointless just looking at the numbers in isolation. It matters what the injury is as far as predicting how much they could miss in the future based on the last three seasons. Not an exact science of course, but certainly a good indicator.

Fact is if Dembele didn't already play for us I would certainly be against us signing him based on his injury record.

 

[Lilbaz]

So a lot less than all of them except Zaha and Dembele who everyone agrees has injury issues. It's also pointless just looking at the numbers in isolation. It matters what the injury is as far as predicting how much they could miss in the future based on the last three seasons. Not an exact science of course, but certainly a good indicator.

Fact is if Dembele didn't already play for us I would certainly be against us signing him based on his injury record.

Agree with you. But it's bale. There are not many players in the world that could improve our attack but he's one.

I don't think it would happen for loads of reasons. But if it did wow.

 

[Hans Gruber]

Agree with you. But it's bale. There are not many players in the world that could improve our attack but he's one.

I don't think it would happen for loads of reasons. But if it did wow.

I'd actually disagree with you there. There are several, and almost all of them are far younger, on much lower wages, would cost less in transfer fees, and have a far better injury record. I can think of about 4 or 5 off the top of my head.

Bale only makes sense if he'll take a monstrous pay cut and if we figure the commercial boost will subsidise his transfer fee, which I think is far from a given versus a guy like Pulisic who really would pay for himself.

Then there's the injury record, the drastic loss of form, the fact that he's 28 and will unquestionably lose value even if he does perform for us. I just think it's too much of a risk and that too many of us are viewing this with our hearts rather than our heads.

If he wasn't already a Spurs legend there's no way any of us would think this a great deal.

 

[Lilbaz]

I'd actually disagree with you there. There are several, and almost all of them are far younger, on much lower wages, would cost less in transfer fees, and have a far better injury record. I can think of about 4 or 5 off the top of my head.

Bale only makes sense if he'll take a monstrous pay cut and if we figure the commercial boost will subsidise his transfer fee, which I think is far from a given versus a guy like Pulisic who really would pay for himself.

Then there's the injury record, the drastic loss of form, the fact that he's 28 and will unquestionably lose value even if he does perform for us. I just think it's too much of a risk and that too many of us are viewing this with our hearts rather than our heads.

If he wasn't already a Spurs legend there's no way any of us would think this a great deal.

So you are agreeing with me.

 

[Spurs' Pipe Dreams]

I'd actually disagree with you there. There are several, and almost all of them are far younger, on much lower wages, would cost less in transfer fees, and have a far better injury record. I can think of about 4 or 5 off the top of my head.

Bale only makes sense if he'll take a monstrous pay cut and if we figure the commercial boost will subsidise his transfer fee, which I think is far from a given versus a guy like Pulisic who really would pay for himself.

Then there's the injury record, the drastic loss of form, the fact that he's 28 and will unquestionably lose value even if he does perform for us. I just think it's too much of a risk and that too many of us are viewing this with our hearts rather than our heads.

If he wasn't already a Spurs legend there's no way any of us would think this a great deal.

Bale is in the Neymar bracket, with Lewandowski. please name me these cheaper and younger players you seem are so readily available

 

[Hans Gruber]

So you are agreeing with me.

...

There are not many players in the world that could improve our attack.

There are several, and almost all of them are far younger, on much lower wages, would cost less in transfer fees, and have a far better injury record. I can think of about 4 or 5 off the top of my head.

Nope, pretty sure I'm disagreeing with you.

 

[Timberwolf]

If he wasn't already a Spurs legend there's no way any of us would think this a great deal.

I also fear he'd end up tainting his legacy. The Italians have a saying cavoli riscaldati (reheated cabbage) for how getting back with an old flame is never as good as the first time. Bale would have to be absolutely sensational to recreate the magic from his first spell and it's far more likely that he'd fall short a la Robbie Keane.

Do we really want the taste of microwaved Bale to taint the flavour of "Taxi for Maicon" Bale?

 

[coy-spurs1882]

I also fear he'd end up tainting his legacy. The Italians have a saying cavoli riscaldati (reheated cabbage) for how getting back with an old flame is never as good as the first time. Bale would have to be absolutely sensational to recreate the magic from his first spell and it's far more likely that he'd fall short a la Robbie Keane.

Do we really want the taste of microwaved Bale to taint the flavour of "Taxi for Maicon" Bale?

reminds me of the cabbage itk again

 

[Lilbaz]

...




Nope, pretty sure I'm disagreeing with you.

5 = not many.
I also said there were many reasons that this wont happen, which you also said. So you are not saying anything different to what i said.

 

[Riandor]

...

Nope, pretty sure I'm disagreeing with you.

The Argument here is over "several" and "not many"... because several doesn't scream "lots", thus not many is accurate.

Anyway, enough of that nonsense, Bale improves us and strikes fear into the opposition. Football is as much a game about mentality as anything esle. BUT Money is the determining factor here and likely the reason for this not happening. How anyone cannot want Bale in their team is beyond me, based on all but the money factor.

EDIT: Let me add to this and say, until we know more about any actual valuations etc.. we are only speculating as to how much he will cost and many are assuming it will be too much. We don't know, so to me the Argument should only be, does he fit and who else should we go for/what is each person's valuation of what they think Spurs should pay for Bale (if available and interested).

 

[Hans Gruber]

Bale is in the Neymar bracket, with Lewandowski. please name me these cheaper and younger players you seem are so readily available

Sorry, but to suggest Bale is in the Neymar bracket is laughable. In wages paid, perhaps.

In terms of quality, Neymar is unquestionably in the top 5 players in the world and has been consistently so for the past 5 years. Bale can't even get in the Real team ahead of Lucas Vazquez. There's a reason they're rumoured to be offloading one and chasing the other.

As for Lewandowski, not sure why he's mentioned as he's in an entirely different position, and even then he's 30 and on the decline.

As for the players that could improve our attack, I mean we're strongly rumoured to be after 2 or 3 right now so it shouldn't be too hard to figure out who I'm talking about.