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Gareth Bale

T-Love92

Well-Known Assembler
Aug 3, 2017
305
806
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?


we in austria say "reheated only goulash tastes better" - it's not easy to translate that :LOL:

Agree ... that's a good point, but i think if he's injury free he would still be one of the best offensive players in the PL
 

Hans Gruber

Active Member
Aug 10, 2017
183
434
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.

The 5 were only the ones I could think off the top of my head. If you don't think there are more than 5 players around who could improve our attack I feel you're vastly overrating Erik Lamela.
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
41,363
74,893
The 5 were only the ones I could think off the top of my head. If you don't think there are more than 5 players around who could improve our attack I feel you're vastly overrating Erik Lamela.

Erik lamela is not first choice for us.
 

PhezTHFC

Fathead
Aug 5, 2013
1,879
5,220
Why are you guys agreeing about disagreeing and then agreeing about Lamela. What are you both on today :X3:
 

Spurs' Pipe Dreams

Well-Known Member
Aug 14, 2011
20,008
32,728
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.

So no, you can't name anyone in the same bracket at all. Come on dude, you can at least try......

I mention these players as they have been in the shortlist of the FIFA ballon d'or with Messrs Ronaldo and Messi over the last few years. Find me a player in that bracket, "There are several, and almost all of them are far younger, on much lower wages " apparently
 

ebzrascal

Well-Known Member
Sep 13, 2009
2,635
4,670
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.

I agree Bale has played a lot less than the likes of Kane and even Son but I think he would have played more if it were not for Isco and Asencio emerging, so injures is not the full picture with regard to appearances. Dembele does have some fitness issues but no one would argue that he has not been a very important player for us this season. To be honest before I looked at the stats I expected that Bale had played only a handful of games this season not close to 40...
 

Trix

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2004
19,335
329,022
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'll be honest mate i'm pretty confident it won't for more than just financial reasons, but I would never say never with this one just because it's him.

Opinion only below.....
Only way I could see Bale coming this window is if we miss a few of our other targets, and Real are desperate to move him on in the last week of the window similar to VDV.
 

Spurs' Pipe Dreams

Well-Known Member
Aug 14, 2011
20,008
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I'll be honest mate i'm pretty confident it won't for more than just financial reasons, but I would never say never with this one just because it's him.

Opinion only below.....
Only way I could see Bale coming this window is if we miss a few of our other targets, and Real are desperate to move him on in the last week of the window similar to VDV.

If Neymar happens, the chances should skyrocket, I would guess. FFP and him not playing should make his departure more likely and Neymar normally gets what he wants, if the rumours about being ready to leave PSG are true
 

Trix

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2004
19,335
329,022
I agree Bale has played a lot less than the likes of Kane and even Son but I think he would have played more if it were not for Isco and Asencio emerging, so injures is not the full picture with regard to appearances. Dembele does have some fitness issues but no one would argue that he has not been a very important player for us this season. To be honest before I looked at the stats I expected that Bale had played only a handful of games this season not close to 40...

As I said before it's the type of injuries he's getting, as much as the amount of games he is missing. Add to that the Prem is far more demanding than La Liga and you have to weigh up just how much risk is involved considering it would be pushing on half this Summers net spend. The Bale we would be getting back is not the super fit ever present powerhouse he was when he left(although still a world class player).

Too many on here thinking the Bale we'd be buying back would be the same one that and he isn't imo. Still a brilliant player but not the "one man team" he was prior to his move to Spain
 

Trix

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2004
19,335
329,022
If Neymar happens, the chances should skyrocket, I would guess. FFP and him not playing should make his departure more likely and Neymar normally gets what he wants, if the rumours about being ready to leave PSG are true


Forgetting what I have been told about the Bale situation, I know we are looking seriously at others, and the money just doesn't add up for him to be an option as well. Like I said previously if we missed out an a few higher targets then maybe(opinion again) something could be done late on. I'd rather get the primary targets though as far as going forward is concerned.;)
 

Hans Gruber

Active Member
Aug 10, 2017
183
434
We were disagreeing about agreeing!

Ha I really don't see how we're agreeing. But I suppose if you agree with me then that's something.

Essentially I think there are a lot of players out there who could improve our attack.

Yes Lamela may not be 1st choice but he's started a heck of a lot of important games for someone who's supposedly firmly second string.

Dele has a lot of potential but still has a long way to go. There's a reason he's behind Lingard in the England set up and its not because Lingard is suddenly a world beater.

Son on his day can run rings around oppo, but just as often can look like he's forgotten how to control a ball.

Eriksen and Kane are undoubted quality, but they're not really the positions I'm talking about.

Bale is yes someone who would improve our 1st string attack. If he's fit. And if he's the Bale of 5 years ago and not the one that's been flitting in and out of games for Real since 2015.

He's also someone that relies a lot on his pace and athleticism. He's not gonna be pacing it down the wing at 33, the best we can hope for is he does a Giggs and gradually moves further back into more of a creative role, but then I'm not really sure he has it in him. Perhaps an out-and-out striker, but then we've already got the best one of those on the planet.

Alternatively, we bring in a guy like Pulisic or Martial on half the money, a third of the wages, 10 more years of pace, no injury issues, probably more hunger, & almost full resale value if it doesn't work out.

Look, I'd be as excited as the next fan if we ended up signing Bale. But I also know that's mainly an emotional reaction based on my recollections of watching him run rings around the best defenders in the world, and because of the romantic narrative of golden boy coming home that plays on our heart strings. There's a reason the United forums don't have 60 page threads on Bale, and it's not because they remember any less vividly how class he was in the PL.

Honestly, I feel it's wishful thinking to imagine the same thing is gonna happen this time round, or even anything close to it. It might, but it's a hell of a big chunk of our transfer & wage budget to chuck on 'might'.
 

punkisback

Well-Known Member
Apr 10, 2004
4,410
7,278
Forgetting what I have been told about the Bale situation, I know we are looking seriously at others, and the money just doesn't add up for him to be an option as well. Like I said previously if we missed out an a few higher targets then maybe(opinion again) something could be done late on. I'd rather get the primary targets though as far as going forward is concerned.;)
I know we don't like to speculate, but if these players are better than Bale I'd be very happy! Only a select few wing forwards are.
 

Hans Gruber

Active Member
Aug 10, 2017
183
434
So no, you can't name anyone in the same bracket at all. Come on dude, you can at least try......

I mention these players as they have been in the shortlist of the FIFA ballon d'or with Messrs Ronaldo and Messi over the last few years. Find me a player in that bracket, "There are several, and almost all of them are far younger, on much lower wages " apparently

I think you've misread what I wrote.

Someone said there aren't many players who could improve our attack. I said there are several, on cheaper wages and younger. Which there are.

You seem desperate for a list, OK, Martial, Pulisic, Zaha, Malcom, Martins. That's 5 off the top of my head. All of whom would improve our attack, younger, and on cheaper wages.

Doubtless you will say none of them are Ballon d'Or contenders, which I don't deny, but then that's just an imaginary discussion you've made up that we were having in your head.
 

Spurs4CL

Well-Known Member
Jan 7, 2015
296
1,754
I think you've misread what I wrote.

Someone said there aren't many players who could improve our attack. I said there are several, on cheaper wages and younger. Which there are.

You seem desperate for a list, OK, Martial, Pulisic, Zaha, Malcom, Martins. That's 5 off the top of my head. All of whom would improve our attack, younger, and on cheaper wages.

Doubtless you will say none of them are Ballon d'Or contenders, which I don't deny, but then that's just an imaginary discussion you've made up that we were having in your head.
bale is better than all of those though. only martial comes close.
 

Hans Gruber

Active Member
Aug 10, 2017
183
434
bale is better than all of those though. only martial comes close.

And Ronaldo is better than all of them. Why dont we just break the bank and get him?

It's not just about who is better (and even then I'd debate whether Bale is better, certainly he used to be), it's about how we allocate our limited resources.

Some people seem to think it's better we blow all our entire budget on an injury prone guy on the decline in the misguided hope he regains his form from 5 years ago. I disagree, and fortunately based on what Trix seems to suggest the club does too.
 

Spurs' Pipe Dreams

Well-Known Member
Aug 14, 2011
20,008
32,728
I think you've misread what I wrote.

Someone said there aren't many players who could improve our attack. I said there are several, on cheaper wages and younger. Which there are.

You seem desperate for a list, OK, Martial, Pulisic, Zaha, Malcom, Martins. That's 5 off the top of my head. All of whom would improve our attack, younger, and on cheaper wages.

Doubtless you will say none of them are Ballon d'Or contenders, which I don't deny, but then that's just an imaginary discussion you've made up that we were having in your head.

Malcom & Martins aren't even slightly in the same ballpark & could be complete flops for as much as we know, Martial & Pulisic would cost the same as Bale circa £50-60m, I agree that they would demand less wages, to start with anyway
 

Hans Gruber

Active Member
Aug 10, 2017
183
434
Malcom & Martins aren't even slightly in the same ballpark & could be complete flops for as much as we know, Martial & Pulisic would cost the same as Bale circa £50-60m, I agree that they would demand less wages, to start with anyway

As could Bale. Except he would cost a lot more and have no resale value.

Edit: You dont think he could flop or that he wouldn't have resale value?

The former is a distinct possibility for any player, especially ones who've been off form and injury prone for the past 2 years.

As for resale value, if we brought him in for say £65m and he did flop, how much do you think we could get for him? Another year older, clearly on the decline, proved his poor form at Real is more of a long term issue, or that his injuries will keep coming back.

Certainly no clubs in Spain would be after him, probably none on the continent. We're then faced with offloading to a PL rival, and even then on a cut price deal.

If Bale doesn't work out with us the risks are far higher than, say, with Martial or Pulisic.
 
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Lighty64

I believe
Aug 24, 2010
10,400
12,476
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.

if rumour has it they offered Toby £110k from £50k, now if that rumour is true then surely we will be changing our wage cap. also if we were willing to offer him over a 100% increase, then I'm sure our top earners will be getting a heft rise also, as I'm sure there would be uproar if 1 player is offered 100% increase and they only get 25%.

are you saying he didn't know Lloris, Rose, Vertonghen or Dembelle?

also you might be shocked but not everyone might play just for the money. the money he has earnt over the last 5 seasons have set him up for life
 

jt hotspur

Well-Known Member
Feb 4, 2012
163
387
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.
Some people have lost all belief in life. I understand mate ....years of dissappointment and false dawns have made u so sad u want to protect yerself from gettin yer hopes up.
 
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