Is Bale an amazing footballer or an amazing athlete?

[Supersi32]

if you look at the question another way and you should have your answer....Is Usain Bolt an amazing athlete or an amazing footballer?

 

[Darrkespur]

Did no one saying this about him see the bit where he double pirouetted out of three Inter players?

 

[robbiesavagehasbreasts]

the goals he scored against chelsea and stoke are 2 examples to his footballing ability.

both goals had nothing to do with speed.

 

[MattyP]

Apparently, during the game last night he ran just under 12,000 metres, that's over a quarter of a marathon in ninety minutes.

He is a truly amazing athlete, and a pretty bloody decent footballer. Keep up the form he has shown this year over a consistent period of time and he'll be classed as a truly amazing footballer as well.

 

[AW?]

We were discussing how good he is during the game a few mates and myself. My comparison was to Ronaldo when he was 21. There's no contest at all when you look at it in that way and Ronaldo is clearly up in the top 10 players in the world right now (some might argue top 3). In a couple of years i really think he's going to be right up there with the best. If he carries on the way he is and we progress to the later rounds he might even get there a little sooner.

 

[spurdownunder]

Apparently, during the game last night he ran just under 12,000 metres, that's over a quarter of a marathon in ninety minutes.

He is a truly amazing athlete, and a pretty bloody decent footballer. Keep up the form he has shown this year over a consistent period of time and he'll be classed as a truly amazing footballer as well.

To be honest mate, that's actually quite easy if all you're doing is going for a run.

The really impressive stat would be what % of that was done at full pace, 80% etc. I reckon it would be a stupidly large amount. Chuck in the number of crosses he put in and his pass completion % and it's whack off material. The guy just doesn't seem to be hampered by lactic acid.

I reckon he's part man, part machine.

 

[yusrisafri]

Were people watching the skill he showed last night...one big thing he's got is a wonderful delivery when he's going full pelt like that...ie when the ball is travelling at speed and obviously he is...he can still produce a lovely ball - thats a difficult skill in itself.

He showed great feet on numerous occasions last night.....dont even think its work a discussion - he's a great footballer and a great athlete...hence his performance last night, and of late, and the football world going crazy about him.

I was having visions of Jenas when I first read that though :grin:

Another big thing he's got is his dick. :razz:

 

[Gilzeanking]

Please remember that Bale couldn't do diddly squat in the previous match vs Utd . Athlete or footballer..neither .

 

[WhiteHart4Ever]

Erm, he's clearly both - great pace, strenght and balance, but also excellent touch, cross/pass and quite a decent shot on him as well - no doubt at all. HOWEVER, comparing him to the likes of Messi and Ronaldo, or even Modric and VDV is premature to say the least. The boy's been playing regular football since January, and he still delivers quite poor performances from time to time.

The most amazing young player at this club for a long time - YES - but one of the best players in the world - NO CHANCE. I think he will be, he's got all the qualities, but for now I'd say he's an amazing talent that has just started his career that is showing sign of a future super star. If we think he'll turn in the kind of displays he did against Inter every week we'll be dissappointed.

 

[Yid-ol]

Not on the same level as Messi yet but the answer is Both, great skill and the boy can run and run!

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Forgetting comparisons with Messi, because comparing him to a guy who is arguably the best player of all time and has been for 3 or 4 seasons already, I would have to say that Bale is both. One does not negate the other. In fact, being an amazing athlete enables him more to be technically brilliant because he can use it to create his own space and time. The most laboured, clumsy looking player would look like Pele skills wise if you put him in a park with a bunch of sunday league players. Put Palacios in with you and me on a sunday park and he'll look like a genius.

Bale reminds me of Cristiano Ronaldo and Henry in that he has this wonderful technique and control combined with supreme composure and a brilliant work ethic, and on top of it all he's a strong, fast boy with the stamina of a fucking Arab horse. Messi has all of that combination but without the height, but he makes up for it by having a level of technique, control and composure, not to mention imagination, which even the greatest magicians in football can only dream of.

So yeah, Bale has everything.

 

[phil]

This thread raises an interesting issue. One of Bale's skills in his pace, but will he still be what he is now when he is reaching 30?

I guess we will have to wait and see.

Fallacy that athletes lose pace at 30. Bellamy still has great pace at that age. In athletics, Linford Christie won Olympic gold at 32, World gold at 33 and European gold at 34. Merlene Ottey was winning Olympic medals at 40.

 

[Gassin's finest]

Shouldn't a great footballer be a great athlete. There's the arguement that anyone competing in a physical sport could be termed an athlete.

Bale has undoubted footballing talent. Close control and a left foot than could open a tin of beans. But he also works incredibly hard to look after himself, no drinking or smoking, works very hard in training and the gym every day, and as such he's a top athlete as well.

But for any questions over his pace being the only thing he can do to get past players; Maicon, Biabany, double Marseille Roulette, skinned. Thank you.

 

[Maske2g]

Fallacy that athletes lose pace at 30. Bellamy still has great pace at that age. In athletics, Linford Christie won Olympic gold at 32, World gold at 33 and European gold at 34. Merlene Ottey was winning Olympic medals at 40.

For every 1 player that had pace (Bellamy), theres about 20 that lost it.

Football is slightly more demanding that the 100 metres.....

 

[Shanks]

Injuries is what tends to knock a footballers pace.

Drogba and Anelka are still rapid.

The thing Bale has, is his phsyque, built like the above two (and Gerrard/ROnaldo), rather than the tiny little players.

It helps.

 

[ravo]

Both - combination of incredible athleticism and awesome skill. Proven the other night!

 

[TheChosenOne]

This is what the European press thought about Bale on Tuesday night..

From the Guardian...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/nov/03/gareth-bale-hailed-european-press?intcmp=239

 

[Vedi]

Both, and both on the highest level. IMO the Athlete overweights still the footballer part, but at 21 he still has enough time to develop. Every game he will improve his football skills and especially with players like VDV, Modric around him he will improve rapidly. Another Bonus is the Champions League, maybe the best time for him to play there, I think the stuff he can learn from playing against different styles of plays and against the Top players of the worl will have a huge impact on his footballing skills.

 

[DJS]

This thread raises an interesting issue. One of Bale's skills in his pace, but will he still be what he is now when he is reaching 30?

I guess we will have to wait and see.

He'll move back to left back. :up:

And hopefully he'll have rediscovered his free kick and set piece taking skills... :think:

 

[fortworthspur]

he's got a rare combination of great speed and good size, so Id say he's blessed with great athleticism. He's too big to be knocked off the ball like most of your pacey wingers. Plus, he seems totally committed to football and football alone.