Is Bale an amazing footballer or an amazing athlete?

[NEVILLEB]

A lot of great players are amazing athelete's

 

[Vedi]

A lot of great players are amazing athelete's

I think in todays football its inevitable to be a great athlete. 15 yrs ago it was possible for a Mario Basler to smoke a pack of cigarettes a day and still perform the way he did, or a Prosinecki who I cant remember that he ran more than 50 metres altogheter in one game.

 

[StockSpur]

i think its more his change in pace rather than flat out speed, something lennon has bags of as well

 

[al_pacino]

i think its more his change in pace rather than flat out speed, something lennon has bags of as well

I put it more down to endurance, he loses about 5% of his top end speed over the 90 mins whereas a normal player slows much more.

 

[NEVILLEB]

Pele was
Both Ronaldo's
Henry
Giggs

The trick is to adapt when the pace goes. Ryan Giggs is pretty special.

 

[Coyboy]

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.

That's nine years away.

He is both. Quite obviously. His goal at Stoke had nothing to do with athleticism and everything to do with unbeleevable.....

 

[dooey123]

He has both but skill wise not on the same planet as Messi IMO.

Like Lennon, they both started off as a kick and run players but has gained more skill as they've progressed.

The most noticeable change is that Bale has found his trick, the one that regularly works which is a kind of feint (watch the run leading to Crouchie's goal against Inter for the best example) and allows him to knock the ball forward a split second before the defender thinks he will, that hesitation gives Bale a yard head start which also makes him look quicker than he probably really is.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

I particularly liked the Bale trick where he pirouetted past one Inter player, in one direction, and then past another, in another direction.

 

[tRiKS]

when he's 35 he'll still be faster than a mid 20's Anderton. A mid 20's anderton would still get into a PL spurs side in the wide or central postion... even wing back or full back even.

Comparisons to Giggs who really is up there with the greatest players ever is more than a little exaggerated.

 

[StartingPrice]

Both?

If he was just an amazing athlete then he wouldn't be able to put balls on a plate for our strikers with such consistency.

THIS.

And the way he can ghost past players with two touches, at pace...that is a footballing skill of the highest, and not an athletics skill.