Player Watch: Gareth Bale - Retires

[ohtottenham!]

And yet we aren't as good as we were during Poch's peak years, go figure...lol

Bale isn't elite anyway, he was when he was in his peak a few years ago but he isn't good enough to be considered elite and we're not good enough to carry a luxury player.

Despite what you said Kane wasn't an elite player under Poch no? Poch is currently PSG manager and managing Neymar and Mbappe and yes both of them have to sacrifice for the team.

Revolving door, this argument re Bale. Board-level squad neglect over the years, particularly in defence/CM, is what has put us in this place re little long-term vision, ie avoiding a necessary rebuild. Bale is as "elite" as Mourinho. His best days are behind him, pretty much like Mourinho.

Think both decisions were a case of Levy trying to take shortcuts.

 

[austinfh]

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

As the Bale conversation goes, so does the mood of the club. When he was playing really well a few weeks ago everyone was coming out and saying they had called the end of his career too early. Then he had a terrible game against Arsenal (as many did but his lack of defensive effort definitely stood out) and was involved against Zagreb (and actually brought something to the team even in a crap defeat).

That then was followed by sitting out against villa and some comments with wales that he is planning to be back with Madrid and all of a sudden he shouldn’t be anywhere near the team and is way past his best.

As far as his level goes he is clearly not his old self and isn’t going to defend but he still has loads of quality and he makes a difference in games when we actually try and attack and play football. If we are setting out not to lose (even if the team or Mourinho say we aren’t setting out that way we do) then he probably isn’t best suited to start.

As for the comments, I agree with his agent they were blown out of proportion. He was doing a wales interview and talking about how he wanted to get fit for the euros. When asked about next season he simply said he was planning on being back at Madrid and it’s probably not wrong, it’s not even his decision and he is contracted to Madrid.

 

[Erm33]

As the Bale conversation goes, so does the mood of the club. When he was playing really well a few weeks ago everyone was coming out and saying they had called the end of his career too early. Then he had a terrible game against Arsenal (as many did but his lack of defensive effort definitely stood out) and was involved against Zagreb (and actually brought something to the team even in a crap defeat).

That then was followed by sitting out against villa and some comments with wales that he is planning to be back with Madrid and all of a sudden he shouldn’t be anywhere near the team and is way past his best.

As far as his level goes he is clearly not his old self and isn’t going to defend but he still has loads of quality and he makes a difference in games when we actually try and attack and play football. If we are setting out not to lose (even if the team or Mourinho say we aren’t setting out that way we do) then he probably isn’t best suited to start.

As for the comments, I agree with his agent they were blown out of proportion. He was doing a wales interview and talking about how he wanted to get fit for the euros. When asked about next season he simply said he was planning on being back at Madrid and it’s probably not wrong, it’s not even his decision and he is contracted to Madrid.

Head....Nail....Hit it on it!

He's not gonna sprint 90 yards with the ball and smash it into the bottom corner anymore, but he's the closest thing we've had to a player filling in the Eriksen shaped hole left in our squad (when he was good). One that we couldn't fill with 20mil no matter what anyone else in this thread seems to believe. It is also ridiculous to go through seasons expecting Kane and Son to create and score 75% of our goals. It's just not a sustainable solution over the whole season as we've found out.

I personally think we'd be nuts to not give him a second season loan given what he can bring to us when he is on form. He's already got his fitness to a level where he's clearly of use now even if its 60 mins here on a start or 30 mins there as a sub. Whether he'd want it though would IMO depend on the Mourinho situation come the end of the season.

 

[TheBlueRooster]

At the moment with him it depends on Levy. Does he use the money on wages and keep Bale if he wants to stay and hope he can work with JoMo? Or does he not take up the option and use the money on someone else who probably doesn't have and probably will never have the class of Bale?
If he stays JoMo has to realise and accept that he is never going to track back and will always be an attacker and utilise him accordingly.

 

[slartibartfast]

Jose wont accept any attacker who doesnt track back. If he wont leave Kane up there to just score then he wont leave Bale.
Everybody works or goes bye bye.

 

[TheTanguy]

Jose wont accept any attacker who doesnt track back. If he wont leave Kane up there to just score then he wont leave Bale.
Everybody works or goes bye bye.

And that's the right approach in modern football unless you are dealing with a one-in-a-billion player like Messi.

 

[ZiggySpurs]

In case anyone was interested in a follow up from last week.



Full quotes from football.london:

On Monday, Bale clarified those comments when asked about whether he needed to play regular football next season to be able to play at the World Cup in the future.


"I think for me, first and foremost I still have this season, and I still have plenty of games to go for the Euros," he said in his latest press conference when asked by Sky Sports.

"Obviously, going into next season, legally my contract says I have to go back to Real Madrid, which is what I stated, which I don't think is being disrespectful to anybody. That's legally what I have to do.

"Real Madrid are I guess my parent club and as far as I agreed I was on Tottenham on loan until the end of the season and I go back. That's the plan so far.

"The reason I left was because I wanted to play games and get match fit and enjoy my football. Obviously come the summer I will go back to Real Madrid and we'll go from there.

"I think the plan is to go back and then whether then I sit down with my agent is something we'll do in the summer."
He added: "Of course I want to be playing, but other things might get in the way. Obviously in football it's not just about what you want. It's the other side.

"So I'm just concentrating on this season. I have a big game tomorrow and a big end to the season with Tottenham and obviously the Euros in the summer.

"So for me in the summer at the moment I don't need to worry about anything else apart from his season and regarding next season, after the Euros and my summer holiday, we'll sit down and we'll go through something then and hopefully we'll come up with a solution."

 

[PLTuck]

I was a bit pissed at the time but good old Ally G calmed me down and put the quote into context.

We haven't agreed an extension so as it stands he goes back to Madrid. He's said nothing wrong.

 

[Erm33]

It's lockdown rage that has people overreacting to anything and everything. There's no issue with any of comments and I hope he gets a 2nd season with us. He's still the 2nd most productive player in our squad behind Kane.

 

[Tucker]

People need to chill out, the way some people reacted its as if he’s posted a video of himself wiping his arse with a picture of Billy Nick.

 

[bubble07]

If only he said this the first time...

So I'm just concentrating on this season. I have a big game tomorrow and a big end to the season with Tottenham and obviously the Euros in the summer

 

[TheBlueRooster]

If only he said this the first time...

So I'm just concentrating on this season. I have a big game tomorrow and a big end to the season with Tottenham and obviously the Euros in the summer

Once again it wasn't what he was asked. He was asked if the loan and his future was a distraction. He gave the only answer he could. Every one knew the situation, Levy THFC, Real Madrid him and his agent all the players and most fans of the club. If people don't understand that go and read the "Ladybird book of the Obvious" it's even illustrated for those with difficulties.

 

[yankspurs]

He's very obviously not going to be coming back next season anyway so who really gives a shit? We wont see him that much any more this season and no matter who the manager next season is, do we really want an aging player on his wages whose barely played football for 3 years? His return, sadly, failed miserably. Not worth persevering with next season. Let him go back to Madrid and get released so he can pursue a decent wage at Miami.

 

[CoopsieDeadpool]

He's very obviously not going to be coming back next season anyway so who really gives a shit? We wont see him that much any more this season and no matter who the manager next season is, do we really want an aging player on his wages whose barely played football for 3 years? His return, sadly, failed miserably. Not worth persevering with next season. Let him go back to Madrid and get released so he can pursue a decent wage at Miami.

You'll be back in half an hour telling us we should just pay whatever it takes to sign him permanently.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

What a lovely bit of quick feet to create space out of nothing and put in a perfect cross for the Wales winner.

Just play the man and let him do his thing, and he’ll do enough of that each match that we’ll get goals.

 

[yankspurs]

Well done, Gareth

 

[IamSpurtacus]

I was excited by anyone at the prospect of Bale's return - but let's be honest it's been a failure (odd performance not withstanding)

Compare and contrast with Klinsmann, who came back for his second spell in '98 ostensibly to get fit for his final fling at the World Cup, and (nearly) single handedly kept us up (scoring 4 in a six pointer against the 'Dons)

Night and day in terms of application and dedication, even if they both had the same goals.

We can talk all we want about Jose's approach - but this is on Bale

 

[Shadydan]

 

[TheBlueRooster]

He's very obviously not going to be coming back next season anyway so who really gives a shit? We wont see him that much any more this season and no matter who the manager next season is, do we really want an aging player on his wages whose barely played football for 3 years? His return, sadly, failed miserably. Not worth persevering with next season. Let him go back to Madrid and get released so he can pursue a decent wage at Miami.

So apart from American Apprentice, ex US President, what else do you do?