Player Watch: Gareth Bale - Retires

[yankspurs]

He’s coming home, he’s coming home, he’s coming, Gareth’s coming home?

 

[rawhide]

Yes, he did. Then again, he might have demanded a pay off to cause them to block the move. If he really wanted to leave, he could have engineered it. Truth is we just don’t know all the details.

So if you agree we don’t know all the details, why are you making sweeping statements like “Bale had opportunities to leave and didn’t”

 

[mattdefoe]

Let’s move past this once and for all

 

[Rob]

*Levy announces new 18 hole golf course at training ground*

 

[HNIM]

*checks satellite view* Already at least 10 courses within a few miles of the training ground, don't think you could even fit another one in.

 

[worcestersauce]

I wouldn't read too much into any impression you might get from Joel Barnet's interview, he's playing poker and he's not going to give anyone at Real Madrid a clue about his hand.

 

[mr ashley]

Young man with all the money and absolutely nothing left to prove has opportunity to experience (and expose his kids to) a new culture and way of life.

Yes, the money is good, but he’s already earned a fortune. When a young lawyer or teacher goes to work in China or Australia or Singapore or the states, is that about the money or about the opportunity and life experience? Footballers are people too.

When a young teacher goes to work in the far east it will generally be because they have been offered a generous salary (Tax free) with a number of other benefits- so yes, it will be heavily influenced by the money! Probably not the best profession to compare…

 

[C0YS]

When a young teacher goes to work in the far east it will generally be because they have been offered a generous salary (Tax free) with a number of other benefits- so yes, it will be heavily influenced by the money! Probably not the best profession to compare…

Not always true at all. I know plenty of people teaching in Asia, and not because of the salary.

Mind I don't think Bale would move because of new experiences.

 

[mr ashley]

Not always true at all. I know plenty of people teaching in Asia, and not because of the salary.

Mind I don't think Bale would move because of new experiences.

I mean, there are lots of teachers who work overseas because the work life balance is better, they get respected more and have to deal with less of the shit you do in an inner city school, so yes it’s not a simple financial decision. But the international school setup anywhere in the world is an opportunity to earn much better than you can anywhere in the uk too (as an example).

Something that I’d love to discuss with Gareth in a round of golf at whitewebbs in my summer holiday (to drag this back on topic.....in the loosest possible way....)?

 

[Univarn]

*Levy announces new 18 hole golf course at training ground*

And the super secret third ground even below the NFL pitch at the new stadium = a driving range.

 

[C0YS]

I mean, there are lots of teachers who work overseas because the work life balance is better, they get respected more and have to deal with less of the shit you do in an inner city school, so yes it’s not a simple financial decision. But the international school setup anywhere in the world is an opportunity to earn much better than you can anywhere in the uk too (as an example).

Something that I’d love to discuss with Gareth in a round of golf at whitewebbs in my summer holiday (to drag this back on topic.....in the loosest possible way....)?

I mean, people do move to China, for example, for the 'experience'. plenty of young people do that. Man, I know people living in cambodia for 5 grand a year, and they also do it for the experience, 5 grand is good there, but it's not going to seriously change your quality of life compared to here. Like, living elsewhere can really give you a buzz and can feel very fulfilling and exciting. Working at an international schools is a very low number out of the Europeans that migrate there and, in fact, is a very low portion of teachers who work in far east Asia.

But yet, considering how Bale has seemingly made little effort to embrace Spanish culture and would rather play golf then go for club meals etc. I highly doubt this is much interest to Bale. For him it's probably money and knowing that with enough money you can live pretty much anywhere and experience more or less the same thing.

For what it's worth Barnett clearly tries to maximise his players wallets but looking down at his client list, there is a pattern of players not moving on and sticking to big contracts. Luke Shaw, Loftus Cheek, Holding, Andy Carroll, Scott Sinclair and Tom Rogic are all examples of players who stagnated and should have moved to other clubs, probably for less money, at some point now or in the past.

 

[Marvola]

Let's see if Madrid make a riposte. It's nowhere near as one sided as Bale is making out there. They have blocked moves, true. He's also been a bit of a dick about things though, making the situation far more difficult than it needed to be.

Don't get me wrong, I blame ZZ for creating this mess, but GB is where he is currently, partly through his own doing.

His, or his agent? The agent seems to be poison to me... though I can’t imagine why he wouldn’t want Bale to leave to play football, even if that meant taking a big wage drop. Oh wait... unless he gets a cut if his current ridiculous wages. ?

 

[Trix]

His, or his agent? The agent seems to be poison to me... though I can’t imagine why he wouldn’t want Bale to leave to play football, even if that meant taking a big wage drop. Oh wait... unless he gets a cut if his current ridiculous wages. ?

Jon Barnet runs the company, he doesn't look after Bale others in the company do. If you think he's much different to any of the other super agents you are wrong,. If you think Bale would leave them and go to a small time agent that cares more about him personally then you are naive.

This isn't Jerry fking Maguire!

 

[Marvola]

I mean, people do move to China, for example, for the 'experience'. plenty of young people do that. Man, I know people living in cambodia for 5 grand a year, and they also do it for the experience, 5 grand is good there, but it's not going to seriously change your quality of life compared to here. Like, living elsewhere can really give you a buzz and can feel very fulfilling and exciting. Working at an international schools is a very low number out of the Europeans that migrate there and, in fact, is a very low portion of teachers who work in far east Asia.

But yet, considering how Bale has seemingly made little effort to embrace Spanish culture and would rather play golf then go for club meals etc. I highly doubt this is much interest to Bale. For him it's probably money and knowing that with enough money you can live pretty much anywhere and experience more or less the same thing.

For what it's worth Barnett clearly tries to maximise his players wallets but looking down at his client list, there is a pattern of players not moving on and sticking to big contracts. Luke Shaw, Loftus Cheek, Holding, Andy Carroll, Scott Sinclair and Tom Rogic are all examples of players who stagnated and should have moved to other clubs, probably for less money, at some point now or in the past.

I’m not sure it’s the players wallets he tries to maximise. I appreciate that goes hand in hand to an extent, but you’re right, there are a catalogue of players who he’s let drift where they potentially would have wanted game time and taken it at the expense of a wage cut, and he seems particularly disinterested. Unless it’s to ‘really take on a project in China’, nothing to do with £1mill p/week etc.

 

[Marvola]

Jon Barnet runs the company, he doesn't look after Bale others in the company do. If you think he's much different to any of the other super agents you are wrong,. If you think Bale would leave them and go to a small time agent that cares more about him personally then you are naive.

This isn't Jerry fking Maguire!

Ha! That’s certainly true..! I do think with him there’s a catalogue of similar examples of his stable being milked dry. Completely agree, don’t get me wrong, I doubt there’s a serious agent out there who wouldn’t do exactly the same!

 

[C0YS]

I’m not sure it’s the players wallets he tries to maximise. I appreciate that goes hand in hand to an extent, but you’re right, there are a catalogue of players who he’s let drift where they potentially would have wanted game time and taken it at the expense of a wage cut, and he seems particularly disinterested. Unless it’s to ‘really take on a project in China’, nothing to do with £1mill p/week etc.

I mean I'm just going through the video, he explains that if a player 'can't retire and never work again after a finishing with football, he has an agent has failed'. It shows the priority. I'm not saying it's the wrong priority to take, but I can see how that mentality might hurt clients finding more playing time for a worse deal.

I mean yes, he tries to maximise his wallet too, but he is selling a product, and I suspect his success as an agent comes from prioritising finances.

 

[Marvola]

Jon Barnet runs the company, he doesn't look after Bale others in the company do. If you think he's much different to any of the other super agents you are wrong,. If you think Bale would leave them and go to a small time agent that cares more about him personally then you are naive.

This isn't Jerry fking Maguire!

Trix do you think there’s any remote market for a more ethical agency in some capacity? I saw an interesting proposition recently of an agency looking to build almost a ‘reinvest For profit’ as opposed to NFP, who were committed to grass roots investment, so would still drive strong commercial deals, but the profit would be diverted in to grass roots. It was concept, not running, but an interesting idea...

 

[Marvola]

I mean I'm just going through the video, he explains that if a player 'can't retire and never work again after a finishing with football, he has an agent has failed'. It shows the priority. I'm not saying it's the wrong priority to take, but I can see how that mentality might hurt clients finding more playing time for a worse deal.

I mean yes, he tries to maximise his wallet too, but he is selling a product, and I suspect his success as an agent comes from prioritising finances.

I think Bale would probably have met that criteria quite some time ago..

 

[Trix]

Ha! That’s certainly true..! I do think with him there’s a catalogue of similar examples of his stable being milked dry. Completely agree, don’t get me wrong, I doubt there’s a serious agent out there who wouldn’t do exactly the same!

You also have to remember agents get a cut of every signing on bonus aswell.
There's plenty of reason to have players moving every couple of years if they could engineer it. Like ive said Bale is as much to blame as anyone else for the situation he finds himself in, and if he'd have played for chelsea instead of us no one on here would give a shit.

 

[C0YS]

Jon Barnet runs the company, he doesn't look after Bale others in the company do. If you think he's much different to any of the other super agents you are wrong,. If you think Bale would leave them and go to a small time agent that cares more about him personally then you are naive.

This isn't Jerry fking Maguire!

I mean I suspect he is similar, or the same but it is known and commented on by people within the game that some agents do make things difficult by guiding players often towards something that may not be good for them career wise. I don't know if Barnet is one of those people, but I can see how the focus on getting players, and therefore themselves, the best deal could lead to career stagnation. Agents could then easily switch the blame to the clubs (its the clubs fault that they are not matching their wages, its the clubs fault that they are not willing to contribute to x) and also push deals with greater financial award over footballing ambition.

Now, the player always has the power, and agents are often used by players to express the players wishes and take blame instead of the player. But, there definitely are agents who essentially take kids and, possibly unknowingly lead them down them a certain avenue.

The Bale thing for example, I suspect Bale thinks he's being honest, Madrid are making things extremely difficult and he is a willing participant. But if you have little to no idea how a club is actually run, you might blame, I dunno Tottenham for not paying 600k a week or whatever, 'they clearly don't want me enough' blablbal. And you get this logic with pundits too, that these x players seem completely oblivious to the fact that the vast majority of clubs can't just spend there way out of problems. So I can see how agents can help distort that picture too.

I think Bale mind, gets a really easy ride on this forum. He definitely has some responsibility to his situation, and while a lot criticism has been unfair, he has helped really burn his bridges with the club, particularly with his antagonising of the club the last year or so. Rather than getting his head down and shutting people up. But, I don't think Bale really understands what he has done wrong.