Belsizespur
Bobby Zamora
No one likes a success story. They just build you up so they can shoot you back down again. Gareth Bale found that out the hard way last season when, like most young players, his level dipped after his wonderful performances on the left wing for Tottenham Hotspur. The player who scored a hat-trick against Internazionale at San Siro, destroyed Chelsea in April 2010 and was constantly linked with mega-money moves to Italy and Spain was suddenly on the end of various unkind comments when he was marked out of matches by Everton's Phil Neville and Manchester United's Rafael da Silva. It was a natural reaction to the hype machine, with people so frustrated by the excitement around Bale that it eventually became fashionable not to like him, meaning he ended up in a black hole of being both over- and under-rated at the same time.
It's happened to Wayne Rooney, it's happened to Cristiano Ronaldo, it will happen again and, of course, the truth always lies somewhere in between. Bale's detractors last season had the makings of a point, though, because most of his best matches were in the Champions League, against sides who were unsure about how to handle him. Although Bale won the PFA Player of the Year award, it was not unreasonable to point out that his form tailed off as the season progressed and that several journeymen defenders were comfortable against him. But that is just part of growing up: learning that it cannot go your way all the time.
Bale is unlikely to beat David Silva to the award again this year, even though his brilliance has been more sustained than last year, the winger helping himself to 13 goals in all competitions and providing seven assists in the league. However, he is increasingly in danger of losing sight of what makes him such a special talent. Bale ÔÇô and, by extension, Tottenham ÔÇô is surely at his best when taking on terrified right-backs, using his pace and power to beat them, before either shooting or crossing with his brilliant left foot. After all, this is a player who single-handedly destroyed the reputation of the world's best right-back, Maicon, over the course of the two matches against Internazionale. Yet against Arsenal on Sunday Bale was rarely to be found up against Bacary Sagna, instead drifting inside and to the right in a bid to see more of the ball.
Clearly this is a conscious decision by Harry Redknapp, who must feel Bale could hurt teams even more in the middle. That may not turn out to be true. In each of Tottenham's last four away games, Bale has constantly drifted infield; they have not won away from home since Bale scored twice at Norwich City on 28 December. At Emirates Marketing Project and Liverpool he constantly picked up the ball in the middle, only to find himself crowded out; it is questionable whether he has the quick feet, movement and vision of, say, Silva to excel in this role and the upshot of Redknapp's tweaks is that Spurs have lost the shape that makes them so devastating. Even League One Stevenage were able to handle Bale the playmaker in the FA Cup. It becomes even more of a problem for Tottenham when Aaron Lennon is not in the side, because Niko Kranjcar, never the quickest, also comes inside; they have badly missed Lennon's searing speed on the right and against Arsenal, they were a confused mish-mash.
Redknapp's detractors often claim he is too tactically naive to manage England. His response is that good players, not tactics, make a team. But only in their best positions. JS
It's happened to Wayne Rooney, it's happened to Cristiano Ronaldo, it will happen again and, of course, the truth always lies somewhere in between. Bale's detractors last season had the makings of a point, though, because most of his best matches were in the Champions League, against sides who were unsure about how to handle him. Although Bale won the PFA Player of the Year award, it was not unreasonable to point out that his form tailed off as the season progressed and that several journeymen defenders were comfortable against him. But that is just part of growing up: learning that it cannot go your way all the time.
Bale is unlikely to beat David Silva to the award again this year, even though his brilliance has been more sustained than last year, the winger helping himself to 13 goals in all competitions and providing seven assists in the league. However, he is increasingly in danger of losing sight of what makes him such a special talent. Bale ÔÇô and, by extension, Tottenham ÔÇô is surely at his best when taking on terrified right-backs, using his pace and power to beat them, before either shooting or crossing with his brilliant left foot. After all, this is a player who single-handedly destroyed the reputation of the world's best right-back, Maicon, over the course of the two matches against Internazionale. Yet against Arsenal on Sunday Bale was rarely to be found up against Bacary Sagna, instead drifting inside and to the right in a bid to see more of the ball.
Clearly this is a conscious decision by Harry Redknapp, who must feel Bale could hurt teams even more in the middle. That may not turn out to be true. In each of Tottenham's last four away games, Bale has constantly drifted infield; they have not won away from home since Bale scored twice at Norwich City on 28 December. At Emirates Marketing Project and Liverpool he constantly picked up the ball in the middle, only to find himself crowded out; it is questionable whether he has the quick feet, movement and vision of, say, Silva to excel in this role and the upshot of Redknapp's tweaks is that Spurs have lost the shape that makes them so devastating. Even League One Stevenage were able to handle Bale the playmaker in the FA Cup. It becomes even more of a problem for Tottenham when Aaron Lennon is not in the side, because Niko Kranjcar, never the quickest, also comes inside; they have badly missed Lennon's searing speed on the right and against Arsenal, they were a confused mish-mash.
Redknapp's detractors often claim he is too tactically naive to manage England. His response is that good players, not tactics, make a team. But only in their best positions. JS
