Gareth Bale

[harr1984]

Re: Gareth Bale

Peak? Thats why it's laughable 'at this stage'.


Not 60. He'd have scored far more then bale has though. Messi and Ronaldo are in a class of their own.


Bale may eventually join that class, but it's an incredibly difficult one to get into.

Oh yeah, he's not there yet of course. Once he moves to a Madrid/Barcelona etc will be interesting to see what level he reaches...

 

[JPG_357]

Re: Gareth Bale

Bale would be a lot better at Man U or Barca/Real. He'd get a lot more ref protection for a start. But no, he's not at Ronaldo's level and probably never will be.

 

[Jurgen the German]

Re: Gareth Bale

There are many reasons why Bale isn't better on the left, but a key one id s our appalling refs and the brutality culture in our game, aided by fans who think that Bale is cheating when he is fouled at high speed and goes over.

Bale flying down the wing is a fantastic sight, refs booking him and fans booing him is a nauseating spectacle.

On the whole he's safer in the middle, because it's harder to top speed, and also free kicks conceded centrally near the goal are (AFAIK) more dangerous than free kicks from the wing. That's of course when we get a free kick.

Matt Le Tissier said something interesting and more importantly true on Soccer Saturday last week. He said the goal against Norwich when someone tried to kick Bale at the halfway line just before he scored kind of put an end to the myth that you have to go down when contacted by another player at speed. He has no axe to grind by the way, he is a Spurs fan and usually defends Bale.

 

[braineclipse]

Re: Gareth Bale

Matt Le Tissier said something interesting and more importantly true on Soccer Saturday last week. He said the goal against Norwich when someone tried to kick Bale at the halfway line just before he scored kind of put an end to the myth that you have to go down when contacted by another player at speed. He has no axe to grind by the way, he is a Spurs fan and usually defends Bale.

I don't get his (and by extension, your) point.

It was quite a bit more than a contact from Tettey, but that's a slightly different issue.

Must you be fouled to the point that you couldn't possibly stay on your feet for there to be a foul? Obviously not imo.

 

[Baleforce]

Re: Gareth Bale

then its down to the player to decide which is the greater opportunity, obviously a fk in the centre circle yields a lower chance of a score than running into open field at pace against the same defence you ran straight through twice last season

if that very same tackle happened just inside the box i'm sure Bale would have gone down

 

[thfcsteff]

Re: Gareth Bale

Matt Le Tissier said something interesting and more importantly true on Soccer Saturday last week. He said the goal against Norwich when someone tried to kick Bale at the halfway line just before he scored kind of put an end to the myth that you have to go down when contacted by another player at speed. He has no axe to grind by the way, he is a Spurs fan and usually defends Bale.

I would argue that he had not hit full speed yet at that point, thus the contact was easier to 'ride' than if he had been flying at top-tilt. In fact, look at him right after he shoots; he goes flying! Contact plus speed mate...I know we will always disagree on this point, but I don't think the above example bears out under scrutiny of even the lightest kind...

 

[Jurgen the German]

Re: Gareth Bale

I don't get his (and by extension, your) point.

It was quite a bit more than a contact from Tettey, but that's a slightly different issue.

Must you be fouled to the point that you couldn't possibly stay on your feet for there to be a foul? Obviously not imo.

Basically, most pundits, players and fans will defend their team or players by saying they travel at such a pace that it doesn't take much to knock them to the ground. Well Tettey's tackle on Bale was hefty, and he stayed of his feet. I've seen him go to ground with less contact before. So in other words, players do have control in certain instances when they are touched. Contact doesn't equal a foul. A player should not choose to go down. That's my view.

 

[Jurgen the German]

Re: Gareth Bale

I would argue that he had not hit full speed yet at that point, thus the contact was easier to 'ride' than if he had been flying at top-tilt. In fact, look at him right after he shoots; he goes flying! Contact plus speed mate...I know we will always disagree on this point, but I don't think the above example bears out under scrutiny of even the lightest kind...

Just watched it again, I don't see a difference in his speed from that moment he was fouled to the moment after he scored. I can't tell if he just slipped after he hit the ball or he was clipped by the defender. I thought most Spurs fans wanted him to go to ground to avoid those kind of heavy tackles?

Do you not think there is a difference in terms of players going to ground in the box compared to staying on their feet outside? The same rules of physics applied 30 years ago but from what I've seen, there wasn't the same rampant level of diving there is in today's game.

I don't mean to single Bale out because he is hardly alone when it comes to diving, I think 95% of players would dive sadly in order to help their team.

 

[onlyme]

Re: Gareth Bale

Which is why he has so few assists this season, despite putting in a number of great crosses. *sigh*

Maybe Ade being on the end of the crosses rather than Defoe will mean the return of the camp leg holding celebrations?

 

[Spur of the moment]

Re: Gareth Bale

Basically, most pundits, players and fans will defend their team or players by saying they travel at such a pace that it doesn't take much to knock them to the ground. Well Tettey's tackle on Bale was hefty, and he stayed of his feet. I've seen him go to ground with less contact before. So in other words, players do have control in certain instances when they are touched. Contact doesn't equal a foul. A player should not choose to go down. That's my view.

Well said, but it does beg the question, has Bale ever stated unequivocally that he sometimes chooses to go down? My understanding is he's said he would never dive or go down deliberately, just that his first instinct once fouled is to try and modify the way he falls in order to protect himself.

If he has ever said something more than that I'd be interested to see the quote.

 

[Jurgen the German]

Re: Gareth Bale

Well said, but it does beg the question, has Bale ever stated unequivocally that he sometimes chooses to go down? My understanding is he's said he would never dive or go down deliberately, just that his first instinct once fouled is to try and modify the way he falls in order to protect himself.

If he has ever said something more than that I'd be interested to see the quote.

I've heard him say that if he feels contact, he's going to go down, which is wrong. Again, not singling Bale out. It's an indictment of the majority of players these days. Even hard men like Souness come out with the same flimflam.

 

[Pandy]

Re: Gareth Bale

What you want to do is have him with proper wing forwards such as Willian or Muniain, players who are quick and can run the channels and the line and play the centre. This allows all three to float with bale in the False 9 Position.

I really think Bale is not suited to playing centrally. Apart from having a decent long shot, none of his attributes lend themselves to such a position, he is best when given space to attack, receiving the ball facing the opposition. In the centre and especially as a false 9 I can't see him getting this kind of service, and he does not have the close control and passing ability to warrant playing him there instead of on either wing.

 

[thfcsteff]

Re: Gareth Bale

Just watched it again, I don't see a difference in his speed from that moment he was fouled to the moment after he scored. I can't tell if he just slipped after he hit the ball or he was clipped by the defender. I thought most Spurs fans wanted him to go to ground to avoid those kind of heavy tackles?

Do you not think there is a difference in terms of players going to ground in the box compared to staying on their feet outside? The same rules of physics applied 30 years ago but from what I've seen, there wasn't the same rampant level of diving there is in today's game.

I don't mean to single Bale out because he is hardly alone when it comes to diving, I think 95% of players would dive sadly in order to help their team.

I think he's lucky he managed to escape it whatever it was mate, wasn't a pretty challenge.

It's a different game mate.
The same laws of physics do exist but the current game has speed and power which simply did not exist in the 70s and 80s.

 

[braineclipse]

Re: Gareth Bale

Basically, most pundits, players and fans will defend their team or players by saying they travel at such a pace that it doesn't take much to knock them to the ground. Well Tettey's tackle on Bale was hefty, and he stayed of his feet. I've seen him go to ground with less contact before. So in other words, players do have control in certain instances when they are touched. Contact doesn't equal a foul. A player should not choose to go down. That's my view.

First off, not all situations are the same. It's not like the same amount of contact that knocks a player to the ground in one tackle must also do so in the next, it depends on a lot of factors.

Do you think it was a foul from Tettey on Bale?

Do you agree that when there is a foul, but not one that brings the player to the ground the ref is more likely to give the free kick if the player goes down?

 

[Jurgen the German]

Re: Gareth Bale

First off, not all situations are the same. It's not like the same amount of contact that knocks a player to the ground in one tackle must also do so in the next, it depends on a lot of factors.

Do you think it was a foul from Tettey on Bale?

Do you agree that when there is a foul, but not one that brings the player to the ground the ref is more likely to give the free kick if the player goes down?

Yes it was a foul.

Yes a ref is more likely to give a foul if a player goes down, but why would a player choose to go down in the first place when you can stay on your feet and score a goal like the one Bale scored? I'd rather a player stay his on feet.

 

[ArcspacE]

Re: Gareth Bale

Yes it was a foul.

Yes a ref is more likely to give a foul if a player goes down, but why would a player choose to go down in the first place when you can stay on your feet and score a goal like the one Bale scored? I'd rather a player stay his on feet.

Agreed

 

[braineclipse]

Re: Gareth Bale

Yes it was a foul.

Yes a ref is more likely to give a foul if a player goes down, but why would a player choose to go down in the first place when you can stay on your feet and score a goal like the one Bale scored? I'd rather a player stay his on feet.

But that depends fully on the situation. If in a situation where the player is heading into a dead end, but he can get a free kick in a good position because he got fouled then why shouldn't he go down? Same for a penalty claim of course.

The Norwich situation was obviously one where he should try to stay on his feet, because a counter attack is more of a threat than a free kick at the half way line, that's why Tettey tried to foul him in the first place. But not all situations are the same...

 

[Robbo]

Re: Gareth Bale

Tettey should have been booked afterwards, because he was very clearly trying to sabotage Bale by fouling him.

That's a problem for the referees in my eyes. Intent is intent, no matter if the foul is given or not. There should be more yellow cards for incidents like these.

 

[Spur of the moment]

Re: Gareth Bale

But that depends fully on the situation. If in a situation where the player is heading into a dead end, but he can get a free kick in a good position because he got fouled then why shouldn't he go down? Same for a penalty claim of course.

The Norwich situation was obviously one where he should try to stay on his feet, because a counter attack is more of a threat than a free kick at the half way line, that's why Tettey tried to foul him in the first place. But not all situations are the same...

Because it's cheating, plain and simple. He is trying to win an advantage by in effect acting, deceiving the ref. Two wrongs don't make a right.

 

[Baleforce]

Re: Gareth Bale

shirt pulling, obstruction by the goal line, time wasting, standing offside, tactical fouls

these are all cheating as well, and we do them all every game yet no one ever seems to complain