Gareth Bale

[Lost Mango]

Re: Is Bale a striker?

No. I want him to stay on the left with some freedom to roam but he gets a bit swamped IMO when started through the middle at the moment

 

[elltrev]

Re: Is Bale a striker?

I don't think Bale is a number 9 at all and wouldn't have the same success if played there. The majority of goals he scores are coming from a deeper position rather than finishing off a move in the box....

Yeah I was going to talk about this in my first post. He seems somewhat of a hybrid in that he tends to pick up the ball in deeper positions like a traditional number 10, but scores brick loads of goals (and isn't that creative) like a traditional number 9.

So I'm not suggesting he should change his style (e.g. into a pure number 9), I'm just wondering if he couldn't be played alongisde a player who excels in creativity rather than goalscoring. And in fact I suggested Berbatov because he can lead the line in a way that Bale doesn't (i.e. running into channels, holding the ball up) but can also be more of a creative teamplayer IMO.

 

[Rossi22]

Re: Is Bale a striker?

No, just look at the goals he scores. None are instinctive poacher type goals or being on the end of moves/crosses.

 

[elltrev]

Re: Is Bale a striker?

No. I want him to stay on the left with some freedom to roam but he gets a bit swamped IMO when started through the middle at the moment

I'd still like him to play in this role at times. The only thing I would say is that he is SO good on the break that you want to make the most of that, and having to track opposing right-backs (against stronger opposition) isn't making the most of that. Playing more centrally means he generally has less responsibility, and is in a better position to strike on the break.

 

[markysimmo]

Re: Is Bale a striker?

Henry was a winger when he signed for Arsenal from Juve and Wenger turned him into a world class striker..

Bale is a better winger than Henry ever was and his transformation into the more attacking player under AVB is is well under way with more to come I think

 

[Gordinho]

Re: Is Bale a striker?

I can't see Berbs ever coming back (and I can't see Bale going to Fulham either ) but I think they'd have been electric together.

 

[elltrev]

Re: Is Bale a striker?

No, just look at the goals he scores. None are instinctive poacher type goals or being on the end of moves/crosses.

I regret my choice of thread title now... I didn't mean to argue or suggest that he's like a traditional number 9. Just that if he continues this goalscoring form on a consistent basis, perhaps we don't need a number 9 to play alongside him.

 

[Spur of the moment]

Re: Is Bale a striker?

No. I want him to stay on the left with some freedom to roam but he gets a bit swamped IMO when started through the middle at the moment

Against Swansea Bale scored one, assisted another and got a least one more shot away from the middle before being switched out to the left midway through the second half.

Remind me, how many shots did Ade and Defoe get away all game between them?

 

[billyiddo]

Re: Is Bale a striker?

So rather than playing him alongside a top goalscorer, should we be looking to play him alongisde a top creator?
Rather than playing alonside Defoe or Adebayor, should he be playing alongisde Holtby or Sigurdsson?

i don't consider Defoe and Adebayor similar enough to be lumped together like you have in your second line there, id say that the Adebayor of last season, when on top form, would be the ideal type of partner for Bale to play off of - holds the ball up, is comfortable playing across the front positions, get's involved with the game, scores plenty himself and creates - covers just about everything we require, no?


note: im not saying we should expect him to get back to that form, just that a player with similar abilities to what he put on display last season would be ideal

 

[elltrev]

Re: Is Bale a striker?

i don't consider Defoe and Adebayor similar enough to be lumped together like you have in your second line there, id say that the Adebayor of last season, when on top form, would be the ideal type of partner for Bale to play off of - holds the ball up, is comfortable playing across the front positions, get's involved with the game, scores plenty himself and creates - covers just about everything we require, no?


note: im not saying we should expect him to get back to that form, just that a player with similar abilities to what he put on display last season would be ideal

Fair point regarding lumping them together. The only thing I think we'd be lacking is between those two is top-class creativity - the kind that is required to break down teams defending deep and in numbers - but perhaps that could come from a wide position ala Silva, Iniesta, Hazard, Cazorla (sometimes) etc.

 

[Lost Mango]

Re: Is Bale a striker?

Against Swansea Bale scored one, assisted another and got a least one more shot away from the middle before being switched out to the left midway through the second half.

Remind me, how many shots did Ade and Defoe get away all game between them?

Some games it will work in the middle other games it won't and to use our current crop of strikers as yardsticks for success has it's immediate obvious limitations.

This is where his freedom to roam comes in. If there is space in the middle use it, don't stick out wide, but to me when he starts too centrally the opposition all bunch in, FB, CBs and DMs round him and the striker and we struggle as there is no one to stretch them or the play. If we had someone in the midfield who could do a job out left to offer something to keep their RB/RM occupied then maybe it works but it doesn't to me at the moment (or not often enough to be a starting strategy)

 

[Gilzeantoscore]

Re: Is Bale a striker?

Call him what you like, but he is the best finisher we have at the club by a country mile.

 

[punk_is_back`]

Re: Is Bale a striker?

Call him what you like, but he is the best finisher we have at the club by a country mile.

I agree, he's got a Van Pervie level of accuracy in that left boot of his now. Ironically enough he's not that good at scoring tap ins from crosses. But get the ball into his feet in and around the box and he can score like crazy. Someone like Suarez, who does a lot of work in the channels, and is creative would be a very good Partner for bale. In fact I would love us to sign Fletcher if Sunderland get relegated as his link up play and work rate is superb, and he has an insane berbatov like first touch too.

On the subject of Bale, more often than not his average position is more central and further forward than Ade.

 

[Charlie]

Re: Is Bale a striker?

He has to improve playing with his back to goal to be considered a real striker.

 

[thejazzman]

Re: Is Bale a striker?

I started to get into this kind of question in another thread earlier when someone mentioned Benteke as an ideal signing for us up front. Bale, imo, is a bit of a conundrum up front, in that unless you have a player of similar ability next to him he's going to score the greater amount of goals. Pretty much all of the goals he scores are largely of his own making, so the other 'striker' may find it difficult to do well alongside him [ala defoe]. For this reason, I think the profile of our next striker should be

a] someone who is clinical in the 6 yard box
b] someone who makes alot of runs off the ball [intelligent runs, even if they know theyre not going to receive it].

I know there's a strong argument for having someone that holds up play very well, but i dont think thats as much of a necessity if we have a midfielder who can do that; i saw silva holding up the ball and relieving pressure for Emirates Marketing Project alot last season, more so than dzeko was when he was in the team. Would it be too adventurous to have a wide drifting playmaker and a poacher up front, with bale nominally on the left but essentially playing as a striker?

 

[Spursalot]

Re: Is Bale a striker?

He has to improve playing with his back to goal to be considered a real striker.

Not really. Defoe isn't good with his back to goal and he is still considered a real striker.


There are different styles of striker.

 

[punk_is_back`]

Re: Is Bale a striker?

I reckon we should line up as following the next season


---------------------------------------------Bale----------------------------------------
Technical Dribbler Winger-------------------Playmaker------------------------------Lennon
-----------------------------Sandro---------------------Dembele-------------------------


I can't really think of any players who can fulfil the playmaker role, but for the winger role someone like that Lacazette of Lyon would be excellent with Andros as backup. Ideally you would want players of the ilk of Hazard and Oscar for the LW and AM roles, players who are excellent technicians but who also have a bit of pace about them. Someone like Muiniain/Jovetic would be just about doable and would constitute a marquee signing for us. Both are excellent technicians and dribblers, they are decent passers but not traditional Playmakers like Modric.

 

[Spursalot]

Re: Is Bale a striker?

I've been considering this myself.

If we switch to a 4-3-3 then it would either force us to push Bale out wide or stick him up front. He has been highly effective through the middle, so would be wasted a bit if he was stuck back out wide.


I could see us going into next season with a front position of Bale + Ade/Defoe + A.N Other.


In all honesty i would prefer it be to Defoe, as he has shown the ability to come on as a sub and change games late on.


It would require a bit of a rejig in regard to the right and left forwards though. I rate Sigurddsson as the left forward, but am not sure Lennon would have the goal threat required.

 

[Spur of the moment]

Re: Is Bale a striker?

He has to improve playing with his back to goal to be considered a real striker.

He's world class but you want him to stand around in the middle with his back to the goal?

 

[thejazzman]

Re: Is Bale a striker?

I've been considering this myself.

If we switch to a 4-3-3 then it would either force us to push Bale out wide or stick him up front. He has been highly effective through the middle, so would be wasted a bit if he was stuck back out wide.


I could see us going into next season with a front position of Bale + Ade/Defoe + A.N Other.


In all honesty i would prefer it be to Defoe, as he has shown the ability to come on as a sub and change games late on.


It would require a bit of a rejig in regard to the right and left forwards though. I rate Sigurddsson as the left forward, but am not sure Lennon would have the goal threat required.

This is true, but doesnt tell the whole story. If we go to 4-3-3 next season AVB likes the fullbacks to get forward quite alot; this is PURE conjecture, but I think the away leg against Lyon showed why he doesnt really fancy BAE, as despite playing the role positionally he produced no end result. In a 4-3-3 all of the forwards would be expected to move about, so we'd end up with pretty much what we've got from bale now. The attacks down the wing would be expected to originate with the fullbacks, and we'd presumably have a playmaker in the middle to play through. I reckon this might suit Bale MORE, as it would be more unclear to teams what position he's going to take up; he could attack the channel between the RB and CB, attack the RB or drop slightly deeper and pick up the ball. Whereas now he doesnt so much 'roam' as swap positions with people. The only attacking player in our squad who does seem to naturally 'roam' is actually holtby, who moves into the areas that play requires him - that is, in essence, the key to the success of the 4-3-3 that AVB prefers.