What next for Gareth Bale?

youngrell

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Isn't he already considered a Spurs PL legend anyway?

I doubt he regrets joining RM but he may regret staying there as long as he has.
 

Welby5

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He'd have an Audi Cup though, so there's that.
Spurs would probably have won the title 3 years ago had Bale been there. Also the CL final against a Liverpool there for the taking that night.
 

MVBDX

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Spurs would probably have won the title 3 years ago had Bale been there. Also the CL final against a Liverpool there for the taking that night.
Levy is a cheap bastard, had they not sold Bale, they wouldn't have got Eriksen, Vertonghen etc.
 

Welby5

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Levy is a cheap bastard, had they not sold Bale, they wouldn't have got Eriksen, Vertonghen etc.
A Spurs team with Eriksen, Ali, Kane and Bale would have been pretty scary.
 

SilentWitness

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Reminds me a bit of Ronaldinho. One of the top talents in the game completely losing his passion and desire later in his career leading to a weird last few years of his career.
 

MVBDX

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A Spurs team with Eriksen, Ali, Kane and Bale would have been pretty scary.
It would've been pretty good, scary? Not. It wouldn't have happened anyway with Levy at the helm.
 

MVBDX

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Not if Bale got injured, Spurs don't and never have got a good bench.
What does that have to do with anything I said?

I was talking about a lack of spending by Levy, where he reinvested that Bale money, but wouldn't have done so from his pocket, while you talk about their chances for a title or something?
 

Scroto Baggins

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When's he taking a pay cut joining Spurs and starting a golf team with Kane? The headlines would be great, Kane and Bale play golf while Tottenham lose to Manchester United in the FA cup final.
 

Offsideagain

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Old sick note will linger on the bench at Real until Jose turns up in December. He’ll play a few games and get injured again and still draw his huge salary. Good luck to him.
 

Casanova85

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Reminds me a bit of Ronaldinho. One of the top talents in the game completely losing his passion and desire later in his career leading to a weird last few years of his career.
Unfair. 15 months ago, Bale won a UCL with a commanding performance in the final.

Injuries ruined him for most of 17-19, but he and CR are what made Madrid win 4 UCL in 5 years.

He and Giggs are the best welsh players of modern football. In fact, add Shearer and Rooney and you have the best attacking poker of british football of the last 30 years.
 

sun_tzu

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Unfair. 15 months ago, Bale won a UCL with a commanding performance in the final.

Injuries ruined him for most of 17-19, but he and CR are what made Madrid win 4 UCL in 5 years.

He and Giggs are the best welsh players of modern football. In fact, add Shearer and Rooney and you have the best attacking poker of british football of the last 30 years.
He has played over 90 games in the last two season... So you know he can't have been that injured
 

ryansgirl

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Some proper gaslighting going on from Madrid and ZZ here. I was supportive of a club right's to discard players but they are just taking the piss. Screw him around, presumably give him permission not to travel and now talking about him instead playing golf to make him the bad guy. He could have an injury that permits golf (or recovery is aided by it) but the narrative is successfully back on him in the wrong.
All players know what they're in for when they sign with Real Madrid - they sign on for that as everyone knows this is a club that is ruthless and will dump the 'Galacticos' who sign on for grossly inflated wages, when those in charge feel like it. The track record was there for all to see including Gareth. The way Real treat successful managers is the same.

Gareth is not imprisoned in the Bernabeau or held hostage in Spain - he can leave, it is his choice, he would just have to give up some of the grossly inflated money he is earning now because any other big club obviously at the moment thinks he's not worth it/has other priorities. But...but...but why should he give up his money? Exactly - it's his choice. He doesn't want to, this is what he gets.

As for golf - while some recreational golf isn't frowned on by sports clubs of every kind, if you grew up as I did in a country with a lot of space, including in my city cheap public golf courses which were accessible to the non-affluent, you too would have played the game as much as I did. And you'd know that golf is the last sport that assists an athlete recovering from injury particularly in terms of what it does to your back and hips with repetition.

While I think the issue of Gareth and golf has an element of pettiness to it regarding Real's attitude, most pro sportspeople have contractual obligations not to engage in sports or activities outside their profession or not on a regular basis. For obvious reasons.

Most likely he doesn't have any clause about no golfing in his contract but playing it consistently certainly doesn't help your body recover from other sports injuries and most likely hinders that.
 
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carvajal

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AS wrote yesterday about the possibility of Bayern. Difficult but it seems our last option.

It would be great if they could get him in a loan as they did with James.
 

2ndTouch

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AS wrote yesterday about the possibility of Bayern. Difficult but it seems our last option.

It would be great if they could get him in a loan as they did with James.
:lol:

We're not going to sign an injury prone player with a strong faible for Golf who happens to be on a salary twice as big as that of Lewandowski, sorry mate.
 

giorno

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He has played over 90 games in the last two season... So you know he can't have been that injured
Issue is he kept getting injured. So in half those games he was still playing himself into fitness. In truth we've had him at full fitness for about a full year, out of three...
 

giorno

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All players know what they're in for when they sign with Real Madrid - they sign on for that as everyone knows this is a club that is ruthless and will dump the 'Galacticos' who sign on for grossly inflated wages, when those in charge feel like it. The track record was there for all to see including Gareth. The way Real treat successful managers is the same.

Gareth is not imprisoned in the Bernabeau or held hostage in Spain - he can leave, it is his choice, he would just have to give up some of the grossly inflated money he is earning now because any other big club obviously at the moment thinks he's not worth it/has other priorities. But...but...but why should he give up his money? Exactly - it's his choice. He doesn't want to, this is what he gets.

As for golf - while some recreational golf isn't frowned on by sports clubs of every kind, if you grew up as I did in a country with a lot of space, including in my city cheap public golf courses which were accessible to the non-affluent, you too would have played the game as much as I did. And you'd know that golf is the last sport that assists an athlete recovering from injury particularly in terms of what it does to your back and hips with repetition.

While I think the issue of Gareth and golf has an element of pettiness to it regarding Real's attitude, most pro sportspeople have contractual obligations not to engage in sports or activities outside their profession or not on a regular basis. For obvious reasons.

Most likely he doesn't have any clause about no golfing in his contract but playing it consistently certainly doesn't help your body recover from other sports injuries and most likely hinders that.
IIRC last season there was a bit of row when he was injured, the doctors specifically told him not to play golf as it could worsen it/lenghten the healing time, and like two days later he was spotted playing golf...
 

RedRover

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I don't think anybody feels it's any kind of 'moral obligation' to be passionate about their job - however, some of us enjoy what we do and want to give off that positive energy in our work. I agree about Real Madrid's capriciousness and ruthlessness - it's one of the reasons I don't like this club and never have.

Gareth has choices unlike many people because of that money and would with much less than that - yes Real are not treating him well but he is choosing to stay. Decisions and consequences. Some other players in the same position would move to another club to enjoy their football and be appreciated again and be in the position of challenging for trophies.

Just because you won't be earning the equivalent of GDP of some countries doesn't mean you can't leave Real behind and have a great career again. Ooh, he's being victimized - no, he's choosing to suck it up. His choice.

You're over-simplifying the issue. Gareth Bale is not some wronged innocent - like Beckham and every other non Spanish footballing big name that joined Real, he knew what this club does. They've done it for decades. Buy success, are ruthless in dumping and buying players.

Gareth signed on for the bloated Real Madrid salary - lucky him but guess what, all that money comes with the not even fine print that you signed for a ruthless club like Real Madrid. He did this in full knowledge of what kind of club this is. He wanted to be a 'Galactico', he turned down other clubs and the choice was his.

And no, I can't feel sorry for somebody earning that money especially in the context of how most people on this planet struggle, many die everyday because of lack of money and resources. Over-paid sportsmen sign the devil's bargain - take the frankly obscene money, take everything else that comes with it.

If the player wants to stick it out instead of going somewhere they'll be appreciated but won't be earning more than the GDP of some countries - that is their decision that doesn't require sympathy.
The first bolded part is questionable isn't it. It seems from credible reports that he had the chance to move to China, agreed to it (I suspect solely on the basis of the cash on the table) and Madrid pulled the plug. We have no idea who actually wants him or whether those clubs are prepared to pay him even half or a third of what he's currently on, or - perhaps more significantly, whether they see him as a stop gap for a season long loan or are actually offering him a long term future. He has a family and children who are presumably fairly settled in Spain, go to school etc. and as such, him moving on is not simply about him and whether he can play football. I have a child and I wouldn't want to make a rash decision about whether I might be living for the next four years, especially when my family are comfortable and settled.

If anyone is "over-simplifying" I'd say its you. Moving your whole family across the world is practically probably quite easy if you have millions of pounds but I suspect the personal side of it is actually much more difficult. What if his wife refuses to move from Madrid? Should he turf in his marriage to go on loan somewhere and kick a football about? It's not life and death is it.

Regarding the second bolded part, I didn't say he was. My simple point is that the club gave him the contract and should honour it. If they want him out, pay him. Clubs are happy to front up when all is well but as soon as your face doesn't fit they want you out. If he'd scored 40 goals last year and he fancied a move for whatever reason he'd be being held to ransom and rightly so. Contracts cut both ways and parties signing up them know exactly what it entails.

I'm also not asking you to feel sorry for him or have any sympathy. I simply respect him for having the balls to be the master of his own destiny rather than bowing to pressure from the club. Good for him.

The last bolded part sums up why my view is evidently different to yours. For me, what he gets paid is totally irrelevant. I'm not offended by it but it seems you may be.

Clubs generate billions of the back of the talent of ordinary blokes blessed with a skill, many of whom (including Bale) seem to have worked fairly hard to make the most of. Those players, if they are lucky enough to get to the top should get well paid. Even if he is sticking it out just because he wants paying then that is entirely his prerogative.

You seem critical of his choice of club but I suspect he's pretty happy. Umpteen European Cups playing for the best side around at his peak. He wouldn't have done that anywhere else - least of all here, so he made the right move. Frankly, I'd say its not impossible that he outlasts Zidane anyway.

The world isn't a bad place because footballers earn millions and if that's an issue for anyone they have the ability not to follow it. On that basis I won't criticise Bale as some seem keen to do.
 

ryansgirl

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You made some reasonable points, others are bending logic. I'll just give one example -
'You seem critical of his choice of club but I suspect he's pretty happy.'

Er, the reason why Gareth Bale is in the headlines and stewing in his own juice by being left out at Real Madrid is precisely because he chose to join Real Madrid. He's not in the headlines and transfer speculation because everything is dandy there and the player himself made a statement that he had to go somewhere else to be playing regularly.

This is an issue about Real Madrid the club and how Gareth fits or doesn't fit there anymore. He was happy to sign up and now he is unhappy that he is not being given playing time, he said so directly himself.

Real Madrid is littered with the ghosts of ex managers and players dumped unceremoniously, any football player who signed on and didn't know that must have been on Mars before they signed. That's simply fact. Whichever club Gareth or other players sign up for and then it goes Pete Tong is down to them signing - this is just stating a fact.

Zidane has more or less told him he is not a required player, reports for quite some time have leaked all sorts of information about his on-going situation and apparent lack of camaraderie with other players. Yes Gareth is happy about the money - who wouldn't be for kicking a ball around or doing what other grossly over-paid sports pros do? He's happy to play golf as much as he can, live an opulent life with his family in Spain - why wouldn't he be?

He himself is not happy about his playing situation. And he signed on for Real Madrid.
 

BalanceUnAutreJoint

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I'll just say it here, most people here are delusional about the player Gareth Bale currently is and vastly overrates his actual contribution to Madrid's CL success.
 

ryansgirl

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AS wrote yesterday about the possibility of Bayern. Difficult but it seems our last option.

It would be great if they could get him in a loan as they did with James.
Honestly, why would they? It seems that the big clubs including Manchester United who might have been the rescuer here have got a rock solid sense of perspective on Gareth Bale. Great player on his day, worth that money, no, never was as any sportsperson never was and never is.

He is a liability with his passion - golf, not football. It does long term damage to your back and hips, you can also damage your shoulders. Why on earth should any big club waste the kind of money Gareth wants on somebody who is doing that and has a limited window of time thanks to that, his footballing injuries and general lack of drive.

Bale does come across as somebody happy just to collect the money and play golf. Christiano Ronaldo has never come across as somebody like that nor did David Beckham. Bale seems the kind of personality that gets comfortable and sets their ceiling then wonders why big clubs aren't coming calling.
 

ryansgirl

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I'll just say it here, most people here are delusional about the player Gareth Bale currently is and vastly overrates his actual contribution to Madrid's CL success.
These posters also don't get it that attitude is a key ingredient. Beckham outwore his welcome at United because Sir Alex thought his attitude off the pitch was misdirected but his hunger on the pitch was there to see right down to playing in the American League.

Christiano Ronaldo also has that attitude - wherever he plays, he has that hunger and drive despite houses and material goods and being set for life financially. That is why he is one of the greatest players of all time.

There are other names we can add but Gareth Bale's name is not one of them. This seems to be an element of his problems at Real Madrid and if he really wanted to be playing regularly as he stated in an official media release, by now he would be at another club having made a few compromises.

But....but...his wife and kids are happy in Spain! True but that shows Gareth's focus so he can't complain about lack of games at Real if his priority is his family and playing golf. It's his priority - he is making his own choices. It's not up to everybody else to accommodate him if they don't want to.
 

carvajal

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Honestly, why would they? It seems that the big clubs including Manchester United who might have been the rescuer here have got a rock solid sense of perspective on Gareth Bale. Great player on his day, worth that money, no, never was as any sportsperson never was and never is.

He is a liability with his passion - golf, not football. It does long term damage to your back and hips, you can also damage your shoulders. Why on earth should any big club waste the kind of money Gareth wants on somebody who is doing that and has a limited window of time thanks to that, his footballing injuries and general lack of drive.

Bale does come across as somebody happy just to collect the money and play golf. Christiano Ronaldo has never come across as somebody like that nor did David Beckham. Bale seems the kind of personality that gets comfortable and sets their ceiling then wonders why big clubs aren't coming calling.
Yes, you're right. I wouldn't do it if I were Bayern. The article is based rather on the Adidas-Bayern-Bale relationship to create a possibility.
He has an apathetic attitude with his future, but it wasn't always that way. Last year with Zidane he seemed upset by the lack of minutes, wanting to show that Zidane was wrong.
Sometimes I think that his stubbornness in not leaving the team is simply a personal fight with Zidane.

I imagine we will end up giving him for free and paying part of his wages, or waiting to see if his attitude changes in January.
 

FootballHQ

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Had enough of watching our game so just seen Real Madrid are playing and Bale is starting.:lol: Zidane is ultimate WUM it seems.

Guess Bale has won that particular war this season.
 

Yorkeontop

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Had enough of watching our game so just seen Real Madrid are playing and Bale is starting.:lol: Zidane is ultimate WUM it seems.

Guess Bale has won that particular war this season.
Right now it looks like the worst bit of man management on Zidane's side. Bale's mentality will save him yet though it seems.
 

MuranoLover

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A gorgeous player when fit. I can only see him keeping them up after Ronaldo.
 

ThierryHenry14

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He is supposed to be made of glass, finished at the highest level, and avoid at all cost even if he was available in summer. How can this be possible?
 

Scroto Baggins

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A Spurs team with Eriksen, Ali, Kane and Bale would have been pretty scary.
And if they kept Modric/Walker.

Kane, Bale, Son, Eriksen, Dembele, Modric, Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose, Lloris.

That aint half bad.

As for Bale now, steer well clear, he should probably go to China at this point and collect his zillions for playing one game a month.
 

Zlatattack

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Apparently he's angry at Real Madrid.

Maybe it's time to finally panic buy another injury prone player in January?
 

red woppit

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I would take him on loan for the rest of the season, on a pay per play contract, but not sure how many games he would actually play.
 

The Cat

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If he were available on a James to Munich type deal I'd take him in a heartbeat. He's fit, available every game this season and would lift the club like nobody else who could possibly be available. I agree with no massive transfer fee but a loan to buy yes please and see how he gets on.
 

ThierryHenry14

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Neither Bale nor James will be available till next summer as Zidane needs both of them for his team.