Good morning.
Watching Gareth Bale yesterday reminded of me of a stage that small children get as the begin to try and take control of their world. A sense of ownership and determination can be fascinating to watch as they emerge from being completely dependent and defiantly utter the words, ‘I can do it myself!’.
What usually ensues in such instances is something like the removal of a vest not by pulling it off over the head, but climbing out of it as if it were a dress. An ambitious routine that might take – minus a shoulder dislocation, falling into a TV set or home aquarium – up to ten minutes to execute a simple 10 second task.
You can’t complain of course. Everyone wants their kids to think, challenge, try things for themselves, learn and in an ideal world dress themselves sooner rather than later.
Bale was in the Telegraph on Saturday. Yesterday I called the piece ‘terrifying’. Here are some particularly chilling quotes.
“I need to improve myself as a player and I spoke to the coaches at Tottenham about it,” he says. “Being stuck outside is not good all the time. You need to mix your game up and give the opposition things to think about. It’s one of those things I wanted to do and I’m starting to do it.”
“It got to the stage last year when I was standing out on the wing, playing well, with a lot of freedom, hurting teams and being targeted by defences. So it was a case of some teams putting two players on me, staying really tight and trying to mark me out of the game, which is quite easy to do when you’re stood right out there with not much room.
“So I’ve had to adapt my game. The full-back can’t follow you inside and strikers occupy the centre-backs, so it gives you that bit of space. It’s not easy. It’s a lot tighter in the middle but if you get into lots of pockets and you’re able to turn and run at defenders it’s just as good as being out on the wing”
What we got of course was effectively an unmitigated car crash. Bale goes inside. In his head, I am convinced he’s intent upon focusing his blistering pace down the middle. In his head he’s already shaken off those nasty defenders that want to double up on him out on the wing.
In reality, outside of his head he found himself in an area congested by not only his own team mates, but their opposition counterparts who either took the ball off him with no more than the poke of a toe or he is forced into a short, largely redundant pass.
Does anyone remember Darren Anderton also wanting to revolutionise football at White Hart Lane by playing out of position?
The knock on effect of Bale being in the middle was equally surreal.
With arguably one of the best players in the country safely out of position we are then treated to BAE morphing into A&E with some of the worst crossing since The Cassandra Crossing. The knives were out for Benny. I lost count of the substandard scuffs he under hit into Man City shins.
How many balls crossed in by Bale himself would have resulted in threats on goal? My rough estimate would have to be, ‘lots’.
Is this playing to our strengths? Is this arrogance? Is Arry so wrapped up in his court case that he’s given up managing his players and letting them dictate how we play?
And my fear is that the goal – in Gareth’s head – justified the means. The ‘look at me, look at me, Christ is risen.’ style celebration left me feeling a little uncomfortable. He didn’t lift up his shirt to reveal a vest baring the words, ‘I can do it myself!.’ but I’m sure I heard him thinking it.
Brilliantly Put. From the actual piece to your last comment. Bale is the best player at WHL since Ginola but MUST stay out wide. He is SO dangerous out there.
I also think we need one of your little voting duberries to see who we “blame” for the missed opportunity. Im in the Bale camp as he gave Defoe no chance. Seems harsh to look for blame in such a great performance but Its all I can think about.
Maybe if more people say Defoe I will rest easier.
Bale, should have passed to Defoe as soon as he got the ball, rather than trying to make LESCOTT
look like a mug.
And not so long ago, Bale would have made that pass immediately.
Totally
^This
And if Defoe slowed his run then it was because Bale took so long to put the ball over that Defoe was forced to decide whether to slow or be in the back of the net by the time the ball came over. But then again Bale DID get the ball over. Just think how furious we would all be if Lescott had forced Bale out wide or had blocked his cross. I know I was just about to throw my beer at the TV because I thought the chance to cross to a wide open Defoe had gone
agree with article. not just the game against city but in general for about 5 weeks now
I understand your frustrations Harold but come on, the boy was our only threat yesterday and Arry obviously had a word with him at alf time because he was back to his wing hugging best in the second half more often than not.
He is one of the best players in world football (not saying he is THE best!!)at the moment and I love to see the arrogance that goes with having such a talent!! No one was complaining when Cantona turned his collar up and raised his arms like Jesus Christ did they! He’s a child and amazing and loving it, let him have his fun and keep banging in the goals with the flair that only the truly talented can
Oh dear this does make me despair. I expect this kind of nonsense in the press and from the Liverpool mafia that dominate BBC football coverage but not from our own.
Harry yesterday revealed that it was he and the coaching staff who are pushing Gareth into this new role. Rather than sniping at a really rather lovely, modest and grounded young man and looking for arrogance where there really isn’t any perhaps we should take a step back. Ronaldo anyone? He started as an out and out winger but the big feature of his game now is that he makes runs through the centre. It suited Fergie and now suits Mourinho – but some of us know better apparently. Can I point you to the second goal yesterday? Azza on the left – cut in and passed to who in the centre of the pitch with bags of space?
The boy is fast – but he also has a quick, quick brian with feet to match and can finish as well as any of our strikers. In many ways it’s madness to glue him out on the left and tell him to run fast. The third goal that never was is absolutely a case in point. He skinned the full back and put in a perfect cross – but only after – indeed BECAUSE – he had created the right to do that by upsetting City’s tactics to score the second goal. Yes of course there are times when it doesn’t work but FFS we were inches away from almost doubling the entire number of goals conceded by City at home all season! TOOTHLESS?!?!
I can’t believe that there are comments on here about us being toothless. We were away to the league leaders, playing at a ground where they have not dropped a point all season and were a typically uncommitted Defoe run away from scoring THREE goals. Defoe needs to gamble more with his runs off the ball and some people on here really need to sort their expectations out.
We have absolutely no-one to fear in the league and I think we could still win it chaps.
The cross was shit, it was at the wrong angle and delivered late. Trying to blame Defoe is laughable.
last season we failed to get anything from a lot of games, especially at home when the opposition parked the bus BECAUSE our wingers played and stayed wide. We were predictable…sometimes impossible to stop but 11 behind the ball and double marking the wide men stiffled our play. With Bale/Lennon/VDV more free to roam and come inside it gives the defending team something else to think about. try and double mark Bale when he is coming inside a lot. Its impossible.
For me we have options in our tactics. The wingers can stay wide or wonder around.
The “Inside” maybe more congested but thats because so many teams pack the central parts against us.
The mark of a good player is someone who develops, someone who evolves and improves. If Bale hugged the touchline for 90 minutes its a lot easier to negate. Bale is 22, continuing to develop his game. He can go down the line or he can come central and cause problems. Well done Bale IMO, keep up the good work! 8 goals and as many assists says to me he is doing his job and getting better and better at it!