Gareth Bale

[DeanoAustin]

Didn’t he start the last game?

Against Ludogorets. The Europa league is clearly Jose playing the B team. Levy didn’t buy Bale to have him playing pub teams and sitting on the bench for the big games. Hopefully he can get up to speed soon for the Arsenal and Bindipper games.

 

[Baleforce]

Against Ludogorets. The Europa league is clearly Jose playing the B team. Levy didn’t buy Bale to have him playing pub teams and sitting on the bench for the big games. Hopefully he can get up to speed soon for the Arsenal and Bindipper games.

Kane and Son have plenty of Europa minutes this season too, that’s our conditioning games, he’ll get plenty of action between now and the end of the season when he’s back at 100%, he’ll have earned his league winners medal as much as anyone else.

 

[Legohamster]

Agreed. Also, in the Classic Jose give-up-as-much-possession-as-possible you need the energy of Stevie B/Lucas to hustle and press, not what Bale currently has to offer.

I think we are all a bit guilty of forgetting how little he has played in over a season of football

 

[AdamB]

Against Ludogorets. The Europa league is clearly Jose playing the B team. Levy didn’t buy Bale to have him playing pub teams and sitting on the bench for the big games. Hopefully he can get up to speed soon for the Arsenal and Bindipper games.

He's still building his fitness and Jose won't want him breaking down just by playing him earlier - PL games are far higher intensity than Europa so better to ease into things. Still plenty of league games left!

 

[MKSpur]

I’m sure he will get chances, on merit, but so far he’s not really shown enough in the games he has played that he has the athleticism we need when defending against top teams.
As much as love fairy tales as much as anyone, he has missed a lot of football and it is a sign of where we are that he’s not getting picked just because he’s Gareth Bale / is costing 200k a week.

 

[spurspinter1]

Against Ludogorets. The Europa league is clearly Jose playing the B team. Levy didn’t buy Bale to have him playing pub teams and sitting on the bench for the big games. Hopefully he can get up to speed soon for the Arsenal and Bindipper games.

Levy hasn't bought him but don't let accuracy of information get in the way of an unnecessary flap about nada.

Regains top position in the table - Worries about Bale / Levy due to team selection / finances

 

[DeanoAustin]

Levy hasn't bought him but don't let accuracy of information get in the way of an unnecessary flap about nada.

Regains top position in the table - Worries about Bale / Levy due to team selection / finances

I’m not in a flap. Just prompting a discussion. But well connected journos have all said Bale was a Levy deal. He obviously consulted Mourinho and got his blessing but apparently he conceived the deal and made it happen.

 

[spurspinter1]

I’m not in a flap. Just prompting a discussion. But well connected journos have all said Bale was a Levy deal. He obviously consulted Mourinho and got his blessing but apparently he conceived the deal and made it happen.

Fretting rather than flapping if we're going to get particular on verbs. Every deal is a levy deal no? You said Levy bought Bale, Bale is on loan.

Each response is generally eroding my will to post on this site (not your responses specifically). I think I miss actually talking about football in person with real people.

 

[DeanoAustin]

Fretting rather than flapping if we're going to get particular on verbs. Every deal is a levy deal no? You said Levy bought Bale, Bale is on loan.

Each response is generally eroding my will to post on this site (not your responses specifically). I think I miss actually talking about football in person with real people.

I’m neither fretting or flapping. It’s a discussion point. About a Spurs player. On a Spurs website.

Fair enough, he’s on loan. I’d be surprised if Levy had as big a hand in, say the Doherty and Hojbjerg deals, as he supposedly did with the Bale deal. But either way, I’m sure two months in he didn’t envisage Bale spending the entire 90 minutes against big teams like City and Chelsea on the bench. None of us did if we’re honest. He’s been a bit underwhelming so far.

But it’s early days and I think Jose’s selection policy has been very fair. Like I say, hopefully he’ll get some game time against Woolwich, Palace and the Dippers and show what he’s capable of.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I’m neither fretting or flapping. It’s a discussion point. About a Spurs player. On a Spurs website.

Fair enough, he’s on loan. I’d be surprised if Levy had as big a hand in, say the Doherty and Hojbjerg deals, as he supposedly did with the Bale deal. But either way, I’m sure two months in he didn’t envisage Bale spending the entire 90 minutes against big teams like City and Chelsea on the bench. None of us did if we’re honest. He’s been a bit underwhelming so far.

But it’s early days and I think Jose’s selection policy has been very fair. Like I say, hopefully he’ll get some game time against Woolwich, Palace and the Dippers and show what he’s capable of.

Maybe it’s a case of player and club managing his fitness for the best of both

 

[spurspinter1]

I’m neither fretting or flapping. It’s a discussion point. About a Spurs player. On a Spurs website.

Fair enough, he’s on loan. I’d be surprised if Levy had as big a hand in, say the Doherty and Hojbjerg deals, as he supposedly did with the Bale deal. But either way, I’m sure two months in he didn’t envisage Bale spending the entire 90 minutes against big teams like City and Chelsea on the bench. None of us did if we’re honest. He’s been a bit underwhelming so far.

But it’s early days and I think Jose’s selection policy has been very fair. Like I say, hopefully he’ll get some game time against Woolwich, Palace and the Dippers and show what he’s capable of.

Jesus. Fine, you're courageously stating your well thought out opinion. 'Kin hell.

Let's not even get in to the understanding of Levy's role in transfers.

I mean, we did envisage that, like everyone did....Did you think we were going to rush an injury prone 31 y o who hasn't played much last season? Like, really? That was what you thought?

Be underwhelmed as much as you like, you might have missed it but Bale has already shown us "what he's capable of". It's good we haven't desperately needed him so far, why take risks, no need to satisfy impatient fans who don't have the long game in mind.

 

[DeanoAustin]

Jesus. Fine, you're courageously stating your well thought out opinion. 'Kin hell.

Let's not even get in to the understanding of Levy's role in transfers.

I mean, we did envisage that, like everyone did....Did you think we were going to rush an injury prone 31 y o who hasn't played much last season? Like, really? That was what you thought?

Be underwhelmed as much as you like, you might have missed it but Bale has already shown us "what he's capable of". It's good we haven't desperately needed him so far, why take risks, no need to satisfy impatient fans who don't have the long game in mind.

I expected him to be playing some part in big games at this point, you didn’t. Fair enough, we’ll agree to disagree.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I expected him to be playing some part in big games at this point, you didn’t. Fair enough, we’ll agree to disagree.

He will IMO
More and more as the season goes on
He will get games against teams that play deep against us IMO

 

[markysimmo]

I've felt since we signed him he would come good from the Arsenal game
He loves playing against them and scoring
I fancy him starting and scoring 2 next Sunday, hope I'm in the stadium to see it too

 

[SpurMeUp]

Bale showed some quality again midweek. He's looking lean and had some pace to his game. He may not have scored midweek but I thought he showed enough to get have got minutes today.

But its a long season, he's going to play some part for sure.

 

[parklane1]

His time will come.

 

[Lemonade Money]

Bale showed some quality again midweek. He's looking lean and had some pace to his game. He may not have scored midweek but I thought he showed enough to get have got minutes today.

But its a long season, he's going to play some part for sure.

I think he would have got minutes at the end of the City game and today, if it wasn't for the fact that both games necessitated defensive substitutions.

 

[Raziel]

Think people need to view this as

- This is pretty much a zero risk move from the club with Bale, with lots of upside
- It's been pretty brilliant management of his fitness/sharpness up to now
- Like Hart, at this point his impact has been mostly off the pitch (no question his signing raised the mood at club)

Agree with @LemonadeMoney against City he was coming on before Toby injury, against Chelsea probably was a combination we want to be more defensive (against the Giroud sub) as well as they were kicking the brick out of some of our players, not what you want with Bale (where I think confidence in his body is part of what he has to recover)

He will start mid-week again, another 60-70 minutes, probably get some minutes against the Scum (with a small group of fans in stadium).

This grind of a season could actually suit us in the end, having a fit Bale in the 2nd half of season when everyone else is struggling to have fit first 11 would be a big advantage.

 

[Diamond Lights]

When we signed Bale, i was chuffed, but i also said on the ol' whatsapp chat with Spurs friends and family, he's not a Jose signing.

Of course Jose would have him, but he's not a Jose signing, he was clearly a Levy signing. And Jose can't just play Bale because he's Bale. Jose is far too tacticially structured for that. He needs someone to run channels, or track back, and in big games, where you need someone to run into the ground, that'll be Moura, or Lamela, or Bergwijn. It won't be Bale because he won't do the hard graft or cover the sort of ground either of those will.

I think he'll still play a role, long season ahead, but people shouldn't be clamouring for him to start the big games because it just won't happen.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Think people need to view this as

- This is pretty much a zero risk move from the club with Bale, with lots of upside
- It's been pretty brilliant management of his fitness/sharpness up to now
- Like Hart, at this point his impact has been mostly off the pitch (no question his signing raised the mood at club)

Agree with @LemonadeMoney against City he was coming on before Toby injury, against Chelsea probably was a combination we want to be more defensive (against the Giroud sub) as well as they were kicking the brick out of some of our players, not what you want with Bale (where I think confidence in his body is part of what he has to recover)

He will start mid-week again, another 60-70 minutes, probably get some minutes against the Scum (with a small group of fans in stadium).

This grind of a season could actually suit us in the end, having a fit Bale in the 2nd half of season when everyone else is struggling to have fit first 11 would be a big advantage.

Agree with all of this and also what @Diamond Lights has said
Having Bale is better for us that not having him