Bale

[Leicester Ram]

Goal scored tonight, Masoud Shojaei for Osasuna v Levante, better strike than Bales in my view.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZTn5PcTuos

Use him all the time on fifa 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='B)' />

[blackNwhites]

Some good names there. Whenever I've seen Ribery, he's not impressed me as much as Bale has. Plus, I just don't like him. I don't look out for players I don't like. But I've had more chance to see Bale play, he'll be on telly again at the weekend, then they'll be playing Inter twice on ITV. 3 games for him to 'prove' himself on the big stage. I'd put him on a level with Ronaldo, or maybe just behind. Like I said earlier, I always preferred Robben but I think Bale will eclipse his personal achievements.

Saying all that, including Ronaldo, they've had more experience of the champs league than Bale.

Not sure I'm being fair comparing him to Ronaldo. Ronaldo has been fortunate to play as a forward for the whole of his career whereas Bale has matured from a wing bank to a winger to his current position as an attacking centre mid. Bale is 5 years younger, statistically they are similar at the same age. But like I said, Ronaldo was always a forward.

Van Persie took his time to mature, was always good but he's enjoying his best football only in the past couple of years.

Rooney was better at 18 than he is now.

Gerrard wasn't always on form, Lampard, for me was always better.

Neymar, only seen him play once or twice, don't know what all the fuss is about...yet.

Hulk is decent, as is Cavani. Suarez is more used to the English league now I suppose, but he misses a bucket load of chances.

Ibra has always had a better reputation abroad than over here, might've changed after his mauling of Englands younguns.

Silva is at the wrong club.

Aguero is a huff and puff kind of player, like Tevez. Decent touch but poor decision making sometimes. Greedy, actually.

Don't know enough about the others, particularly the Italian league.

Any of the players I've mentioned are not as good as Bale in my book, cept maybe Ronaldo.

Bale has got time on all of them though.

[Bris Vegas]

Age doesn't mean anything.. Especially for an explosive player..

Ronaldinho and Kaka were world class when they were in their early twenties.. As soon as they hit 28 it went down hill for them..

BnW you're entitled to your opinion.. I can't see how you can say Ronaldo and Bale are statistically even? Ronaldo has scored more than 1 a game for 3 or 4 years.. Bale has for 6 games.. Not only that but Ronaldo is Real's best player, better than Alonso, Ozil, Benzema, Di Maria etc.. If Bale went to Real Madrid would he be their best player? I doubt it.

Ozil and Ribbery are better than Bale.. A few long rangers aren't going to change that.

[blackNwhites]

Age doesn't mean anything.. Especially for an explosive player..

Ronaldinho and Kaka were world class when they were in their early twenties.. As soon as they hit 28 it went down hill for them..

BnW you're entitled to your opinion.. I can't see how you can say Ronaldo and Bale are statistically even? Ronaldo has scored more than 1 a game for 3 or 4 years.. Bale has for 6 games.. Not only that but Ronaldo is Real's best player, better than Alonso, Ozil, Benzema, Di Maria etc.. If Bale went to Real Madrid would he be their best player? I doubt it.

Ozil and Ribbery are better than Bale.. A few long rangers aren't going to change that.

I meant at the same age. Bale is reaching his potential perhaps one year behind Ronaldo at 24, who began to show his potential at 23. Ronaldo had the benefit of always playing as a forward/winger type player, though.

Edited to add that I think Ozil is a great player and so is Alonso, but I think Bale is better than Ozil and Alonso is a different kind of player, obviously. He's great in his position though, probably unlucky that DM's don't get as much glamour.

The difference between Ozil and Bale is that Ozil will get out of danger by playing a simple ball, Bale will turn it around a present a very dangerous opportunity. Ozil is more likely to supply a player like Bale than play like him.

Bale hasn't just hit form for 6 games either, you can harp on about that but it won't make it true.

[CumbrianRam]

di Maria better than Bale for me, been one of Real's best players in a disappointing season

[Boycie]

Said on radio yesterday that Bale was up there with Messi and Ronaldo. Radio 5 live, so it must be right?

[Ambitious]

I said to be my friend yesterday, the best thing for Bale now is to join a big paying club - in either City or Anzi, perhaps even PSG and earn a rack of money on a very long contract, the only ones who will be able to buy him are these clubs anyway, and I think he'll benefit personally from this, more than not - I don't think he'll keep this form up for another year or so, but i've been wrong before.

[Alex W]

I think he'll keep progressing, he won't keep up this form but in 2/3 years he can be one of the 'better' players of the world, I don't think he'll ever come close to Ronaldo or Messi, but he has enough about him to consistently do what he does now.

Perhaps he'll end up at United? If they could ever afford to splash out on him given his probably price. Giggs can't last forever and Young has hardly made that spot his own (and Kagawa shouldn't be played out there either as he has been).

[ChaddesdenRam]

Good player

[Anag Ram]

I hate him! Him and his stupid sticky-out ears, his narcissistic camera awareness and his theatrical dives - and he's Welsh. Pah!

p.s. I had £20 quid on Arsenal and may be a bit bitter.

[Bris Vegas]

Having watched Bayern play Hoffenheim I'm convinced 100% that ribbery is the better player.. He's more intelligent, both footed, his dribbling and control is phenomenal and he puts an awful lot into his defensive play too..

 

Bale is in magnificent form but I do think the PL suits his explosive style of play.. Playing against static high-lined defenses is a quick players dream..

 

Whilst I mentioned he wouldn't get into Barcas side, the way teams are defending against them, they really could do with a player who can shoot from long range and perhaps Bale could help them in that department.. He'd make a good addition to their squad if Spurs were willing to sell...

 

But I can't see him leaving the PL.. Man City should break the bank for him.

[Anag Ram]

Bale's skill is speed and so he needs room to run into, whereas Ronaldo and Messi create room with their close dribbling skills. It's easier to set your team up to counter Bale than the other two.

[Leicester Ram]

Saying he wouldn't be good enough for possibly the greatest team of all time hardly means he's bad. 

 

Still an extremely gifted player I wish was English.

[Bris Vegas]

I actually thought he was average today.. Gave the ball away numerous times and his only thought process when recieving the ball was to beat the man infront of him, which he failed to do 9/10..

 

It's good to have a direct player, but he should have retained possession on a fair few occasions..

 

AVB is a very good manager.. He's clearly stepped up from Harry Redknapp they look so much more organized

[Alex W]

I actually thought he was average today.. Gave the ball away numerous times and his only thought process when recieving the ball was to beat the man infront of him, which he failed to do 9/10..

 

It's good to have a direct player, but he should have retained possession on a fair few occasions..

 

AVB is a very good manager.. He's clearly stepped up from Harry Redknapp they look so much more organized

I can't help but think that if he stuck someone just behind the lone striker they'd be alot more effective at times, until the two goals (which occured due to players making more progress down the middle) they'd rarely offered anything.

There was so much space between Arsenals midfield and defence at times, a playmaker in that space would've done some serious damage. Still, they're becoming alot more structured, i'm pleased for AVB. Didn't get a chance at Chelsea. 

[Bris Vegas]

I can't help but think that if he stuck someone just behind the lone striker they'd be alot more effective at times, until the two goals (which occured due to players making more progress down the middle) they'd rarely offered anything.

There was so much space between Arsenals midfield and defence at times, a playmaker in that space would've done some serious damage. Still, they're becoming alot more structured, i'm pleased for AVB. Didn't get a chance at Chelsea. 

 

To be fair it looked like Sigurdsson had that job, but the more Walcott went outwide right the further back he had to drop to cover the space..

 

It looked like they 4-2-3-1 with Dembele and Parker sitting, Lennon out wide right with Bale and Sigurdsson swapping and getting close to Adebayor.. Problem was, Bale was losing possession and Sigurdsson was tracking Walcott meaning Adebayor looked a lonely figure at times.. But they were still organized through the middle..

 

As for Arsenal, why are Arteta and Wilshire both played as  holding midfielders and why is Ramsey on the wing? Wenger is going all NC on Arsenal, square pegs and round holes.. They miss a genuine winger, a genuine CM, and a better defence..

[networker1884]

I think Defoe livened up the game. He added a lot of pace and control up front. Though anything can be better than Adebayor, how he's in the first team is beyond me...

[Alex W]

To be fair it looked like Sigurdsson had that job, but the more Walcott went outwide right the further back he had to drop to cover the space..

 

It looked like they 4-2-3-1 with Dembele and Parker sitting, Lennon out wide right with Bale and Sigurdsson swapping and getting close to Adebayor.. Problem was, Bale was losing possession and Sigurdsson was tracking Walcott meaning Adebayor looked a lonely figure at times.. But they were still organized through the middle..

 

As for Arsenal, why are Arteta and Wilshire both played as  holding midfielders and why is Ramsey on the wing? Wenger is going all NC on Arsenal, square pegs and round holes.. They miss a genuine winger, a genuine CM, and a better defence..

I presumed as much, but wouldn't it be rather obvious that Walcott would pull out-wide if Giroud is also playing? Arsene has hardly played them together, and when he has Walcott has always gone wide. Had Sigurdsson maintained where he probably intended to be, Tottenham would've been able to control the game a little more, though it wasn't helping as you say that Bale wasn't quite getting into the game initially (and Lennon wouldn't come inside to gather the ball either).

I also wondered why Ramsey was being played there, seems curious doesn't it? Unless Wenger had no intention of him getting by people and was just there to steady the ship and hold possession further up the field. 

Their defence really is poor nowadays, the first goal is Mertersackers fault, the second I think is as much Vermaelens, Mertersacker needed a shout that there was a runner behind him. Arsenal need to spend big on that side, I wonder what the price of Moutinho, David Villa and a strong CB would be? (One of Dortmund's pairing perhaps?) To turn that side into a strong contender again will take some serious dosh.

[blackNwhites]

Second goal was as much Nacho Monreal's fault as it was the CB, he pushed too high up to track Lennon.

 

Believe it or not, Arsenal's defence is the joint best away from home this season and the 4th best overall.

[mozza]

i reckon he's out for the rest of the season now..

 

stretchered off tonight ..that looked bad..