When you put it into perspective though, he scored more league goals than the likes of Cavani, Aubameyang, Sterling and Antonio and the same amount as Mane, Rashford and Zaha. Done it in just 20 games as well and not all of them starts, would’ve probably hit around another 6-7 if Jose actually decided to not defend for 88 mins of a game.
It was only part miss because he should’ve played more. Had he done so, he’d have scored more and grabbed us more points.
Actual proof that: 1. Some things are funnier in your head than when written down Or 2. after finishing off the Cinzano Bianco and the baby chams our @Diego finds everything funny.
You keep going on about Bale being the 3rd highest scorer. That may be true but he only scored 11 in the PL and I think only a couple of assists. But I don't recall Bale having much influence on the team. 11 goals doesn't justify his ridiculous salary. We need a creator, someone to make a difference. That isn't Bale anymore. He can't harrass the oppo, he can't track back or tackle anymore. He doesn't put the effort in to helping the team perform. All Bale is interested in is adulation and scoring goals. He had his second chance last season. It didn't work out. His fitness was poor initially. He had a couple of injuries. I accept he sat on the bench a fair bit but I would trust Jose had his reasons for not playing him more whether this was fitness, attitude or his limitations of tracking back to help the midfield or defence. No way he's coming back and quite frankly, for a third time is a silly notion especially if he wants half a million quid weekly!
And you also want our top scorer from the last 7 seasons sold too. So basically you don’t want any goal scorers in the team but people who can just run about and harass the opposition. I bet you loved Nuno-ball.
No, I don't want our top scorer of the last 7 years to leave but unfortunately he made it clear he wants to move on, and whilst he's physically still in the team, his mind is elsewhere. Time to let him leave. He made his own bed.
I refer you back to Barren Dent He was a regular gop scorer for Ipswich, Charlton, Sunderland and Villa, but bloody hell was he useless in matches where any of those teams didn't have the ball - and, in a lot of cases, when they did
Your third top scorer was Cavani, who scored one more goal than Bale, despite being a striker. Our top two (Kane & Son) scored 55 goals, while yours (Penalties and Rashford) scored 49.
I reckon that it would be a decent swap to play with 10 men in every match in return for a goal start. Bale is worth about 3/4 of a man for his attacking play but only a tiny bit in defence so I think he breaks even if he scores every 5 games. It's a harder sum to do for outfield players other than Son and Kane and I agree with you that Bale is just worth his place.
He averaged a goal every 83 mins in the league last season for us so chances are he’d be returning more than a goal every 5 games. Lucas is more likely to have that sort of return, it’d probably be closer to 6 or 7 games though, possibly more. I’d say Bale’s worth his place for relatively simple reasoning: He’s better than what we currently have.
I am sure we all watch football for the chance to see the magic moments that the game can produce. A Gazza goal, or a Hoddle pass, Son hitting a perfect volley that curls around the goalkeeper into the top corner. The Rose volley into the Arsenal net. Most good players can produce these moments from time to time but they are rare. There are a few players who produce them often Ronaldinhio, Messi, Maradonna, Ronaldo, Best, Cruyff, Moore, Maldini, King, Charles, Greaves. These are the players who people have flocked to see just to watch the magic. Gareth Bale is one of those players, he produced two or three of those moments for us last season, most players will be lucky to produce one in their career. If we could get him back to play in our Stadium in front of a full house WOW!
Thats not the only reason…you’re a long time waiting if that’s all you watch for. I want to watch my team look solid and the one with the bit between their teeth for the most of the 90 minutes. Moments of magic are rare and they just happen when everything is timed right…that’s not the purpose at kick off. I watch to witness my team functioning like a well oiled machine once more.
That was like a topless me looking at myself in a lift with mirrored walls...where the relections go on for ever
Yes I agree a team working like a well oiled machine is something we might hope to see under Conte but well oiled machines vary. It could be a tractor I would not especially enjoy that, in order to produce a well oiled machine with a point and something I would want to watch it needs the magic moments. McLaren or John Dere the difference? Special parts.
