Too many on here with great memories of the past and little view of the present. Would still take Eriksen for a year though.
Yeah he still has something to offer but I can’t forget his final season with us where he essentially downed tools and played silly buggers at the club.
I’d take both despite that. You need quality players to properly compete. Bale and Eriksen have quality in abundance
Erm.... Bale is homegrown and on a free. 5 subs are allowed per match next season. Having Bale as a bench option in games that need changing is a good idea. I’m very much looking at the present. He did a job for us recently when he returned before and he can do a job for one more season. It’s a squad game now more than ever.
Bale had the best goals per minute ratio in the Prem when he was back in his second spell. The man still has unbelievable quality. And unlike that second spell, we don’t even need him to be a regular 90 minute player like we were hoping for back then because of the front three we currently have now. But when there’s 20-25 minutes left and we’re chasing a goal and there’s a choice of Bergwijn, Lucas and Bale to pick from, you’d be bonkers if you’re picking either of the first two. Bringing him back should be a no-brainer.
i would like to witness the hype and energy for sure…will be amazing…we love him…it is what it is. I just don’t see how his work ethic fits in with a Conte team a great option with 20 to go and a goal required…he will always be capable of that. I do feel as though he doesn’t have hunger for club football anymore but who knows what 60000 people chanting your name can do to your energy and desire.
I doubt he can demand anything near what he got in Madrid 600k a week? tbh as much as I love him I think he’s a pass if he’s wanting anything more than 200k a week off us. Imo he should be coming to us to elevate us…it’s a different project…one for hungry players who want to help the club achieve its ambitions and their own. If he feels above that emotion then it’s a swerve from me. I’m hearing rumours about him joining Cardiff or someone similar till the WC then retiring afterwards.
He’s also club grown too, which essentially makes him a truly “free” addition to the squad. I’m not even someone that overly worries over HG and CG quota issues so long as we have 3 or 4 of them (which we do) as 17 non-HG players, 3 or 4 HG/ CG and then a few youngsters gives us an adequate size squad in my opinion but if the possibility is there to add a CG option then it feels silly not too. Kane, Winks, Skipp, Tanganga and Austin will all be CG players for us next season. It’s fair to assume Winks is almost certainly going to leave, Tanganga’s future is unclear and I’d imagine we’d sell if a decent offer arrives whilst Austin really should be given a loan to further his development. If that happens, which I think is very possible, bringing Bale back makes even more sense. He’d fill part of a quota that 99.9% of players in the game couldn’t fill, hence why he’d truly be a free addition, even if worst case he never kicked a ball, it wouldn’t negatively affect us other than wages because just about no other player would be missing out due to Bale’s inclusion (unless we also decide to try and re-sign KWP, Livermore, David Button and Townsend etc, lol).
The case for Bale returning to Spurs is already made for both the on-pitch, and off-pitch (merch etc) factors. Similarly I would contend the only factors that would end it, is Conte (dogma) and Bales' possible financial demands.
The Pathetic claim that Bonesaw McGraw expects at least £40m for Saint-Maximin Luckily there's an entire league of pacey Francophone wingers of West African extraction we can choose from to get a better option...
I don't think you are quite right on the Club Grown numbers. The only way Tanganga and Austin can go on loan and free up a space for Bale is if we have a replacement for them as the third goalkeeper and sixth centre back. I don't think we can afford a foreign trained player for either of those spots and I don't know of an U21 player we could sensibly promote either. However we will only likely have three locally trained players in the CL squad....Sessegnon, Spence and Forster so Bale would fit in there. I don't think we have the luxury on filling up the squad with youngsters as most of the ones we have need to be out on loan.
I'd actually take Button back as 3rd choice. Loan out a youngster and have some experience in case of emergencies. Walker-Peters would probably do well in Conte's system, too.
I don't look at it from a positional pecking order perspective like how you have, at any given time someone will have to be bottom of the pile in a position, whether that's a HG, CG or non-HG player (or U21) is down to the manager and down to what we actually have. Though I'd say from a quality perspective, having Bale as a senior registered player in a 25 man squad would make more sense than say someone like Austin or Tanganga. If they can all fit in, great, though if they can't then you'd have Bale and work around the issues of a 3rd choice keeper or 6th choice centre back, both of whom are not likely going to play much (in the keeper's case, if at all).
The past few years, making the CL has ranged from not in the cards to are you kidding me? Conte came, and Spurs are in the CL with a 2-2-0 record last year against the best two squads in the world. So I'm in favor of doing anything that might help their chances. Bale is a proven winner with a knack for scoring big goals. Eriksen would make Spurs a sentimental favorite. Both would be dangerous set piece options. Together they'd add considerably to the squad's belief, I think, which may be the most important thing.
I'm not overly a fan of having three senior keepers to be honest, feels like a waste of a spot in my opinion. The third choice rarely (if ever) plays, I think in the last three years the third choice has played once and that was Vorm vs Norwich in the cup which went well - a crazy decision too as Jose confirmed Gazzaniga was fit to play but opted to rotate. Assuming Forster's joined, which I think he has, then I'd happily loan Austin out, not cover the third spot with a senior player and just have Gunter or whoever on standby should they ever be needed. I mean I'm fully aware if we done that both Lloris and Forster will get three month injuries simultaneously , but in general it's just not a position I feel warrants a senior player.
