They know for sure Bale's going to play through the middle. I sense a lot of misinformation coming from their camp. Bale's been doubled-up on before, when he's played on the wing, and that never goes to plan either. One player in front, the other coming from 4 o'clock, Bale taps the ball from his right foot to his left, boots the ball inbetween the two and runs like a Welsh steam train. The only way they're going to stop him is to knobble him in the tunnel.
I think the question that needs to be asked right now, is "How does one stop Gareth Bale?" He is fast, so you need players who can match his pace, OR have the ability to position themselves very very well, with no room for error. He can shoot, so he needs to be closed down quickly. Time the tackle wrong, and he's won a free kick in a decent area, and you're facing a yellow card. He can then score the subsequent free kick. He can switch roles to go and play as a winger. - does that player continue to man mark him? or does the natural right back take over? is that chosen player then capable of dealing with him? Finding 1 player who's capable of dealing with him for 90 mins is very difficult. He doesn't need many chances. I don't think Inter have anyone who can.They might keep him quiet in the sense that he won't be going on run after run, wowing the crowds. - but it's that 1 strike they fail to close down, or that 1 through ball he'll provide, that'll cause the damage. he really is unstoppable at the moment. Lyon did well against us. - Disgusting football that I hate, but it was very clever and they were moments from pulling it off. Inter are going to have to do the same, but with them not being the team they were 2 years ago, I think they are going to have serious problems tonight.
The last time any team really got the better of him was arguably Everton, when they doubled up with Phil Neville + 1, but things have definitely moved on since then. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that with prior warning and a lack of other options in terms of quality on the pitch, Inter will resort to more 'traditional' Italian defensive tactics against Bale. And that's what is worrying the **** out of me at the moment!!
AVB is taking nothing for granted and is really playing Inter up. Better than being over confident I'd say. Please Spurs, get more than a one goal win.
To be fair to Phil Neville, he's done it on a couple of occasions and completely negated our attacking threat/s. - Cheated in 1 encounter, if i remember correctly. - But still, not many have managed what he has against us.
That's because he picked up every dirty trick in the book when he was at Old Trafford, Roo. His nasty push on Bale when he was in the air, which put him totally off balance and injured him a la Dawson v Stevenage, was ****ing disgusting. Very cowardly. Everton's method of dealing with him has been playing two right backs down the flank, so that's out the window now.
Me too. I genuinly think it would be a good idea to leave him on the bench and bring him on in the second half. Holtby offers a different style to him and if they set up to stop Bale's pace it will hamper them to get their own game going whilst also not necessarily countering Holtby's threat.
And if they are gonna be playing a 39yr old to counter Bale then he's gonna be absolutely shattered by the time Bale even gets on if he's a sub.
This has probably been mentioned before, but do we have to put up with that weird camera angle for this (Europa) match again? Does anyone know why the cameras are at a lower angle for this competition (if indeed they always are, which they seem to be).
They're at that angle so the advertising boards are smack bang in the middle of the screen. It annoys me too.
It would be a huge boost of confidence to the rest of our infantry should they eke out a result later today without Bale, Dembele or lennon. However, if AVB is serious about progressing further amongst this lot, he most certainly must to play at least one of the three. I'd prefer the three points on Sunday.
I don't think there's a need to use this as a 'rest game', unlike Harry was, AVB has been good at rotating the squad throughout the season. Some of this has been enforced through injury, but at many other times AVB has surprised people by not picking players for certain games. The only two who you could make an argument for resting would be Lennon and Bale.
Friedel; Walker, Vertonghen, Gallas, Assou-Ekotto; Dembele, Parker; Lennon, Sigurdsson, Bale; Defoe Subs: Lloris, Caulker, Naughton, Dawson, Livermore, Carroll, Holtby
Well that settles it. Strongest team possible, bar Gallas and Brad. No Adebayor at all. Not much attacking threat on that bench
