I just think he might have all the attributes of a really, really good winger. He has bags of pace, he has fantastic delivery and can even come inside and shoot. I know it all seems a bit revolutionary but I honestly think it might work. I'd even go as far as to say that he might be able to single-handedly destroy some of the best sides in Europe in that position. Maybe. It's even possible that Adebayor might enjoy some crosses or that Van der Vaart and Modric might get over no longer being able to hold his hand as they all stand around with each other in the middle. Just a thought.
He spent most of the first half on the left, I thought. Trouble is he was getting marked a lot and not being given the ball soon enough but still he should have persisted with it more than he did.
Lennon coming on sooner may have improved the situation - but we don't know how delicate that Lennon hamstring is I guess.....
I don't like the way Bale just seems to (of his own accord it appears) wander in off the left and play more centrally. If he's being double marked or whatever then the team need to shift the emphasis somewhere else as (if there's 2 people on Bale) there'll be bigger gaps elsewhere.
he has been given licence to do that...HR said he can do that if i am not mistaken when he was questioned about it after the Norwich game,when he bagged 2 good goals with central runs.. however...maybe he can only do that with certain teams...Yeh norwich have done well but they are poor defensivley if you ask me...against top teams he could never do that im afraid..and why is he shifting? is it because he doesnt have enough in his locker to beat the full back anymore..yes if he is doubled or tripled up then it means someone somewhere in an attacking position should be free..id say hes got great physical attributes but his head needs to mature...sometimes he doesnt need to beat a full back but he always feels he must...think he needs a few coaching sessions from Messi and or Ronaldo......not saying he is as good but im saying he needs to add a few more attributes in his locker as an out and out winger...to me he seems at his best when Lennon is playing..thats not because of his skills it is because by having Lennon..the midfield of the oppo must stay stretched..and that gives Bale the space to run down and dribble on the wing......he runs through the middle to give himself more space as he can go to the left or right..but on a wing really all the play is eventually going to have to come inwards .
Yes - he did pop up there a few times but very often his starting position seemed to be inside the fullback and he seemed to be looking to receive the ball inside the pitch rather than up the line. A couple of times when Benny was in possession he dropped back/in to try to receive the ball (and getting in the way of midfielders who were already there) instead of turning and sprinting up the line, knowing Benny would find him, as we know he is so capable of. This was when, of course, I noticed him doing anything. He's devastating as an out-and-out winger. And very so-so as an advanced midfielder.
Here's an idea, Bale doesn't want to stick playing on the left, nor does Harry want him to, so let's go along with what player and manager both want. I'm more than happy to go along with that idea. Playing Bale as an out and out winger makes him easy for a lot of teams to mark him out of the game. Especially in games like yesterday where the other side was given licence to kick and foul him. Bardsley should have have had a yellow early on for that intended assault on him, instead Bale jumps out of the way and Bardsley has the sauce to indicate that Bale was 'diving'. Disgraceful, and an early indication of the diabolical fare that Sunderland were intent on.
The key to making the next step up in quality so that we expect to beat the other top sides is making the system more fluid and getting more out of each player. The best sides don't play 442 and don't have wingers. This is not a coincidence. Changing things takes time though and is not without risk. Hopefully the way we are set up now will bear fruit next season.
Man Utd are top of the league, play with wingers and often use a 4-4-2. They did today, for instance.
That doesn't look right, they've only got 10 outfield players in that formation. Also Rooney and the ref both usually drop off and let Welbeck lead the line.
I just don't think it's too arrogant or deluded to think that, bar about five or six away games a year in the league we should be looking to impose our style over the other team. We have better players than the majority of Prem teams. Two DMs as and when, yes. But not at home to Bolton or Swansea or even (in retrospect) away to a very defensive-minded Sunderland.
We don't have the squad for it. We only have one right winger, our backup left winger is more likely to get played at left back and there's no backup for VDV when he's out.
We might do, YV. Dos Santos plays on the right wing, though he's probably screwed his chances, we've got loads of left wingers, though most of them are out on loan and Kranjcar could probably do van der Vaart's role. We could also switch to a 4-4-2 with Defoe or Saha replacing the Dutchman.
I don't think any of them are suitable for it though. GDS has never looked right in the Premier League, Kranjcar has never really played there for us so I guess I'll give you the benefit on that one. 'Arry sounded like he enjoyed the control we had over Sunderland with the 433 which I worry we may go for again.
Why would you want to play Bale in his most natural and effective position? whats the point in that? go back to football manager and put all your players in their best positions and you will get relegated (wink)
Utd play with a much more fluid formation though. Valencia and Young come inside even more than Bale does. And they have the squad to play the same system whoever is available - we don't so need to play a different way.
Utd's formation isn't more fluid than ours when we play the 4-4-1-1. We don't know whether we've got the players to play it when people are out either, as Redknapp never does it. One injury and we switch to something else.
