Bale

[conwy10]

Aug 28, 2022 22:24:28 GMT mortillsy said:

Aug 28, 2022 21:37:19 GMT conwy10 said:

Not watched the game, he's had some shockers for Wales but he's a flair player. If the games going for him he's on fire, if it's not he's terrible. Take those Austria goals away and it wasn't a classic but he stepped up when it counted.

Can’t work out if you’re being ironic or not ….

No not ironic. Basically what I'm saying, and others like Bale, are either match winners or scapegoats. He's not going to track back and cover the fullback, he's not going to fit into the system. He's there to exploit weaknesses in the opposition and keep himself fresh for when he needs it. He's not there to run the marathon, he's there for the 100m.

Against Austria he'd barely kicked a ball in months and pops up with 2 goals to win the match. If he hadn't have scored people would have been on his back saying he needs to get off the golf course and onto the training pitch. There's fine margins when you're that type of player. I genuinely think the pundits prefer headless chickens who'll run around all day in midfield not achieving much but who "put in a shift".

[insertname]

Aug 29, 2022 11:39:17 GMT conwy10 said:

Aug 28, 2022 22:24:28 GMT mortillsy said:

Can’t work out if you’re being ironic or not ….

No not ironic. Basically what I'm saying, and others like Bale, are either match winners or scapegoats. He's not going to track back and cover the fullback, he's not going to fit into the system. He's there to exploit weaknesses in the opposition and keep himself fresh for when he needs it. He's not there to run the marathon, he's there for the 100m.

Against Austria he'd barely kicked a ball in months and pops up with 2 goals to win the match. If he hadn't have scored people would have been on his back saying he needs to get off the golf course and onto the training pitch. There's fine margins when you're that type of player. I genuinely think the pundits prefer headless chickens who'll run around all day in midfield not achieving much but who "put in a shift".

I think he’s also like Ward where his body language can be interpreted as ambivalence when things are going wrong

[cogancoronation31]

LAFC lost again last night - 2-1 on the road at Houston Dynamo.

Gareth came on as a sub midway through the second half, and had two chances to score - a header well saved by the Houston keeper, and a low left-foot drive kicked off the line by a retreating defender.

He's set to play again on Sunday night (early Monday AM for us) - a home fixture at the Banc of Californaia Stadium against Real Salt Lake. Be good for his morale if he gets on the scoresheet.

[cogancoronation31]

A solid 2-0 home victory for LAFC last night, with a 20 minute cameo from Mr Bale (came off the bench on 70 minutes) - a useful runaround for him, keeping him fresh and match fit!

Great atmosphere, if YouTube highlights are anything to go by, and some red dragons to be spotted in the crowd.

Carlos Vela missed a penalty at the death, which would have made the scoreline more convincing. Gareth to take the next one please!

[conwy10]

Really not going well for Bale there. Every article I seem to come across is highly critical of him. He'll be fine for us but what will he do at club level? Might sound blasphemous but I'm starting to think he really doesn't care about club level and only cares about Wales.

[iot]

Sept 17, 2022 4:57:57 GMT conwy10 said:

Really not going well for Bale there. Every article I seem to come across is highly critical of him. He'll be fine for us but what will he do at club level? Might sound blasphemous but I'm starting to think he really doesn't care about club level and only cares about Wales.

Wouldn't worry about it. Give him time an he'll come good

[dai]

Sept 17, 2022 4:57:57 GMT conwy10 said:

Really not going well for Bale there. Every article I seem to come across is highly critical of him. He'll be fine for us but what will he do at club level? Might sound blasphemous but I'm starting to think he really doesn't care about club level and only cares about Wales.

It's not surprising really is it? We all know he puts in a shift for Wales, but his club commitment and performances have been questionable for quite a few years now........

[underwood]

Sept 17, 2022 8:07:44 GMT dai said:

Sept 17, 2022 4:57:57 GMT conwy10 said:

Really not going well for Bale there. Every article I seem to come across is highly critical of him. He'll be fine for us but what will he do at club level? Might sound blasphemous but I'm starting to think he really doesn't care about club level and only cares about Wales.

It's not surprising really is it? We all know he puts in a shift for Wales, but his club commitment and performances have been questionable for quite a few years now........

Would you prefer it the other way around?
Fine by me.
So some dull Yanks who don’t even call it football are upset, big deal.

[eppingblue1]

We'll need to get a new flag for the match with the Yanks

WALES  GOLF  GARDENING

[conwy10]

Sept 17, 2022 10:04:24 GMT underwood said:

Sept 17, 2022 8:07:44 GMT dai said:

It's not surprising really is it? We all know he puts in a shift for Wales, but his club commitment and performances have been questionable for quite a few years now........

Would you prefer it the other way around?
Fine by me.
So some dull Yanks who don’t even call it football are upset, big deal.

To be honest I just worry that if he can't find club form he'll consider retirement. I don't think I'm any way prepared for that

[dai]

Sept 17, 2022 10:04:24 GMT underwood said:

Sept 17, 2022 8:07:44 GMT dai said:

It's not surprising really is it? We all know he puts in a shift for Wales, but his club commitment and performances have been questionable for quite a few years now........

Would you prefer it the other way around?
Fine by me.
So some dull Yanks who don’t even call it football are upset, big deal.

No, obviously not. But I'd prefer it he was match sharp and fit, which he's never going to be, and that gets reflected when he plays for us.

Yes, injuries have played a big role in his decline, but his (imo) reluctance to keep active at club level is also a factor.

[morg]

Sept 17, 2022 23:33:22 GMT dai said:

Sept 17, 2022 10:04:24 GMT underwood said:

Would you prefer it the other way around?
Fine by me.
So some dull Yanks who don’t even call it football are upset, big deal.

No, obviously not. But I'd prefer it he was match sharp and fit, which he's never going to be, and that gets reflected when he plays for us.

Yes, injuries have played a big role in his decline, but his (imo) reluctance to keep active at club level is also a factor.

Fear of injury may be linked to reluctance at club level? Anyway another half hour under his belt earlier in a 3-1 win and hopefully joining up with our squad soon.

[kingstonred]

Looked good in the 30 mins he played, a few nice touches

[robin1864]

Here's hoping this is a well-timed, reverse-Giggs tactical injury to ensure he is fit for Qatar.

[iantov]

Sky reports suggest that he has a minor leg injury that kept him out of the LAFC v LA Galaxy game but he will be fit for the World Cup.

[manulike]

Click bait, no doubt

[quetzal]

I’m a little bit worried over Bale’s match sharpness over 3 games or more. Austria and Ukraine were one offs. Hardly played for L.A.

[allezlesrouges]

Surprising how little he's played for LA. Maybe he's being ultra cautious ahead of the WC? The closer it gets perhaps the more he'd be worried about missing it?

[cymruramdcfc]

Oct 29, 2022 15:02:29 GMT allezlesrouges said:

Surprising how little he's played for LA. Maybe he's being ultra cautious ahead of the WC? The closer it gets perhaps the more he'd be worried about missing it?

Cotton wool till 22nd

[welshrover]

On bench today, but didn't get on the grass.

[iantov]

Final is on 5th Nov. It will be a nervous wait...

[hooky]

Why nervous?

They will not bother playing him unless they are losing 2-0 with 10 mins to go.

I can't believe he could not even get into this US team / string a single 90 mins performance together. Mad! Unless he goes to the Championship on a pay as you go deal he will surely have no choice but to retire after the world cup. Who would want to invest in someone who has hardly kicked a ball in club football for 3-4 years and is well into their 30s?

[hooky]

Him and Ramsey are going to miles off match fit for the World Cup. I can hardly believe it! Its mad!

[dai]

Admittedly, I haven't been keeping tabs on Bale. Why has he not been playing? Recovering from injury still? Unfit? Crap?

[dai]

Oct 31, 2022 19:37:42 GMT hooky said:

Him and Ramsey are going to miles off match fit for the World Cup. I can hardly believe it! Its mad!

I can believe it. The harsh facts are neither have been properly match fit for around 4 years, why was it going to change now? A WC on the horizon was never going to miraculously cure their fitness issues. 

In saying that, Ramsey has a natural engine, and could play 90 mins no problem, Bale on the other hand has lost his legs, and has dropped in stamina over the last few years.

[hooky]

In the heat of Qatar they should be bench options for the last 20-30 mins but we know that is not going to happen. We could have two passengers in the team for a substantial period of time. Really crap that our best two players will be so off the pace (again). They must have truly terrible chronic injuries which they don't disclose as it is just remarkable how they can't string 2-3 games together without getting crocked

[mrpicton79]

Oct 31, 2022 19:39:14 GMT dai said:

Oct 31, 2022 19:37:42 GMT hooky said:

Him and Ramsey are going to miles off match fit for the World Cup. I can hardly believe it! Its mad!

I can believe it. The harsh facts are neither have been properly match fit for around 4 years, why was it going to change now? A WC on the horizon was never going to miraculously cure their fitness issues. 

In saying that, Ramsey has a natural engine, and could play 90 mins no problem, Bale on the other hand has lost his legs, and has dropped in stamina over the last few years.

It's hugely concerning, no getting away from it.

It's hard to believe Bale is only 33. Probably a moot point but it's noticeable how much grey hair he's got for someone so young, like he's got some premature ageing condition or something. I'm 10 years older than him and I've got hardly any grey hair 

[dlwilliams]

Ramsey will be fine, as mentioned above his natural engine will keep him going and even if he's not starting for Nice, he nearly always comes on for half an hour at least.

I don't know what to make of Bale, I really don't. Admittedly, he's only been over there for a few months and signed for a club that was already doing well so he can hardly stroll into the side, even allowing for who he is. I'm not sure I buy this 'we're building up slowly' stuff that he was coming out with before the games in September, it's not as if he's coming back from a really serious injury or anything as happened with Ramsey. He wasn't injured when he went over there in the summer.

At least with Bale, we do have other options in those forward areas. Ramsey missing is a bigger blow for me.

[CrackityJones]

Bale hardly played before the play off games and look how he performed then

[iot]

Have to admit I'm concerned about Bale. Yes he managed to pull it out of the bag against Austria, but there have been plenty of other games where he's not been match fit and it's shown - the double-header last month a case in point! It would be dangerous to assume he'll just repeat the heroics of that Austria game.