Gareth Bale | Signed new contract
- Thread starter AgainstAllOdds
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Signing Bale would be absolutely pointless.
We don't need him as we're well stocked in the wingers department.
He is no full back, as he can't play there for us, and he is not better than Nani.
Overall I can't see a reason why we should splash anything north of 20m on anyone who isn't a central midfielder.
We don't need him as we're well stocked in the wingers department.
He is no full back, as he can't play there for us, and he is not better than Nani.
Overall I can't see a reason why we should splash anything north of 20m on anyone who isn't a central midfielder.
Another who has missed the point really. Start of the season we played a midfield pair who carried the ball very deep into the opponents half before giving it to Nani. So in effect he was playing on the edge of the box, more as a wide forward, where i believe he is best suited, rather than as a winger on the touchline.
Most of the posters who are saying Nani is inconsistent, simply don't see him as a winger in a 4-4-2, and are judging him on that. This a the point many are missing here. 4-3-3, then Nani and young are in every time over Valencia or Bale imo.
4-4-2 you are very dependent on consistently good service from the wings. For that you require some predictability, so the strikers know when to make runs etc. In that formation predictability is often a benefit, far more often than a liability. I see Nani as a goal threat more than a provider, not saying he cannot provide he can, but often not as consistently as Valencia would in those wide positions.
So yes Nani can be great, but imo he is not a natural winger. He is a wide forward attempting playing as a winger. that does not really suit his strengths, and is why i feel he falls behind Valencia in terms of effectiveness and consistency in that position.
Play him as a wide forward who can drift in towards the centre and i think you would see his performance levels gain far greater consistency, because he is now in an area, where his skill and trickery and ability to shoot from range with either foot, can be most devastating to the opponent. Which is exactly what we saw from him at the start of the season as you noted.
If he was a few years younger, I'd take Robben over Nani, but no other winger in world football.
United would be dreadfully boring with Valencia and Bale as our full time starting wingers.
Can't see how Bale is boring to watch at all, his directness in possession and speed of attack is great to watch. Bale is significantly less boring than Young anyway, at least he tries to take his man on.
He would comfortably be an upgrade on Young in my opinion. Not even close.
Were United boring with Sharpe and Kanchelskis?
Because Bale-Valencia is an almost identical setup
Because Bale-Valencia is an almost identical setup
I think Bale is better than Young meself but we arent going to see him at United IMO
If he does leave Spurs id say it'd be for city or chavs.
If he does leave Spurs id say it'd be for city or chavs.
Not that I can see it happening but I struggle to think of anything less boring.
It's in the dna of the club to play pacy wingers. It's why we're very rarely ever boring to watch.
Not that I can see it happening but I struggle to think of anything less boring.
It's in the dna of the club to play pacy wingers. It's why we're very rarely ever boring to watch.
I think he meant one-dimensional. Which is a sentiment I agree with.
This.
Does it hurt my muppet-credibility that I have no interest in us signing Bale?
And Nani would be very close to the last player I would want to sell from our squad.
And Nani would be very close to the last player I would want to sell from our squad.
Bale is easily superior to Young. People seem to question Nani's consistency but I feel that it is who Young is dreadfully inconsistent.
Bale would be much better than Young on the left but no way would I want to see us lose Nani for anyone except Messi or Ronaldo.
Lets be straight as well, Young is not versatile, he is a good left winger and a poor number 10. I think in future years we will begin to groan when we see Young's name on the teamsheet in the number 10 slot.
Bale would be much better than Young on the left but no way would I want to see us lose Nani for anyone except Messi or Ronaldo.
Lets be straight as well, Young is not versatile, he is a good left winger and a poor number 10. I think in future years we will begin to groan when we see Young's name on the teamsheet in the number 10 slot.
2 players who were IMO more naturally gifted than either Valencia or Bale.
That is like saying the 1999 side would have been equally as interesting with a right footed and a left footed Beckham on either flank.
Not that I can see it happening but I struggle to think of anything less boring. .
The pace of the wingers isn't the issue. Untied has a proud history of having at least one predictable/truly magical winger on one side and a more predictable one on the other.
We got away with having 2 very similar wingers in Sharpe and Kanchelskis because we had an awesome central midfield. Not forgetting the addition of Cantona at one point.
For my money unless we are overhauling our current midfield we'd be bland with 2 identical predictable wingers on either flank. Because once there plan A trick fails to work we'd have nada else to offer.
TBF we only use him there in emergencies...
There's nothing naturally gifted about Lee Sharpe, a player who made the most of his limited abilities (according to him and I agree)
Luckily then we could fall back on Plan B aka the substitution.
But anyway, we don't have Bale and I don't think we should go for him personally so it's a moot debate.
If you were saying it's better to have a mixture of styles on each side (Beckham/Giggs, Valencia/Nani) then I agree with you. I just disagree that direct and pacy wing play is boring. I don't think you could ever call it that.
My point is with our current center midfield set up it would be.
Regardless, they both played the exact same way and they were never boring.
That's not what you said though
I don't see how what I said has changed. It's just others who assumed I was saying United could never be entertaining with those 2 as wingers.
They also had a far superior collection of central midfield players playing with them compared to anything we have now.
I am not convinced playing with a right footed and left footed Valencia full time would improve or benefit us at all with our current personnel. I have no doubt we'd be pretty easy for smart sides to stop.
We are one dimensional now! You pretty much always will be when you play 4-4-2 with our type of midfield.
So why worsen it by adding another narrow dimension to our opposite flank on a full time basis?
No thanks, not as good as Nani so why spunk a huge transfer fee on someone who is no better than what we have?
It isn't happening anyway. No chance. No way. Forget it.
Don't have to worry about that.
If Bale did come to United, I could see Valencia switching to RB (great player for Rafael to learn from IMO) with Nani going to permanent RW (and having Valencia as cover when necessary). Then there is Young as quality cover to Bale on the left.
Won't happen though.
Won't happen though.
It'd be such a waste. Nani on the left, Valencia on the right and Young as backup, why the feck would we spunk out 30m on a winger when we already have that?
Where is all this spunk coming from?
Not sure why it's making such a hot talking point right now, seems like a nothing story based on 'Arry leaving.
It's actually a wider dimension if you want to be literal Chief!
Because like Valencia, it works best for a 4-4-2. Everyone knows what he is going to do, most importantly so do the strikers which is why they seem to get goals when he is in the side. Bale on the other side would do similarly, so we would have 2 sources of reliable quality deliveries coming from either side rather than just one.
As i have said though, i do not want to get rid of Nani for anything. But i rate him much more as a wide striker than a touchline winger. He is a goalscorer and a goal threat, more than a provider. Although because of his quality he can still cross, pass and provide, for me it is not his strongest suit.
No moreso than Ronaldo is a winger. He can play there and do all the necessary things to be a winger, but in my view you are wasting his best attributes which are his goalscoring capabilities and ability to cause panic in and around the box.
We'd also have cemented the fact that United only has a plan A. Get it wide and cross. We'd be piss easy to stop for most smart teams.It's actually a wider dimension if you want to be literal Chief!
Because like Valencia, it works best for a 4-4-2. Everyone knows what he is going to do, most importantly so do the strikers which is why they seem to get goals when he is in the side. Bale on the other side would do similarly, so we would have 2 sources of reliable quality deliveries coming from either side rather than just one.....
The difference in a title season is often those tired matches in the butt end of the season against a team playing negative football, eleven men behind the ball, and content to suck the ideas and optimism out of United. Those are the frustrating draws that stick in the craw.
On a day like that it takes the matchwinner, the unpredictable, that bit of magic or inspiration that will break underdog hearts and wipe away the frustration of an afternoon.
Ronaldo could win matches singlehandedly for us on those bad days. Rooney will make a goal when we need it, and Nani has that in his locker too.
It is fun to watch defenders back off, mesmerized, or petrified? when Nani is on the ball. Then he attempts what most players wouldn't. Sometimes it never seems to come off. I spend the match yelling at the tv. Nani do something! And then he does-when its too late-backed into the corner by two defenders he flicks the ball between, splits them and is free! A deft touch at an awkward angle and an immaculate goal is scored.
Nani is a matchwinner. He showed that potential even at his raw beginnings with the club.
Bale is a great player, but too often he fails to threaten or looks out of ideas. If he came to United, then I'd use him as a left back or switch Nani from flank to flank pairing him with Valencia or Bale depending on the opponent and their weaknesses. But I can't imagine United allowing Nani to leave, and I wouldn't prefer Bale to Nani any day of the week.
On a day like that it takes the matchwinner, the unpredictable, that bit of magic or inspiration that will break underdog hearts and wipe away the frustration of an afternoon.
Ronaldo could win matches singlehandedly for us on those bad days. Rooney will make a goal when we need it, and Nani has that in his locker too.
It is fun to watch defenders back off, mesmerized, or petrified? when Nani is on the ball. Then he attempts what most players wouldn't. Sometimes it never seems to come off. I spend the match yelling at the tv. Nani do something! And then he does-when its too late-backed into the corner by two defenders he flicks the ball between, splits them and is free! A deft touch at an awkward angle and an immaculate goal is scored.
Nani is a matchwinner. He showed that potential even at his raw beginnings with the club.
Bale is a great player, but too often he fails to threaten or looks out of ideas. If he came to United, then I'd use him as a left back or switch Nani from flank to flank pairing him with Valencia or Bale depending on the opponent and their weaknesses. But I can't imagine United allowing Nani to leave, and I wouldn't prefer Bale to Nani any day of the week.
Yeah, said this for quite a while now and made a thread on it a long time ago. We really need to be able to do more from the middle. We don't want to buy another winger who will make us even more fecking reliant on the wings!
I would love to sign the likes of Bale and i would eventually like to see Nani playing a floating role as he has that little bit of magic to change a game, and beat a man at close quarters.
-----------Rooney/Wellbeck/Chico
Nani/KigawaBale/Young------Anderson/Cleverly---Valencia/Nani
---------Martinez/Carrick/Fletcher
Raf/Evra-------Vidic/Rio---Smalling/Evans-----Jones
-------------DG/
-----------Rooney/Wellbeck/Chico
Nani/KigawaBale/Young------Anderson/Cleverly---Valencia/Nani
---------Martinez/Carrick/Fletcher
Raf/Evra-------Vidic/Rio---Smalling/Evans-----Jones
-------------DG/
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