*Official* English Football Season 2012-13

[Marcuss]

Look, I think Bale's a massive **** and that's due in part to the fact he plays for Spuds.

I think he's overrated, and that's got nothing to do with anything besides (a) how he plays and (b) how people speak of him as a consequence.

But no, let's just put it down to the fact I support Arsenal without any series contemplation of what I'm saying or the reasons I've given

[Pothas]

I have often understood the criticisms of him but people can get better and there is no denying that he is on ridiculous form at the moment. Of course he is not as good as Ronaldo but it is really not hard to make comparisons with what he is doing and the way he is doing it recently.

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I actually somewhat agree with Marcuss. People who say Bale is close to Ronaldo's level do not watch Ronaldo as much as they should, because it is not even a close debate. There is light years between them. As has been said, Bale is like Ronaldo was in 07-09. He may become the player Ronaldo is now, but he is not that player yet.

And everyone who's harping on about the Walcott comparison he did, ****ing grow up you idiots (especially Pickup, aren't you supposed to be a moderator? I thought blatant trolling was against forum rules). Not once did he say Walcott was even comparable as a talent or even really as a player, he was using their raw statistics to illustrate his point that Bale is an overrated player largely because he can do the spectacular and people who don't understand how the game actually works like to rub themselves over good goals.

Bale is the best British-born player in the world at the moment, but he's not a top 10 player in the world and he's not the best player in the Premier League. He's a top 5 player in the league on an amazing run of form. When Bale takes a slide tackle through his ankle, rolls off it and slots home a title winning goal in the dying moments of injury time for his 24th league goal of the season, he's in the conversation.

[Marcuss]

That, that. So much of that. And a little bit more of that.

[Nnanden]

Originally Posted by dontcloseyoureyes

And everyone who's harping on about the Walcott comparison he did, ****ing grow up you idiots (especially Pickup, aren't you supposed to be a moderator? I thought blatant trolling was against forum rules). Not once did he say Walcott was even comparable as a talent or even really as a player, he was using their raw statistics to illustrate his point that Bale is an overrated player largely because he can do the spectacular and people who don't understand how the game actually works like to rub themselves over good goals.

Firstly, I didn't remember who made the comments, so if Marcuss took any personal offence, I'm sorry, there was none intended.

Secondly, doesn't Walcott "do the spectacular" too? Where I believe any comparison to Walcott is "silly", is because they play in different positions. I'd imagine that Bale's work rate in passing and tackling would be double that of Walcott. It's his all-round ability that puts him in a different class to Theo.

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Originally Posted by Nnanden

Secondly, doesn't Walcott "do the spectacular" too? Where I believe any comparison to Walcott is "silly", is because they play in different positions. I'd imagine that Bale's work rate in passing and tackling would be double that of Walcott. It's his all-round ability that puts him in a different class to Theo.

Um. No. Walcott finishes moves made by his team, or uses his pace to beat the last man. They are good goals but they are not spectacular. I can't remember a single Walcott goal in my head, I can remember about ten of Bale's.

No one disagrees with you. Marcuss doesn't disagree with you. He was daring to suggest that there are several areas of Bale's game that aren't as good as people suggest they are. He may do it more consistently, look better doing it, but his raw attacking numbers (goals, assists, etc. The ones that matter) are very similar to Walcott. I disagree that they don't play the same position, they play on opposite sides of the field a large proportion of the time but they've both spent the majority of their careers hugging the touchline. They've both taken more central roles in the last season. Whilst not exactly the same, they're close enough to make a reasonable comparison on statistical output.

Bale is a better defender (but it's not like he's good at it), leader and all-around player on every level than Walcott by some distance, and Marcuss stated that from the beginning, but the numbers cannot be completely ignored. He didn't use advanced stats like idiots such as Ikki use, he used raw goal and assist numbers (which everyone seems to say are the only stats that really matter in the end) as an example to say that if he was as good as Ronaldo, or even a top ten player in the world, his numbers in comparison to someone as average as Walcott would be significantly better. THAT IS ALL HE STATED.

[Nnanden]

Originally Posted by dontcloseyoureyes

Um. No. Walcott finishes moves made by his team, or uses his pace to beat the last man. They are good goals but they are not spectacular. I can't remember a single Walcott goal in my head, I can remember about ten of Bale's.

No one disagrees with you. Marcuss doesn't disagree with you. He was daring to suggest that there are several areas of Bale's game that aren't as good as people suggest they are. He may do it more consistently, look better doing it, but his raw attacking numbers (goals, assists, etc. The ones that matter) are very similar to Walcott. I disagree that they don't play the same position, they play on opposite sides of the field a large proportion of the time but they've both spent the majority of their careers hugging the touchline. They've both taken more central roles in the last season. Whilst not exactly the same, they're close enough to make a reasonable comparison on statistical output.

Bale is a better defender (but it's not like he's good at it), leader and all-around player on every level than Walcott by some distance, and Marcuss stated that from the beginning, but the numbers cannot be completely ignored. He didn't use advanced stats like idiots such as Ikki use, he used raw goal and assist numbers (which everyone seems to say are the only stats that really matter in the end) as an example to say that if he was as good as Ronaldo, or even a top ten player in the world, his numbers in comparison to someone as average as Walcott would be significantly better. THAT IS ALL HE STATED.

First to my mind is his three against Newcastle, capped off with his chip, and then his goal against Chelsea where he got taken out, then got up and kept going, though that might have been the end of last season...

While they've both moved more centrally this season, I would still technically classify Bale as a LM, and Walcott a RW, and therefore wouldn't compare them against one another in an attacking sense, or any sense, which is I guess where we disagree.

As I said, I only glanced over the post, and if that's all he said, then fair enough. Hadn't heard about the Ronaldo comparison, which is lol.

[Pothas]

Artificial argument going on here really, no one in this thread has said he is anywhere near as good as Ronaldo but when keeps scoring ridiculous goals to win his team games then comparisons are inevitable.

Needs to get a better celebration though.

[Uppercut]

Walcott definitely takes up higher positions than Bale but I don't know whether that's a tactical thing or is just a bit of a weakness in Bale's game. He's not big on tracking back anyway so he should probably be scoring more goals by running onto through balls on the counter rather than picking it up deep and doing it all himself. As it stands he pretty much only scores spectacular goals, while Ronaldo basically does what both of them do combined.

But it might just be that Arsenal's midfielders are much better at passing than Spurs, so Walcott doesn't need to do so much himself. Everyone in here has pretty much agreed that Spurs aren't especially great all season and to the extent that they're proving us wrong it's been mostly because of Bale himself. Would be interesting to see how he would do playing for someone better.

Also, Lyon's goal last night

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Originally Posted by Uppercut

Would be interesting to see how he would do playing for someone better.

Also, Lyon's goal last night

Would love to see how badly Mancini would use him tactically. Would probably play him at left back with Kolarov on the left wing or something equally as stupid.

Also; one of the best strikes I've seen in a very long time. I think since Glen Johnsons' left footer for Portsmouth a few years back.

[GIMH]

****ing travesty of a decision, could **** up our season, just **** off

[flibbertyjibber]

Originally Posted by GIMH

****ing travesty of a decision, could **** up our season, just **** off

Poor tackle, definitely a foul, certainly a yellow, red was harsh.

Easy win for us in the end. Massive result.

[sledger]

Was my comment on Facebook that done it.

[GIMH]

Originally Posted by flibbertyjibber

Poor tackle, definitely a foul, certainly a yellow, red was harsh.

Easy win for us in the end. Massive result.

You guys deserved the win. As much as Fonners ****ed up for your first, it could have been 5-0 but for him. But there's no getting away from the fact that we got shafted with that early decision.

A lot of soul searching needed at PP. division is tight enough for us to turn it round but goals just aren't coming for us at the minute.

[wpdavid]

Originally Posted by Uppercut

Also, Lyon's goal last night

Quite something, wasn't it.

But am I the only person here who reckons the Lyon keeper should have done better with both of Bale's goals?