Bale is a good winger, but I agree with the post about the role of a winger changing. As good as he is, can we really justify paying £40 million (ridiculous price they want) for effectively a left footed Valencia?

I'd like Bale as a left back, to be honest. I think he could become a devastating attacking full back, and I believe Ferguson could vastly improve the defensive side of his game - muh like he has with the twins and Evra (last two seasons aside).

But even then, he wouldn't be worth the transfer fee. Good player, potential to be very good, but a lot better out there in terms of ability and especially transfer fee.

I can't say I've watched too many Tottenham games but every game I did watch he did not impress me at all.

For starters a lot of the times he played on the right wing and would cut in and play more centrally. He kept taking pop shots from 25-30 yards and was getting nowhere with them.

I think for Bale to be effective, he needs to just stay on the left wing and do what he does best which is use his pace. They seemed to be trying too hard to turn him into a Ronaldo type player and I'm sorry but I don't think bale is an all rounded player so yeah I was pretty underwhelmed whenever I saw him play.

Plus Tottenham won't let him leave for less than £30m and I don't think he's worth £30m so I'd say pass.

What a load of rubbish. Bale is a decent player if a little over hyped. However you know Levy will set a far higher price for him than represents 'value in the market'. \So why not post "Will Messi be in SAFs Thoughts" - the answer is probably as much as Bale. Stick to football on the PS3 cause thats the only place United will buy Bale.

Ouch.

Pea, regarding your response to my comment, there are a few too many hypotheticals that all have to fall into place for me to see this as a likely scenario.

However, all these hypotheticals are what made it an original and interesting thread.

Woah woah Kamikaze bit full on there

Kamikaze

Up to your usual thoughtful and insightful standards, I see. Keep up the valuable contributions!

@ Little Pea; From what I have seen from James Rodriguez, he can be a top player without a doubt imo. I also think we really need a left footed attacker. I know there is Brady in the reserves but JR is a much better player!

I rate Bale and I'd like to see him at Man Utd... but only for the right price. I think Levy will ask for way over the odds, probably somewhere in the region of £30 - £40 million and I can't see Fergie paying that. Same goes for Modric, I think we might be priced out of the picture.

Bale is Giggs direct replacement. Maybe McClean aswell. But i love Bale. Would cost around £35 though.

The only thing Bale and Giggs have in common is that they are both welsh and left wingers, other than that Bale isn't half the player Giggs was at the same age.

Bale is a fine player but do we really need him? We are already overloaded with Wingers and with Kagawa coming also , it further complicates things.

Our CM is a more pressing concern.

Posters like Kamikaze are what the filter button is for, so if anything it's good he posted his pointless ire here to bring him very momentarily to my attention

I am intrigued though if he's being a XXXX because he's a City fan on a United thread, or whether he's just a XXXX. I suppose either way he's a XXXX

comment by The_Red_Connoisseur (U9741)
posted 57 minutes ago
Bale is a fine player but do we really need him? We are already overloaded with Wingers and with Kagawa coming also , it further complicates things.

Our CM is a more pressing concern.
_________________________________

I tend to agree with this as I put in the article. However, do you think SAF was after Kagawa irrespective of whether Hazard had said yes? The negotiations for both players certainly seemed to overlap. If he did want Hazard and Kagawa then what were his plans and would Bale (player wise) be an alternative for SAF now Hazard has said no?

I also think the Nani thing isn't clear currently. If he is pushing for a move that would certainly explain SAF targeting people who play wide, despite our playing resources, and the fact he didnt mind spending big.

Pea, great article. Points made clearly with logic behind them. Why can't people post more articles like this?

Bale, I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan and I feel his game is very limited and his ability as a winger is solely reliant on pace. Against pacy wingers, he tends to be ineffective. I appreciate Valencia is very similar but he's got a trick or two.

Bale is 22 and has injury problems and if his pace declines, he's basically finished.

If we can get him on the cheap, great, he would cause defenders more problems in Europe than the prem but for the prices quoted, I do not think he's the right solution

Thanks ManUtdDaredevil, much appreciated.

I think the pace pt is valid, and injuries will be a concern. Re the pace, I do believe he has great stamina as well, so when fit he can currently keep that pace up over long distances like a 400m runner.

If pace was a concern long term a club could use him wide while he's got it in spades, and improve the defensive side of his game in the meantime, so that he could switch to left back/wing back if pace becomes an issue.

If good coaches developed his defensive capabilities, he could be top drawer in that position. It doesn't make him suddenly worth 40m now, but you think what a 'Galatico' career Roberto Carlos made out of that position, and Cafu also. Long careers too.

To be fair to him, he has also played quite a free role at times for Spurs, and operated behind the front man, and done it well, so he does have a bit more to him than just pace. Strikes a great ball as well imo, and got a good attitude.

I still think there's plenty more to come from him as he's only 22. You think how much Giggs has changed his game over the years, but then again Giggs is a genius player.

Having said all this if we are spending 30-40m on anyone I want it to be a specialist CM!

I would love to have Bale at United. I think Fergie would too if it wasn't for the money.

We had to settle for Young instead because he was cheaper. I like Young but I would have preferred Bale.

Out of curiosity redmisty what do you like in particular about Bale?

I'm probably biased with my views because I haven't seen him that many times as I pretty much don't watch anything other united but in the times I did watch Bale last season he was frustrating me.

All too often you would find him playing on the right hand side or through the middle and I saw him take countless shots that would go to no mans land. Granted he's scored goals, but I would really like to know his shots to goal ratio.

I would really love to see him playing on the left wing, and actually just play on the left wing because I will admit he's explosive and he can leave defenders for dust, the problem for me is in the matches that I did watch he didn't perform that way. (like I say, I can only go on the matches I've seen, I can't just go on the hype) I was messaging one of my spurs mates during one match saying how frustrating bale is to watch and he agreed with me.

May 21st,

I like Bale on the left, nowhere else. Pace, power and a sweet left foot is what I like. Young has a decent left foot but hardly uses it so, like Nani, he prefers to cut inside. Bale is as good an option I can think of as a proper long term replacement for Giggs. I.e. the player Giggs used to be.

Roaming "out of position" may be something his manager has told him to do. I doubt Fergie would let him do that.

Bale is much like a left-footed Valencia, explosive you could say.

It would be a good alternative to Young on the left...