Glass Dragons Still Breathe Fire - The Gareth Bale Thread

His numbers aren't any better than Messi or Suarez plus Dembele and Benzema are even with him on goals. Mane, Firminho, and Hazard are all posting similar or better numbers.

If you are throwing shade at Ronaldo that's your prerogative but I don't believe you or anyone else on the board thinks a few games make Bale the superior player.

LOL, come on @J-Mezzy a lot of "ifs" could be applied to a lot of players. Bale could go down with an injury and still win the Balon d'Or "if" he wins another CL.

 

I would rate a healthy Bale higher than Neymar's current version. A usual injured/ trying to get in form Bale, not.

 

Neymar reached his speak in 2015 with Farca. When he had a clear role on the field, occupying that left flank and wasn't egoistic as he is now. Now he thinks he can roam around the field and be a player maker like Messi. The fame got to his head.

The 2015 version was sick, holding his position on that left wing and dribbling past his direct opponent.

At this moment I'd take Hazard ahead of him. Much definer player and actually plays for the team and makes his teammates better. He starts scoring now too, that was the only aspect of his game that was lacking.

 

Hazard over Neymar?

Has he fallen off that much that notorious big game choke Hazard is ahead of him?

 

I'd take isco and james over hazard

 

I was accepting Neymar as the clear favorite between the two but Bale's CL heroics and his good start in this season compared to Neymar's world cup and champions league performances made me reconsider.

 

Are you still dreaming about that 2015 brilliant stretch with the fantastic 4 in your avatar as our midfield? Me too. Lol
Casemiro is so hard to drop though.

 

They played such beautiful football

It was lukitas injury that ruined that season. That team was fire

 

Gareth just looks so much happier now. He's in a much better mood now and it's reflecting on his performance. I am praying he stays healthy. He'll be crucial to our team winning a treble this year...

THAT'S RIGHT I SAID IT. WE'RE WINNING A TREBLE!

 

Bale needs to be in the Fifpro next season

 

Neymar still play football? He has been invisible ever since he left Barcelona, he couldn't perform outside international friendlies and Ligue 1. He has been overshadowed by Coutinho in the national team and Mbappe in PSG. He's nowhere near top 3 anymore.

Hazard on the other hand carried Belgium to the third playoff and is carrying Chelsea's back in the Prem for like 4 years after the old guards left while being hacked to death left and right.

Bale and Hazard > Neymar anyday. They show up in crucial games all the time and would give their heart to the team. Not doing fancy ball hogging crap and acting like a celeb wannabe.

 

Carried them successfully to the 10th position in 2016. Color me impressed!

 

Neymar shot himself in the foot when he moved to PSG + his diving antics are not helping him at all. I hope Mbappe sees the lesson in this.

Hazard is a great player right now but he has to achieve something, be more consistent in big games and start dribbling in areas that matter.

 

Hazard's problem is that for every great season he has he follows it up with an stinker, so every time he gets into the best player(s) conversation he drops back out again before anyone can give thorough consideration to his place.

That and he really doesn't have a signature game/title/final winning goal. Ronaldo, Bale, Ramos, Messi, Suarez, Neymar all have that in the CL, Griezman, Pogba, and Mbappe now have it in the WC.

Hazard is not unlike Bale who for every outstanding big game performance he has had he has sat on the sidelines injured then out of form for months.

 

His only poor season was 15/16 and look who he had as coach that year.

Also, the other problem he has unlike the other players you mentioned is that he doesn't play in a super team. He pretty much runs the show both in midfield and attack for Chelsea and has been forced to play under defensive coaches. Imagine Hazard at Madrid free of the extra responsibilities he has at Chelsea - he would be devastating.

 

Yep. That was magic. And then it turned to shit.

 

Bale has an adductor injury in his leg, though the severity of the problem is yet to be determined.

 

Great. Just what we needed now.

 

No surprise, hope he is fit soon, we need everyone

 

Shocking

 

These comparisons between Bale, neymar and hazard are silly. Bale drops deep and contributes to defending in a way the other two don't. Neymar has more of a passing range even though I'd say Bale has the ability to provide some amazing crosses. Neymar has better close control and accelerates quicker but I think Bale might be faster, it just takes him longer to get get to top speed.

Hazard is pretty much a one way player who doesn't score as many goals as either player but I do think having a player like that running at defense is really helpful against teams like ATM.

My biggest concern with Bale is the injuries and the unrealistic expectations. If he could stay healthy I think he could average nearly a goal or assist once per game on average and provide a key defensive contributions. That's pretty great potential.