Is Gareth Bale’s arrival at Real Madrid positive for Los Blancos? Though it may seem silly to ask this question given Bale’s skills, it is being questioned mainly because of what his arrival will mean to the team. Gareth Bale is going to add to Real Madrid’s offensive and defensive play, if needed, and there is no doubt in my mind that he will succeed. Below I will list a number of common questions and comments regarding his arrival:
Bale’s Transfer Fee is Too Big
Take it or leave it but Gareth Bale has been signed for €91m, that is, €4m less than what Cristiano Ronaldo cost. For some reason, his fee being lower than Cristiano’s represented a big deal to some, and Florentino has all parties happy in this sense. Furthermore, as Real Madrid President, Florentino Perez has said repeatedly that there is no such thing as a player being “too expensive.” Even Kaka, who has not met expectations, has brought back every single penny of his transfer in jerseys sold, and Cristiano even did it in two months. Gareth Bale is no Ronaldo, but he will certainly sell a lot of jerseys, and even if he does not bring the money in two months or even two years, titles and competitions will bring it back.
The reason why Bale is so costly is because he had no buyout clause in his contract, which means Tottenham did not have to sell him at a given price. Bale’s departure is determined on his willingness to leave and Florentino and Levy reaching a monetary agreement. For Cristiano Ronaldo, it was different, since Manchester United did have a buyout clause that Florentino happily met and took Cristiano home with him. As a result, the price tag does not always determine a player’s skills.
Real Madrid Don’t Need Bale
I beg to differ. Denis Cheryshev is on his way to Sevilla on loan and it does not look like Siqueira will arrive at Real Madrid. The good news is, it looks like Coentrão will be staying. Bale will be a nice option in defense to Marcelo and Coentrão if something happens to both of them; we saw this happening last year in the key moment of the season. Of course, Bale’s main function will not be in defense, but it is nice to be aware that he is readily available if the opportunity arises. In the attack, Real Madrid are facing a serious problem in terms of scoring goals. After that magnificent 2011-12 season, the goals have seemed to disappear from our strikers with the exception of Cristiano Ronaldo. The first game against Betis and many of the pre-season friendlies left many frustrated fans naming every single top striker in the book.
Benzema and Morata are just not the Brazilian Ronaldo or Ruud Van Nistelrooy right now, and although Madrid could live with them and someone else, they can’t just live with them both. Los Blancos cannot rely solely on Cristiano Ronaldo to win every single game. Bale will lift the weight off of Ronaldo’s shoulders, as he has similar abilities that lead him to scoring lots of goals despite not being a 9. The chemistry between Cristiano, Bale, and Isco - who so far look to be up to the challenge - will make everyone fall in love at the Bernabeu.
Bale Will Steal Other Players’ Chances
No sir. Gareth Bale does not have the power to snap his fingers and sign a contract for Madrid. Florentino went through a lot of trouble to get him here so to blame Bale for his arrival is simply childish. In the first La Liga game against Betis, the only player who did not make the bench aside from the third goalkeeper was Jesé Rodriguez, even though Bale was not part of the squad yet. If in future games Jesé does not make the cut, are people really going to blame Bale?
Another player who has been seen frustrated in the past few days is Mesut Ozil. He was left on the bench in this past game and was substituted in the one prior. Once again, Bale is not to blame for any of this. Mesut Ozil has provided Real Madrid with a ridiculous amount of assists since his arrival. Fingers are crossed that he will not leave, but if he does or if he sees his playing time cut, it will not be Bale’s fault.
It is the manager’s job to find the best XI and make them play to beat the rival. Di Maria, Isco, Mesut, Bale, and Cristiano probably would not fit in the same XI, but this is a very nice problem to have as they are all extremely talented players and the competition will only push them to their very best. Some players will get injured throughout the season, and there are never too many players and there is certainly never too much talent. Real Madrid are blessed to have the squad that they have. At the beginning, many thought that Modric, Casemiro, Xabi, Illarra, and Khedira were too many, but look at the past week Madrid just had. The fans should be thankful they had them all, and this is just the beginning of the season.
I want to stress that Bale is not responsible for the price paid and that he is at Real Madrid to be the best, to play with the best, and to win as many titles as possible. More importantly, Gareth Bale is now a player of Real Madrid and as such deserves all the respect and support of the fans, because whether you want him or not, he is here to stay. I don’t worry much about great players like him, because they love dinning philosophers on the pitch. We have seen it twice already this season, first with “antimadridista” Isco and then with “the canterano hope robber” Casemiro. Gareth Bale, may these six years be glorious; welcome.
Written by RMadridGirl