*Official* English Football Season 2012-13

[Ikki]

@ Marcuss, your stats are just goals and assists - and they're old. Bale is the main focus and drive of the Tottenham team; Walcott isn't for Arsenal. Walcott has great output but you don't rely on him near as much as they do for Bale.

If you like stats, there is a site called Whoscored.com which tracks some 200 raw stats, has a pretty complicated algorithm, and assigns a rating for every performance with an overall rating. Right now, after that match, Bale has jumped ahead of Suarez and Van Persie. There isn't an important area (goals, assists, chance creation, volume passing, tackles, interceptions) where Bale isn't superior to Walcott.

 

[Jarquis]

@ Marcuss, your stats are just goals and assists - and they're old. Bale is the main focus and drive of the Tottenham team; Walcott isn't for Arsenal. Walcott has great output but you don't rely on him near as much as they do for Bale.

If you like stats, there is a site called Whoscored.com which tracks some 200 raw stats, has a pretty complicated algorithm, and assigns a rating for every performance with an overall rating. Right now, after that match, Bale has jumped ahead of Suarez and Van Persie. There isn't an important area (goals, assists, chance creation, volume passing, tackles, interceptions) where Bale isn't superior to Walcott.

I'm not saying Walcott is better than Bale. Never have I said that anywhere.
In fact, this is the third time where I've clarified that's not what I'm saying.

The bolded bits explain one another. Everything Tottenham do goes through Bale so it's natural he'll so he'll have the opportunity to create more chances, pass the ball more. Walcott's also spent half his time upfront where interceptions and tackles are of absolute zero importance to his game and there's also the fact Bale has just spent more time on the pitch at the end of the day.

For the final time, I'm not saying Bale is poor. I'm not saying Walcott is better. I'm saying he's overrated. Talk of a £65m price tag is ludicrous and saying he's better than Ronaldo is nigh on slanderous.

But hey, I feel like this discussion is almost done so let's move on to my other favourite one of just because Joe Hart is approximately 50 times better than any other English qualified keeper it doesn't mean he's a world beater.

 

[Ikki]

But Bale has played more because he is more important to his team. That he does more and is relied to do more is because he has shown himself capable. Bale, even today playing very forward, had a tackle and 3 interceptions - Walcott averages 0.5 and 0.3 respectively of each per game. That you have such an attacking player who has that kind of work-rate is obviously valuable.

I actually think Walcott can be one of the best players in the league...but Bale already is. Certainly top 25 IMO. By Whoscored.com's rating system he is currently 9th in Europe this season. Ronaldo is #3 and a little ahead, but not that far ahead. The comparison isn't that ludicrous, although Ronaldo is still better for mine and I agree with you. I don't know whether he is worth that much - I disagree, personally - but I think if Torres got sold for 50m, Bale is going to be in that 40-50m price range. Lest we forget, he is only 23.

 

[Jarquis]

But being more important to his team isn't just dependent on the player's quality. I'm more important to my Uni side than either, I'm ****ing awesome me.

I'm dropping the Walcott v Bale argument as that was never my intention. It's not a discussion I'm interested in having particularly. Theo was just a name I picked out to show the kind of quality of player that Bale warrants comparison with more so than Ronaldo.

 

[sledger]

Southampton doing Utd a huge favour here then.

Edit: Also, Gareth Barry

 

[Furball]

One opinion that you find ridiculous doesn't make him stupid FFS.

It does when Stelling is suggesting that Cristiano "6ft 2 and built like a brick ****house" Ronaldo is weaker and less powerful than Gareth "looks like a chimp" Bale.

 

[Pothas]

****ing football, conceded two ridiculously soft goals today. Tranmere and Doncaster lost again so a massive wasted opportunity.

Anyway on the Bale thing he has quite clearly improved a great deal this season. The strange thing is that the one side in the world that I think would not really benefit from signing him is Real Madrid.

 

[Pothas]

That is that then.

 

[The Sean]

I'll take that - nice work Saints.

Dear United, ****ing this opportunity up tomorrow will make me sad.

 

[Neil Pickup]

I'd pay out on United right now. They may slip up, but they have no challengers of any quality.

 

[GIMH]

****ing football, conceded two ridiculously soft goals today. Tranmere and Doncaster lost again so a massive wasted opportunity.

Anyway on the Bale thing he has quite clearly improved a great deal this season. The strange thing is that the one side in the world that I think would not really benefit from signing him is Real Madrid.

Tighter than Sledger when it's his round up at the top of league One. We'll still win it though, obv

 

[fredfertang]

Tighter than Sledger when it's his round up at the top of league One. We'll still win it though, obv

A tad harsh, sledger has a lot of expenses atm

 

[sledger]

Yeah, shelled out loads on dinner last night ftr. Worth it though. Food wasn't bad either.

 

[Cevno]

That Ronaldo fella who is worse than Bale scored a hattrick and got a assist before going off at the hour mark against Sevilla.

 

[Cevno]

In random order

Messi, Ronaldo, Xavi, Iniesta, Zlatan, Falcao, RVP, Cavani, Suarez, Pirlo, Fabregas and Yaya all comfortably ahead and then there's a whole host of people who I don't see any reason why he should be ahead of - Neymar, Aguero, Ribery, Mata, Schweinsteiger, Goetze, Reus, Kroos - hell Santi, Ozil.
I've not even mentioned defenders or keepers - Silva, Ramos, Chiellini, hell even Kompany even though he's not been quite so great this year.
Vidal has been insane for Juve this season, likewise Hamsik for Napoli. Lewandowski's been banging in goals for fun.

There are so many players that Bale is closer to in terms of ability than Ronaldo it's not even funny.

No inclusion of Rooney ?

 

[Uppercut]

It does when Stelling is suggesting that Cristiano "6ft 2 and built like a brick ****house" Ronaldo is weaker and less powerful than Gareth "looks like a chimp" Bale.

Haha it's as if he's never watched Ronaldo in his life. He surely must just be trolling though.

In random order

Messi, Ronaldo, Xavi, Iniesta, Zlatan, Falcao, RVP, Cavani, Suarez, Pirlo, Fabregas ... Neymar, Aguero, Ribery, Mata, Schweinsteiger, Goetze, Reus, Kroos - hell Santi, Ozil ...
Silva, Ramos, Chiellini, hell even Kompany even though he's not been quite so great this

A lot of those players aren't really comparable. I see your point but Bale's so spectacular to watch, he just constantly scores incredible goals and has the potential to be the best in the world. I don't really know why you're bothering to be cynical about him.

 

[Jarquis]

No inclusion of Rooney ?

Interestingly enough (or not) I feel quite similarly about Rooney as I do Bale. But yeah, he should be in there somewhere too probs.

A lot of those players aren't really comparable. I see your point but Bale's so spectacular to watch, he just constantly scores incredible goals and has the potential to be the best in the world. I don't really know why you're bothering to be cynical about him.

Because he's a massive **** and I hate him, probs.

 

[sledger]

Because he's a massive **** and I hate him, probs.

Haha, tbf, this is probably why I don't rate him quite as highly as most other people do either. There's just something not quite right about him, or he's missing something, that prevents him from really being in that top bracket of players for mine.

That said, I'm probably only saying this because he's a Spurs player, and I'm determined to find a way to not like him.

 

[Pothas]

Used to find him anoying but he is just doing ridiculous things on such a regular basis, I mean he pretty much only scores really good goals.

 

[Pothas]

That Ronaldo fella who is worse than Bale scored a hattrick and got a assist before going off at the hour mark against Sevilla.

Really looking forward to Wednesday could be superb, two clubs really I don't like but they have produced some of the greatest games.

If both attack it could be ridiculous but it is unlikely, sure United are not stupid enough to do that, may have to wait for the second leg for the fireworks.