The Official THFC thread

[ONeill]

Now that you list the players there are some great players in there, however Modric is not what I would call one of the greats, by those THFC standards.

Fair enough. But in terms of quality of player I place him many levels above Gareth Bale. I watched Modric for about 5 minutes solid tonight and he had countless touches with 100% success rate in terms of passing. He was the first player his team mates looked for. He made one run into their box and his shot was blocked. Within 20 secs he was intercepting a pass in his own box. Exudes class.

[Captain Obvious]

Best player that I have seen at Spurs.

When did you start watching Spurs play?

[thewobbler]

Gazza: for one Spurs year, an amazing player, apart from that, out of form or injured. Bale already has an equal number of games and goals for Spurs and is only just starting out.

Hoddle: I was 11 when he left Spurs. Undoubtedly a brilliant player and proper Spurs. But based mostly for me on hearsay.

Ginola: arrived late in his career, was beautiful to watch, but thoroughly lazy and never delivered in big games.

Lineker: a great finisher, but a terrible footballer.

Greaves: I'm 34.

Jennings: I'm 34.

Mabbutt: A club stalwart no doubt. If Spurs had ever sold him though, it would have been to a weaker club, so he has no place on this list.

England: I'm 34, but you're really clutching at straws here.

Mullery: I'm 34.

Campbell: Big Sol was a fine player but a big raw centre half is never going to be a 'best player'.

Mackay Blanchflower, Chivers: you know the drill by now...

Modric: classy player, really classy. But take him out of Spurs midfield and then Sandro and Parker fill in. Not so much flair, but more steel and more direct. So he would be a loss, but not a huge one. Take Bale out of Spurs midfield though, and it's like playing a different team.

[Minder]

Modric has more football in his left foot than Bale.

[thewobbler]

Minder to be honest, you're talking out of your arse.

Modric has, in three and a half seasons at Spurs, contributed barely double figures in terms of either goals or assists (in total, not per season).

He has a majestic touch and a tremendous attitude. If you want to hold onto the ball forever without going anywhere, he's your man. But he rarely delivers in the final third, and as such is replaceable.

[EC Unique]

Would have Modric any day over Bale. Bale is a British player overhyped by British media.

[maigheo]

no debate here.modric or van de vart are much better than Bale even tho Bale got me 13 pts in the fantasy league tonite

[Minder]

There is no opinion like yours Wobbler.

[The Gs Man]

Great to see Spurs generating a bit of debate! Finally!

COYS

[Mont]

Good to see spurs challenging for 2nd place. Hope they push the red scum down the table further.

Bale in my opinion is better. Modric is a class act but probably more suited to continental football. If your team are a goal down in a pl game who would you prefer to be giving the ball to?

[SHEEDY]

id have bale over modric and definitly over van der vaart

[Radda bout yeee]

I'd have Assou-Ekotto over the lot!!! 

[ONeill]

id have bale over modric and definitly over van der vaart

Pervert.

[Evil Genius]

Bale is good but he has many faults.

You're talking through your hoop.

Note what his manager says (45 secs in):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16342274.stm
"He's got everything, absolutely everything, there's not a weakness in his make-up"

He's the laziest player on the Spurs team (well, not now that Adebayor is there).

Really? According to Opta, he's covered more distance in games this season than any other Spurs player...

Count the amount of goals Spurs concede that are directly down to him not tracking back. He's an average defender.

Why don't you count them for us? You know, a few examples, maybe even two?
Meanwhile, whilst you're cranking up your calculator, you might wonder why he wears the No.3 shirt for Spurs. It's because he started out at Left Back, and still occasionally fills in when the (extremely consistent) Assou-Ekotto (and Danny Rose) is unavailable.
In fact last season, when Bale was blazing a trail throught he Champions League, Redknapp insisted that he still thinks LB is Bale's "natural position" and where he'll possibly end up playing.

He is also one-dimensional, albeit a terrific athlete.

Meanwhile, back in the real world:
"In terms of Bale himself, the stats show that he is pivotal to Spurs' side, [up until the Chelsea game] assisting 4 goals and scoring 5 himself, creating 42 chances this season, on average creating a chance every 30 minutes. Spurs, although they are fantastic attacking side, still seem to have a problem with goalscorers and without Bale against Sunderland they only managed to scrape a 1-0 victory, with him in the side they have managed to score more freely, with him being the pivotal key to Spurs' attack."
http://www.eplindex.com/spurs-chelsea-importance-gareth-bale/

All of which explains why, for intance, in Spurs last nine games, he has scored or provided an Assist in 8 of them...

VDV and Modric have a much better footballing brain.

VDV is nearly 29, Modric is 26, whereas Bale is 22. It is only natural that they have more nous and experience than he has. But I saw a lot of Modric when he first joined Spurs (aged 23) and although he plays a different role, Bale is comparable in ability and contribution on a same-age basis.

He's good but not great and never will be.

So his fellow professionals in the EPL voted him their "Player of the Year" aged 21 for being merely "good"? Yeah, very likely...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13110874.stm

Still what would they know, eh? Far better to trust an objective, continental analysis of him, like this one from last season:
Spanish newspaper El Mundo said: "Bale combines the height and build of an 800-metre runner like Steve Ovett with the acceleration and directness of a rugby winger like Bryan Habana. And, when he gets to the byline, he delivers curling crosses like a Brazilian. Big words? Yes, but that's what Bale is like – easily the greatest sensation in the opening month and a half of the Champions League. Ask Maicon what he thinks after the two exhibitions Bale turned in against Inter. Yesterday he left Maicon for dead and then a wily old fox like Lúcio was left in his wake like someone trying to follow the vapour trail of an aeroplane. Three goals and two assists — against the European champions. His performances have been stunning."

Of course, Bale is not the finished article, but he's visibly getting better by the day. If he continues his present progress, there is no good reason why another couple of seasons' experience cannot see him become the equal of VDV/Modric/King - currently the other top 3 players at WHL.

At least.

[SHEEDY]

id have bale over modric and definitly over van der vaart

Pervert.