Fed up to the back teeth with those (b)linking Chelsea summer transfer rumours? Confused by that endless, mindless loop of ‘exclusives’ revealing some nonexistent race to buy someone you‘d never heard of, only to be told we’ve been stunned by a decision to stay put on an increased salary, whereupon we’re immediately interested-in, hijacked-by and ultimately snubbed to within an inch of our shell-shocked lives by a whole host of other so-called long-term targets? Nonplussed by media/hack jargon leaving no position unfilled, no Chels player who isn’t poised for a move, or coyly having his exit played down by us, whilst in reality the messengers of doom haven’t a clue what’s going on? 

 

Of course you are, and so am I, although rhetorical questioning [of the sanity of it all] is never going to quell current fan frustration because, as Champions, we crave first team evolution, with the perception being that it has to come via activity in the transfer market. Never mind the undoubted quality within our current squad, there’s always someone better we should be monitoring, a missing piece in the jig most saw as picture-perfect only two months ago. Quite frankly, we should wise-up every time we’re told of Chelsea interest in yet another £20m midfielder [got too many already] £8m defender [might improve QPR, not us] £15m striker [just use Bamford] for the simple reason, unless he’s a like-for-like replacement (Begovic for Cech, Falcao for Drogba, Pedro for Cuadrado/Salah) nobody fit’s the bill [for us] at these paltry price levels. Hell, even Sterling costs you £50m these days!

 

So, cutting to the chase in this evolution race, it’s my contention that Jose can either start our next campaign with what we’ve got, on the premise that it cannot be improved upon, which would surely go against the grain for him, or he has already sanctioned a mighty big spend in this transfer window… on just one world class player good enough to warrant immediate first team inclusion. Who that might be is anyone’s guess, but mine always has been a certain Gareth Bale and the Media’s reticence (with the notable exception of Gary Neville) to even conscience him moving to the Bridge only serves to strengthen my belief in his suitability on all fronts. Disagree? Well, here’s a challenge to all Shed-Enders - put forward a case for any other player [better than the one I’ve stated for Bale below] in a response to this post and I’ll be the first to admit the error of my ways thereafter…     

 

As of now, there are very few attacking players in world football available and an improvement on those we’ve got here already, but Bale is certainly one of them and the oft-repeated disparagers argument on potential signings (he’s not good enough to warrant a first team place) doesn’t apply to the Welshmen. The Premiership, as evidenced by Di Maria’s fish out of water first season with United, can be a brutal place to perform, even for the world’s best, so when someone of Bale’s undoubted quality hankers for a return to what is effectively a favoured and proven hunting ground (the league in which he first made his name) he has to be identified as THE prime target. The Guardian’s Barney Ronay, in a recent article on Di Maria‘s decline, makes this point succinctly:-     

 

“To succeed [here] a player like Di María needs to be ready to run backwards as well as forwards, to learn as other creative players have that the corollary of all that extra space in front is an opposition player willing to exploit the space behind…. for all its TV rights muscle - £14bn and counting - the Premier League remains the rich kid no one really wants to sit with at lunch, unable to attract the real A-listers at their peak… so it tells itself this is because of the slog, the grind, the lack of easy games. Our league is a hard league, a real man’s league, not a league for the faint-hearted, or those in search of a balmy climate or easy Mediterranean luxury.” 

 

For me, the Bale and Di Maria’s performances of last season sum up the situation perfectly. Gareth Bale is a square peg in a round hole at Real Madrid, in a discomfort zone epitomised by his latest stunning performances at International level for Wales and in stark contrast to those turgid displays for his club at the fag end of both La Liga and Champions League campaigns. Childish excuses abound, from him not passing to team mates and them not passing to him, but they hide the real [excuse the pun] truth - here is a genuine team player marooned at a club noted for worshiping the cult of the individual above all else. More to the point, in recent times there has been no greater god at the Bernabeau than Ronaldo and Gareth will never receive the same degree of reverence [or service] however long he hangs around and ships the fan abuse.

 

No surprise, then,  that it’s easy to substantiate a want-away premise for him now that he has slipped half-heartedly into supporting role status at Real Madrid [forever in Ronny’s slipstream] and the accompanying decline in fan favouritism only adds to his problems. At Chelsea, the need to gain top-dog status would not exist and the nearest he is likely to get to any sort of competitive rivalry within the team is by direct comparison [by us the fans] with Edin Hazard on the opposite flank. In short, it’s all about the team ethic under our boss, which leads to my next point.

 

Home-loving as well as home-grown, Bale offers us the ideal balance offensively, dovetailing with Edin either side of Diego. In addition, there will be no need for Jose to work on the defensive side of this guy’s game - it’s already instilled in him from his days as a fullback, both with Saints and Spurs. Tracking back is no problem either - he loves to turn the tables on unsuspecting over-lappers [inter’s Maicon an example] scoring many of his more spectacular goals in the process. Also, expanding on the home grown theme, his versatility means we have an extra central target man if required, which might mean [Jose willing] that Patrick Bamford is given a striker’s berth after all, the risk [of Diego and Falcao succumbing to injury at the same time] being lessened. Of course, others might go with Bertrand Traore instead, but the principle remains the same and their speedier development needs to happen because - well, back to Barney Ronay again:-       

 

“There are only so many global stars to go round. And while it’s great to take on the just-below-the-best, the rescue cats of football’s top rank, the fact is the Premier League simply needs to start growing its own.“

 

A bid for Bale would be a bid for a status-bringing global star and the knock-on effect would most certainly highlight the need to grow your own, as it would have to be massive. But Chelsea are best placed out of all the top Premiership clubs to take the dual financial and cultural hit, make that bid and integrate the player into a team that is at least geared-up to be self-sufficient - if we ever show total belief in the policy, that is, as opposed to merely displaying an inclination so to do.      

 

.  

 

Bale would fit us perfectly.

Without reading this essay I would never have known that Gareth Bale would be a good player for us.

Made me want us bid for Bale. I also agree we really need to dig deep to strenghten the squad.

I don't think we go for him tbh but I like the idea.

Fantastic read, only problem is I think the days of us paying Bale money for a player are over. I think Man Utd are more likely to get him tbh.

You are spot on that we need to strengthen. I think it's a bad thing to stand still and to retain the title we need someone whose going to improve the team. I worry about repeating the mistakes of after 09/10 season.

Edited July 17, 201511 yr by Bobbywoodhogan

ah dorset...dreams.....would be lovely of course as you point out but the one who cannot be named is surely not that obtuse - for the present at least. He's going to need as many "diversions" as any other manager at Real probably more so because he's in reality, as we know, not that good (I don't how Real thought that he could be an improvement on Carlo?!?). What better diversion to have than scapegoat players (there seems to be an increasing "sookiness" developing in a growing percentage of the already pandered to/spoilt Real supporters) in circumstances where the team doesn't say perform as expected before Xmas? Still, as you say, we will see just what develops in the first part of the year. With City & Utd shooting there respective loads so to speak in this transfer window, perhaps it's best that we just bide our time. Wonder what he's currently valued at? 

I would say his current value to a BPL team is a lot higher than it would be for any club outside the BPL, but I would say it's probably £70m for us to bring him here?

 

Edit: With regards to what others are paying for players, I would say that is actually value for money, if he were available at that I'd snap Real's arm off!

Edited July 17, 201511 yr by shedpensioner

http://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2014/08/11/liverpool-fans-begin-annual-this-will-be-our-year-awareness-campaign

That's a lot of words Dorset for essentially saying "I would like Gareth Bale at Chelsea".

Great post Dorset, I think Bale would definitely take us to the next level, unfortunately I can't see us getting him mind you

Yes, but would Bale be good enough to get picked ahead of Cuadrado?

That's a lot of words Dorset for essentially saying "I would like Gareth Bale at Chelsea".

 

You must be used to my posts by now and know that if I make a case it will usually be supported by as much evidence as I can muster. Nice to know you still find time to read them and haven’t just commented for the sake of it… you too Wrote For Luck. Either of you care to take up the challenge? 

You must be used to my posts by now and know that if I make a case it will usually be supported by as much evidence as I can muster. Nice to know you still find time to read them and haven’t just commented for the sake of it… you too Wrote For Luck. Either of you care to take up the challenge?

My musings on Gareth Bale can be found in the Gareth Bale thread.

Tell you what though I will be more than happy to do a write up assessment of our full transfer dealings at the end of the window.

You must be used to my posts by now and know that if I make a case it will usually be supported by as much evidence as I can muster. Nice to know you still find time to read them and haven’t just commented for the sake of it… you too Wrote For Luck. Either of you care to take up the challenge? 

Sorry mate don't want to be rude but i think your posts are just unnecessarily long winded.

There's room for everyone and all manner of writing style. Sometimes I like a quick quip and at other times I enjoy a few subordinate clauses.

José doesn't seem like the type to get a little drunk and land in jail.

I bet he never gets weary and sick of trying either.