I watched El Clasico on Sunday and it was clear Bale was
having a hard time of it. The reaction to defeat to Barcelona and the stick he
has received from the Spanish media and some fans will only make it more
difficult. He had a great first season and I admire his determination to fight
for his place in the most competitive squad in world football.
I get the
impression that the only way Bale is going to leave Madrid is if the club tell
him to go. As their record signing, he may yet believe that the time for that
is a long way off but we have seen them do it with some big names in recent
years, including Mesut Özil and Angel Di Maria.
My feeling is that he would be perfect
for Manchester United. Of course, as a fan of my former club I would like to
see him there but, looking at it objectively, I always felt that Bale was a
natural fit for United as he developed at Tottenham from a left-back into one
of the best attacking footballers in the country.
He would be loved at Old Trafford. In
return I believe he could turn Louis van Gaal’s team into serious title
contenders next season. In my years at United I witnessed some signings who,
over their careers, transformed the fortunes of the team. From Eric Cantona
when I was an apprentice, to Dwight Yorke, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Wayne
Rooney. These were great footballers who became great United players. Bale has
the potential to make as much of an impac All good players need to be
appreciated. Bale would be coming to United in a time of change when the team
is looking for leaders. Madrid will always be in a state of upheaval, with new
presidents and a fresh intake of players each summer. At United there has also
been great change in the past 22 months, but the club is trying to move towards
stability in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.t as any of them.
On Sunday I thought Madrid played
extremely well in the first half. Luka Modric and Toni Kroos controlled the
game in a way we’ve never seen from opposition teams at the Nou Camp in the
past 10 years. They created chances too, but then, after conceding the second
goal, they just seemed to run out of ideas.
Out in the wide position, Bale
did not look like a happy bunny. I can understand why he would want to see out
his time at Madrid but even if he was to leave after two years, no one could
say that, having won a Champions League title, his time there has been a
failure. He has never won anything in English football and he would be hungry
for success in this country. He is a phenomenal footballer who comes ready-made
for the Premier League.
Frustrated
Gerrard should have started crucial game
Watching Steven
Gerrard on Sunday, I suspect that his first thought while he was warming up
during the first half was “How am I not playing in this game?” His second would
have been that when he did get on, he was going to put a few tackles in and get
the home crowd going.
He certainly
managed the tackles, and in fact even his first challenge on Juan Mata was one
of those that was only just timed OK. By the time he was into Ander Herrera his
frustration had got the better of him.
Should he have
started the game? Of course he should. There was only one person who can have
thought that Gerrard was not right to start against Manchester United at
Anfield in a must-win game for Liverpool, and that was Brendan Rodgers.
I can see what
he was trying to do when he came on: put a few tackles in and get the crowd
going. But even when you can feel the emotions rising in you, the most
important thing is control. I got sent off a few times in my life but I never
lost my head. I mistimed tackles and I made mistakes.
Gerrard is
getting closer to his final game at Anfield and his final game for Liverpool.
Anfield will be a special place for him, just as Old Trafford was for me. The
first time I retired, only Sir Alex Ferguson and I knew that the last league
game of the 2010-11 season against Blackpool was to be my final game at Old
Trafford. I was a little bit sad but I am not one for tears. The end of a
career comes to us all and there is not a lot you can do about that.
I took a look
around. My family were there in the private box that we rented during my time
at United, and then that was it. We played the Champions League final six days
later. Then in eight months’ time, I was back in the first-team squad! When I
finally quit for the second time in the summer of 2013 I had accepted that this
really was the end and, having got over that, the move into retirement was a
lot easier.
It’s
amazing Carrick has so few caps for England
I expect Michael
Carrick to play for England against Lithuania tonight. He is back in favour for
his club and it will probably follow that he plays for his country too. He
should have played more for England than the 31 caps he has so far. It is
incredible to think that he has one fewer than Danny Welbeck on 32.
As I have said
before in this column, no one appreciated Michael more than the midfielders who
played alongside him at United. He is not a flash footballer. He doesn’t hit
Hollywood passes. He doesn’t score lots of goals. But I loved playing alongside
him. He was always in the right place. He gave me licence to play.
At 33, Michael
is still easily capable of doing that for the other players in this current
England team. He gives any attacking midfielder alongside him lots of the ball
and also the licence to go forward without worrying about leaving their defence
exposed. He would have been the perfect England midfield partner for
Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard, but most of the time it was those two who played
together.
It is not for
nothing that Michael has been the linchpin for United for so long. He has just
never had the faith of the England managers he has played under.
Kane
should play, but I think he will start on the bench
My bet is that
Wayne Rooney and Welbeck start for England against Lithuania. I can see Harry
Kane getting the last 20 to 30 minutes as a substitute. Kane deserves his
chance, but my money is on him starting on the bench.
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