For many Spurs fans, the thought of Gareth Bale returning to the club he spent six years at, as the club move in to their new stadium, just sends their hearts racing just a little faster.
As Tottenham fans will tell you, it was far more than the 42 goals he scored. He single-handedly turned games on their heads. His pace, his drive, his deadly eye for goal – when you saw the player with the number 3 (later 11) on the back of his shirt walk onto the pitch for the Lilly whites, you knew it didn’t matter who Spurs were playing, with Bale on the pitch they could always finish the game on top.
Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has today been telling talksport host Alan Brazil how Bale could win Spurs the title, but has also raised the concerns of the Spurs fans who don’t find their hearts racing at the thought of the return of the messiah.
“He could make a difference,” Redknapp said. “He could win the title for you. Keeping him fit is the problem, but if he’s fit and playing he can be the difference between finishing third, fourth or fifth and winning it.”
AND there lies the problem, Bale seems to be just too fragile at Real Madrid. In fact, since he has been at his current club he has had a total of THIRTEEN injuries, resulting in him missing SIXTY games in the four and a bit seasons he has been there.
Redknapp is right, Bale could very well win the title for Spurs (although after seeing Eriksen demolish Ireland to qualify for the World Cup, he may have to do it from the bench), but he may be just too much of a liability, especially if Pochettino tries to shape his team around him, only for Bale to be sitting on the treatment table for large parts of the season.
The thought of Gareth Bale walking onto the pitch once again in Spurs colours, in front of 60,000 adoring fans at the new stadium – Yes, that thought gives me tingles.
It would be like going on a date with a hot ex-partner. An ex you’ve never really got over since they dumped you, and knowing just how much excitement they could bring back into your life.
Would it make a difference if this ex arrived on the date with a broken ankle?.. Not really.
