' Looks like he is ready to make his first start '
Wed Nov 13, 2013 3:09 pm
Since his record transfer to Real Madrid.
Gareth Bale has not started for Wales since his world record £86m move to Real Madrid in August but is set to hand Chris Coleman a boost this weekend.
'Galactico' Gareth Bale set to provide Wales with friendly fire in Finland fixture
Wednesday 13th Nov 2013
' Gareth Bale looks like he will play for Wales on Saturday '
Gareth Bale is settling into life very nicely in Madrid – but his hankering for home comforts should swell the attendance for Wales’ final fixture of 2013 on Saturday evening.
Bale has not started for Wales since his world record £86m move to Real Madrid in August, well-documented injuries having restricted his impact on the international stage this season to a 34-minute World Cup cameo against Serbia.
The 24-year-old ‘Galactico’ has not started a Wales game since the home defeat to Croatia in March but, as the Twitterati confirmed on Monday night, Bale is back in Cardiff and out dining at his favourite local restaurant.
“They’re going to play important matches with their national sides and I wish them lots of luck,” said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti after Los Blancos had spanked Real Sociedad 5-1 in La Liga on the weekend.
“I think they started to think about those commitments once this match finished.”
Whether those “important matches” in Ancelotti’s mind includes Wales v Finland at the Cardiff City Stadium remains unclear, but the FAW will be pleased if the presence of Bale takes the attendance over the five-figure mark on a day when the Wales rugby team are also in town.
Manager Chris Coleman has had his own issues in recent weeks, amid all the talk of the managerial vacancy at his former club Crystal Palace and whether he will sign a new Wales deal, but he too will be delighted if he can name Bale in his starting line-up for the first time in eight months.
For Bale is in a far better place than he has been on the last three Wales get-togethers.
For the Republic of Ireland friendly in August he linked up with Coleman’s squad, but the training camp became a circus filled with dozens of Spanish journalists and hundreds of fans as the winger closed in on his bank-busting move to Spain.
The following month Bale sat on the bench in Macedonia, even though Coleman said he was not fit and just there as a scare tactic, before that brief run-out. A small disc bulge then ruled him out of the final World Cup ties in October, the morale-boosting 1-0 home victory over Macedonia and the 1-1 draw with Brazil-bound Belgium, the fifth-highest ranked team in world football.
A disappointing ‘El Clasico’ performance against Barcelona aside, Bale has started to find the form which had Tottenham Hotspur supporters drooling.
He has managed three goals and five assists in seven La Liga games and last week opened his Champions League account with a terrific strike in Real’s 2-2 draw with Juventus in Turin.
“I’ve come back and played three games in a week. I’m still building my fitness up,” said Bale, who suffered in his early days at Madrid due to the absence of a pre-season.
“I have to keep improving and working hard to be one hundred per cent as soon as possible.”
Gareth Bale has not started for Wales since his world record £86m move to Real Madrid in August but is set to hand Chris Coleman a boost this weekend.
'Galactico' Gareth Bale set to provide Wales with friendly fire in Finland fixture
Wednesday 13th Nov 2013
' Gareth Bale looks like he will play for Wales on Saturday '
Gareth Bale is settling into life very nicely in Madrid – but his hankering for home comforts should swell the attendance for Wales’ final fixture of 2013 on Saturday evening.
Bale has not started for Wales since his world record £86m move to Real Madrid in August, well-documented injuries having restricted his impact on the international stage this season to a 34-minute World Cup cameo against Serbia.
The 24-year-old ‘Galactico’ has not started a Wales game since the home defeat to Croatia in March but, as the Twitterati confirmed on Monday night, Bale is back in Cardiff and out dining at his favourite local restaurant.
“They’re going to play important matches with their national sides and I wish them lots of luck,” said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti after Los Blancos had spanked Real Sociedad 5-1 in La Liga on the weekend.
“I think they started to think about those commitments once this match finished.”
Whether those “important matches” in Ancelotti’s mind includes Wales v Finland at the Cardiff City Stadium remains unclear, but the FAW will be pleased if the presence of Bale takes the attendance over the five-figure mark on a day when the Wales rugby team are also in town.
Manager Chris Coleman has had his own issues in recent weeks, amid all the talk of the managerial vacancy at his former club Crystal Palace and whether he will sign a new Wales deal, but he too will be delighted if he can name Bale in his starting line-up for the first time in eight months.
For Bale is in a far better place than he has been on the last three Wales get-togethers.
For the Republic of Ireland friendly in August he linked up with Coleman’s squad, but the training camp became a circus filled with dozens of Spanish journalists and hundreds of fans as the winger closed in on his bank-busting move to Spain.
The following month Bale sat on the bench in Macedonia, even though Coleman said he was not fit and just there as a scare tactic, before that brief run-out. A small disc bulge then ruled him out of the final World Cup ties in October, the morale-boosting 1-0 home victory over Macedonia and the 1-1 draw with Brazil-bound Belgium, the fifth-highest ranked team in world football.
A disappointing ‘El Clasico’ performance against Barcelona aside, Bale has started to find the form which had Tottenham Hotspur supporters drooling.
He has managed three goals and five assists in seven La Liga games and last week opened his Champions League account with a terrific strike in Real’s 2-2 draw with Juventus in Turin.
“I’ve come back and played three games in a week. I’m still building my fitness up,” said Bale, who suffered in his early days at Madrid due to the absence of a pre-season.
“I have to keep improving and working hard to be one hundred per cent as soon as possible.”
Re: ' Looks like he is ready to make his first start '
Wed Nov 13, 2013 3:13 pm
Really want to watch bale but i will not watch a game while coleman is in charge end of.
Re: ' Looks like he is ready to make his first start '
Wed Nov 13, 2013 5:53 pm
Hands up who thought this was about A-Corn when you first read the headline?
Re: ' Looks like he is ready to make his first start '
Wed Nov 13, 2013 6:54 pm
I did, not particularly interested in when Bale plays for Wales.
Re: ' Looks like he is ready to make his first start '
Thu Nov 14, 2013 3:18 pm
Shinobipony wrote:Hands up who thought this was about A-Corn when you first read the headline?
Another post made for hits
Re: ' Looks like he is ready to make his first start '
Thu Nov 14, 2013 5:31 pm
no offence but that's silly. its still our country. if ccfc had a new manager and u didn't think he was capable, would u stop going?CantonG wrote:Really want to watch bale but i will not watch a game while coleman is in charge end of.
Re: ' Looks like he is ready to make his first start '
Thu Nov 14, 2013 6:13 pm
Pontypool_Bluebird wrote:no offence but that's silly. its still our country. if ccfc had a new manager and u didn't think he was capable, would u stop going?CantonG wrote:Really want to watch bale but i will not watch a game while coleman is in charge end of.
People just don't think things through nowadays, do they?
