Why Bale to Madrid is the Wrong Move

For the past few seasons Gareth Bale has become one of football's most sought after players. He has clearly shown that he has lots of potential and last season, under the tutelage and freedom afforded to him by Andre Villas-Boas Bale’s game went to new levels. The result was a clean sweep of the individual awards and honours, which would suggest that Bale was the standout player in the league last season. However does this one season of impressive performances warrant a transfer fee upwards of £80m?! As The Whitehouse Address discusses the fee will not bring success for Madrid or Bale.

Earlier in the season I wrote an article which argued that Gareth Bale had the potential to become a world class player yet he would not fulfil this if he stayed at Spurs. Being at a ‘second tier’ club  failed to offer him the necessary challenge of top European football and the constant challenge of competing for league titles. Quite frankly a fight for fourth was not something which would propel Bale to world class levels. 

Therefore a move was needed and for this blog the best two choices would have been Man United or Bayern, the reason being the type and culture of these particular clubs. Bale would excel with world class players and football philosophies which suited his game. The step up was necessary and the sooner he moved the better for his career. 

Yet these two clubs are not the ones linked with him, in fact it is Real Madrid, a move which he should consider carefully if he wishes to become one of the world’s best players.

One of the world's best? 

To be honest it was surprising  to see Bale collect the player and young player of the season awards last year as well as the writers award. Yes he was deserving of nomination, some of his performances and goals were impressive and without doubt he helped Spurs win valuable points. Yet he did not provide the goals and assists (38 in total) which Robin Van Persie, who was the standout player of the league again did. 

Bale was up there with players like Suarez, Mata, Walcott and Rooney yet he wasn't the standout player. Yet Bale won the awards. Was it favouritism from a media longing for a British player to be regarded as the ‘best’ or was I simply not seeing what other players and the media were seeing? Incredibly he has even been selected in the Uefa Player of the Year awards, how is beyond me! So many more players deserved to be on that list (expect an article on this soon).

For me I see a player who did not finish as the Golden Boot winner, nor did he take Tottenham to their desired top four finish which would have put them into the Champions League. Remember Van Persie took Arsenal to third the year before. No, in fact Spurs came fifth, won no trophies and Bale came third in the scoring charts. Yet he was the best player? Really? Could it not be argued that his tactical freedom affected the balance of the Spurs side and that his selfish play in fact made Spurs a lesser side? 

Whatever the case the truth is that those awards have certainly elevated his value which is pleasing for Villas-Boas because it means he may hold onto his prized asset or have more funds to invest in the squad. It is extremely pleasing for Daniel Levy who stands to make a significant amount of money from selling Bale and yet perhaps not so great for Bale, who has been priced out the market except for a move to Madrid. This is a problem for his development. Stay at Spurs and stagnate or move to Madrid and falter. Let me explain.

The Galactico fallacy

When Florentino Perez arrived at Real Madrid in 2000 he inherited a team who had just won two Champions Leagues (1998 and 2000). It was a team who looked on course to dominate Europe for years to come. However Perez had won the nomination by his insistence on bringing Luis Figo to the club and when nominated embarked on his ‘Galactico’ project.

This would see lavish money spent on players like Figo, Ronaldo, Zidane and Beckham. The potential appeared huge yet the reality was somewhat different. At first it seemed a success, another Champions League win in 2002 confirmed Madrid as Europe's top side. Yet the Galactico project would prove to be something of an anti-climax afterwards. 

Del Bosque was fired in 2003 after winning the league and after lifting the Champions League the season before. Perez wanted a 'shake up' and that he got. He destroyed a winning team and produced a decade of disappointment. 

As well as Del Bosque Perez also decided to let Claude Makelele leave (refusing him the contract he wished) and replaced him with David Beckham. Perez clearly did not 'know' football, he only knew 'flair' and this quote confirms as much; "We will not miss Makelele. His technique is average, he lacks the speed and skill to take the ball past opponents, and 90% of his distribution either goes backwards or sideways." 

In the following years more new 'Galacticos' arrived in the form of Owen and Robinho yet it didn't work and the success Madrid had around 2000 was nowhere to be seen now. So much money and so little to show for it. Perez resigned in 2006 stating the club needed a 'new direction'. 

Madrid's lack of vision and direction

However Perez could not resist returning to Madrid and continuing his 'project'. You would have thought Perez would have learnt about the failings of the 'Galacticos' yet he continued with the captures of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema and Xavi Alonso for a combined total of £200m. A signal of intent indeed. 

Coincidentally it was the year Guardiola became Barcelona’s new coach and where he would go on to build a team which relied heavily on the academy players which Barcelona had produced. The differences between ideologies of the clubs could not have been different. As we know Barca would go on to win the treble and dominate world football for several years. 

Since Perez has returned Real Madrid have won the league once and the Copa Del Rey. This means that the money spent on those four players as well as more on Di Maria, Coentrao, Ozil and Modric has resulted in two trophies. That's right, two trophies. And not the most treasured one, that 10th European crown. 

Yes they have reached three Champions League semi-finals three years in a row yet this club and these players want to win trophies and the truth is that sides like Bayern, Dortmund and of course Barcelona have proven to be better while spending less. Why is this?

For me Real Madrid have not build a great side since 2002-2003 when they had Makelele in the team. The side then had what I love to call ‘balance’ and it was successful. Selling Makelele ruined the team and their chances of success and although a sense of ‘balance’ was brought back with Mourinho he could not keep the ‘balance’ of the team’s harmony and togetherness. 

A lack of vision, philosophy and culture appears to define Madrid this past decade, most notably Floretino Perez and this is why I feel Gareth Bale will struggle if he moves to Madrid. He is not mature enough to deal with his kind of club and the volatility which comes with it.

The Bale/Ronaldo comparison

This is where the comparisons with Ronaldo come in to play. Cristiano could not have been luckier than to play one of his best games in that friendly in 2003. He impressed United’s players (although there were tabs on him already by other clubs) which persuaded Ferguson to get him in. 

Ronaldo's education as a player and man under Quieroz and Ferguson was significant for the player he became. He grew up fast with experienced and professional players like Keane, Scholes, Ferdinand and Neville around him. This nurturing would see him grow into a dominant player who would terrorise defenders with his athleticism and skill. It took three years of being at a top club for Ronaldo to really understand what was necessary. 

After that 'education' he was prepared to be the world's best and achieved that; from 2006-2009 he was simply the best player in world football, better than Ronaldinho and Kaka at that time without doubt. He won three league titles in a row and took United to back to back Champions League finals. His development was still on the rise, and then he moved to Madrid.

You can call me a fool by thinking that moving to Madrid was a mistake yet I do believe that Ronaldo has failed to become the world's best player because of his move to Madrid. As an individual he has improved (due to his desire to be the best) yet Madrid has a culture this past decade of being dysfunctional and Ronaldo has been victim to this.

Too many stars not enough team

Why has Ronaldo only won two trophies since he arrived at Madrid and not being able to get that coveted Balon D’or he desires so much? £80m for a league and cup in four years? That seems quite steep don’t you think? For me it is because Barcelona are a better ‘team’ than Madrid and Messi has thrived because of that environment and culture. 

Ronaldo has suffered because Perez cares more about 'stars' and selling shirts than putting together a great team and with the arrival of Mourinho he made the Madrid job more about him and his issues with Barcelona than the club. 

Perez is guilty of this because he believed Mourinho was the answer just like Beckham was. On both cases it was the wrong move and Madrid suffered. None more so than Ronaldo. Yes his goalscoring record is phenomenal and he has not struggled for form, but he has suffered for trophies and accolades.

I believe that it was the same for players like Zidane, Ronaldo, Figo, Beckham, Owen and Robinho too. The ‘Galactico’ project sold many shirts yet it did not produce successful and dominant sides. The coach had little influence on what he wanted or needed, just like Pellegrini in 2009 when he was loaded with £170m of attacking talent. 

For coaches like Quieroz, Capello and Pellegrini they want balance and see the need to produce a team, yet Madrid is a team of individuals put together by a man who does not understand football and only sees 'stars'.

Bale needs to be nurtured 

If Bale was to move for upwards of £80m what will Madrid achieve? Will he take Madrid to Champions League success? I have my doubts. It makes little sense for the club and him as a player and the transfer ultimately sums up Madrid and Perez’s philosophy to football. There are many who moan about Russian and Arab owners yet has any owner being as preposterous and pernicious for football, a club and players careers as Florentino Perez has?

The problem for Bale is that he is still young and learning his game, unlike Ronaldo when he moved to Madrid he is nowhere near the 'finished article' and Madrid is not a place for developing. Whereas United balanced development and success allied with stability and continuity, Madrid is a volatile, changing beast. 

It will be detrimental for Bale to the cauldron of Madrid and it will certainly affect his development. Remember Bale is a big family man who values his close support and family ties. Would the environment and pressures in Madrid suit him at this stage of his career?

United (although I have my doubts about Moyes still) could help his development and allow him to reach world class levels, as too Bayern (yet to get in that side would be a challenge). 

What it appears is that Madrid appear to want Bale as a token gesture of their wealth and a pointer to Barcelona after they took Neymar from them. Do they genuinely wish to develop Bale as a player or is their interest merely superficial and about 'making a point'? This is what he needs to ask himself. 

You only have to look at players like Sneijder, Robben, Kaka, Modric, Benzema, Di Maria and my personal favourite Ozil whose careers have not excelled to the levels they could had they moved elsewhere. Madrid is not a developing club and under Perez it is a club with a philosophy of capturing 'stars' and not building a 'team'.  You only have to look at the past decade to see the issues Madrid have created for themselves. Perez has been a major factor in this.

And in regards to Bale he is simply not worth £80m. He has done almost nothing to warrant that kind of fee and it seems preposterous to pay that kind of money on 'potential'. Personally I believe a player like Marco Reus, who is the same age as Bale is a better player and has more to show for his career at this stage. To compare Bale to Ronaldo is utter madness considering what the Portuguese did in England. It is over-hype and modern football gone made in my opinion. 

If Bale does move to Madrid I have my worries that he will not progress to the level he could have had he gone to a club who were able to 'nurture' his talent. 

The Whitehouse Address @The_W_Address

Related articles

• Gareth Bale – On the Road to Being World Class?
• A Lesson About Mindset from Cristiano Ronaldo 
• Are Bayern The Most Complete Team Ever? 
• Did Spurs Make a Big Error Hiring Villas-Boas?