Gareth Bale signs for Los Angeles fc [non WHU]

[lincolnhammer1963]

What a cop out.
Obviously signed for LA FC to improve his golf handicap.
Criminal waste of his best years as a footballer.
And yet he's won so much and made a fortune stealing a living as a so called world class footballer.

Obviously the premier league is a step too far for this footballing fraud

[SullySpecial]

I hope he’s done his research. Pebble Beach isn’t that close to LA.

[DublinDave]

Good golf courses in California... Don't blame him...

[Danny's Dyer Acting]

He's 33 by the start of the next European season and with Wales' qualification for the World Cup has achieved everything he could have reasonably dreamed of at the start of his career.

One of the best players these islands has ever produced, shame about the Spurs blips.

[hammers92]

What a cop out.
Obviously signed for LA FC to improve his golf handicap.
Criminal waste of his best years as a footballer.
And yet he's won so much and made a fortune stealing a living as a so called world class footballer.

Obviously the premier league is a step too far for this footballing fraud

Bale a fraud? That’s honestly one of the most outrageous things I’ve ever read on this site.

[Aztec Hammer]

So called world class? Footballing fraud?

You’re joking right?

[lincolnhammer1963]

Bale a fraud? That’s honestly one of the most outrageous things I’ve ever read on this site.

There's no denying this player was truly world class up and till about 6 years ago.
He's been coasting through his career from about the age of 28
Only seems to make the effort when he plays for Wales.
And I would suggest a lot people who follow football will have similar views to mine.

It's all about opinions
He's definitely no Ronaldo or Ibrahimovic

[Puff Daddy]

Good golf courses in California... Don't blame him...

... and lovely mansions in Beverley Hills. Be stupid not to really. Plus there's Disneyland

[DublinDave]

... and lovely mansions in Beverley Hills. Be stupid not to really. Plus there's Disneyland

Indeed... Good on him, won 4 champions league's with Real & scored the winner in 2 of them & yet they hate him... Delighted he took the p!ss as I would too...
He only signed a deal until the end of the US season, which is ongoing & ends at the end of October, he'll be training immediately & playing competitive fixtures within weeks. Suits both parties as I can see him retiring after the WC... Most successful UK player ever, fair play to the lad...

[hammerman11]

Shame he wasted the last few years of his career. Could have been a true great. Doubt he cares with the money he has and lifestyle. One last hurrah in Qatar!

[alf git]

What are the hair clinics like?

[lincolnhammer1963]

Shame he wasted the last few years of his career. Could have been a true great. Doubt he cares with the money he has and lifestyle. One last hurrah in Qatar!

World record signing for Real Madrid at the time and it was all set for him to become a true Real Madrid legend once Ronaldo left the club.
Ronaldo carried on breaking records in italy and if it wasnt for his goals this season Man Utd would have finished behind
Gareth Bale's career went backwards after Ronaldo left.
He even allowed Karim Benzema to step out of Ronaldo's shadow and become the next modern day legend at the Bernabau.
Nine seasons at Real madrid and only played 176 games, and 80 of those were in the first 3 seasons.
Even his 2 champions league winning goals wont elevate him to a Madrid legend.
Incredible player in a Tottenham shirt and earned him the right to become the Worlds most expensive player at the time.
He just lost his way and obviously his desire to play regular league football.

Obviously you wont hear a bad word said about him in cardiff and the rest of Wales.

For me he's going to be one of those players that won a lot but could have contributed so much more

[goa127]

I don't think Fraud is too harsh a word. At Real Madrid he was paid money that top premier league players can only dream about yet seemed to regard it as a part-time job. Modern professional sport is incredibly well paid but demands 100% commitment and dedication, often playing when not fully fit. To me it seemed that he thought he'd earned the right to just turn up for bit of glory. This seemed to be his attitude in his loan spell at spurs recently. Against us he came on at half-time, hit the bar with a spectacular effort and narrowly failed to save the game. An almost perfect game for him, only 45 minutes, if the shot had gone in he would have saved the points and been the hero.

[WCpete]

Kind of makes sense to me. I doubt there's that much of a difference between the championship and the MLS in quality, and the MLS season ends in October, so he doesn't abandon the side in the middle of the season. He'll play far fewer games. LA is already in 1st place. He'll stay fit. He'll get plenty of golf time. And he'll get to enjoy peak SoCal fire season. Win win.

[The Straw]

World record signing for Real Madrid at the time and it was all set for him to become a true Real Madrid legend once Ronaldo left the club.
Ronaldo carried on breaking records in italy and if it wasnt for his goals this season Man Utd would have finished behind
Gareth Bale's career went backwards after Ronaldo left.
He even allowed Karim Benzema to step out of Ronaldo's shadow and become the next modern day legend at the Bernabau.
Nine seasons at Real madrid and only played 176 games, and 80 of those were in the first 3 seasons.
Even his 2 champions league winning goals wont elevate him to a Madrid legend.
Incredible player in a Tottenham shirt and earned him the right to become the Worlds most expensive player at the time.
He just lost his way and obviously his desire to play regular league football.

Obviously you wont hear a bad word said about him in cardiff and the rest of Wales.

For me he's going to be one of those players that won a lot but could have contributed so much more

I've no love for him but this is really harsh!

He definitely is a strange one in that he's not a maverick in the traditional sense. He's hardly Ronaldinho. But at his best he was genuinely unstoppable. And you can't just dismiss his CL final winning goals. They're amazing achievements. And one of those strikes was genuinely amazing. That overhead was pure maverick. Astonishing really. But because as a player he was direct and ruthless and cold and clinical, he is probably seen in a different light to other greats. He's part of a group that will be seen as the new type of modern attacking player. Stats freaks. Athletic, direct, relentless. They entertain through their sheer numbers. Ronaldo is the poster child of this.

I feel (worry) that there will be less old school mavericks/entertainers because of this. It's why Sterling is rightly seen as a brilliant player. Because of the numbers. But most people (over 30ish) would probably say they'd rather prime Di Canio in our team, even though his 'numbers' can't compare.

Also, surely Bale played more times for Real Madrid than that in 9 years? Under 200 games is low to be fair. No problem with him taking the piss out of them though. Very unappealing club. He loves his country and always turns up. I respect that. I also understand that he likes to play golf.

[Shabu]

What are the hair clinics like?

Audley Harrison owns a beauty salon with resident hair stylists fairly nearby.

[lukechadwick]

237 games 71 goals for Spurs over 7 seasons
258 games 106 goals for Real over 8 seasons
Aside from a better goals to games ratio not a huge difference.

[Southminster Hammer]

I don't know whether you can really Diss Gareth Bale as a player, but call Di Canio or Tevez a legend? If you put the two of them together, you wouldn't be able to compare them to Bale and his career for club and Country. Only my opinion, and speaking as a West Ham fan as well.

[ironilunga]

Look, he’s no James Milner is he.

You can argue it both ways depending on the type of person you are;

1. Milner is institutionalised to the routine of football and will plough on until he is 40 at the expense of other life experiences. Meanwhile Bale sees the bigger picture and after winning half a dozen champions leagues he wants more from life than the pressure of prem league.

2. Milner is still playing at the top level and leaving nothing in the tank (including footballing regrets). Bale at 32 will go though the motions in the MLS and swing a golf club any opportunity he gets. He may reflect on his early retirement in later life when just golfing has proved a little tiresome.

[btajim - mcfc]

Finishing your career in LA sounds alright to me!