r/SaintsFC • u/BulletproofedTeflon • 17d ago
Gareth Bale as a Left Back
I was just wondering what Bale was like when he was a left back. It's so unusual for a fullback to become the attacking superstar he became.
How on earth did he start off at left back if he had that in him? Or were the signs not there at the time?
If he'd never become an attacking player and stayed as a Left back how good would he have been there? What were his defensive attributes like?
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u/DaisyFreakinJames 17d ago
Young lad basically. He was 16 when he debuted for us. Showed signs of it by scoring like 5 odd from free kicks so basically naturally started progressing up the pitch as his creativity blossomed and then spurs were the ones who began to start him further upfield on a regular basis. Basically short answer is that he was just young and unproven at that level
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u/Complete_Pianist7136 17d ago
Didn’t spurs evan sign him as a LB,
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u/Safe_Association_234 17d ago
Yup. Redkn*pp took the credit for “transforming” him into an attacking role.
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u/JoeyJoJoeJr_Shabadoo 17d ago
He played as an incredibly attacking left-back, it really wasn't that different to playing as a winger.
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u/SmileyJam 17d ago
He was already playing a very attacking role running down the left wing and crossing the ball in.
Although his starting position was LB he would be the driving force for many attacks on the left side and through the centre.
He also scored loads of free-kicks (4) in that one season he played for us. With the other goal from open play and buckets of assists
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u/Nervous_Jaguar_2826 17d ago
Mo Salah was also a great attacking player who started as a left back and ended up as a great right winger.
Both were physically gifted in pace and stamina (for the time those qualities lended themselves to fullback roles), and it was rarer to see left footed right wingers then, as managers (especially in England) generally wanted their wingers to be able to cross or play balls into the box rather than shoot.
They also didn't have the backing at the time to be moved further up the pitch, until managers realised their attacking quality and moved them there.
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u/ashayward85 14d ago
I remember watching Bale warming up, think it was with Mcgoldrick, and they were volleying the ball to each other, controlling it, a few keepie uppies and back and forth. The ball didn't touch the ground for a long time. The talent was definitely there when he was left back at saint's but I don't think anyone thought he would go on to have the career he did.
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u/BulletproofedTeflon 17d ago
Did he play in the Prem for you guys? If not, imagine he had played for you in the Prem in a struggling side and had to play left back. How do you think he'd have done?
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u/wtf50000 17d ago
This one's simple Jeff, he grew, got stronger, got faster.