Where does Bale rank among Tottenham greatest ever players ?

[Mullers]

A lot of people consider Cantona a legend, for me he isn't, he was only good on the domestic stage. Giggs on the other hand is definitely a legend.

 

[OmarsComing]

A lot of people consider Cantona a legend, for me he isn't, he was only good on the domestic stage. Giggs on the other hand is definitely a legend.

Domestic stage vs glorified FA Cup

hmmmm

 

[Mullers]

Domestic stage vs glorified FA Cup

hmmmm

what do you mean glorified FA cup? Giggs has proved his quality in Europe, Cantona didn't.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Ledley?

He's a fair shout.

 

[Mullers]

Would Sol Campbell be considered a legend if he hadn't deceived the club and gone to Arsenal?

 

[southlondonyiddo]

Well spotted sir

My dad tells me he was a fantastic player, born ahead of his time

Had to play with a heavy ball on mud baths for 10 bob a week!! Lived for most of his life in Wood Green. Supposed to have been no more than 9 stone wet through and a little magician with the ball at his feet

We can't even comprehend how different his and his families life would have been had he been playing 50 odd years later!!!!

Certainly in the 'Legend' category

 

[tototoner]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ul-Gascoigne-list-greatest-Spurs-players.html

Bale's the Spur of the moment but is he good enough to join the likes of Gazza, Greaves, Hoddle and Blanchflower in Tottenham's top 10?


for those who don't want to click the link the 10 are ( in no particular order )

Danny Blanchflower
Jimmy Greaves
Dave Mackay
Glenn Hoddle
Pat Jennings
Ron Burgess
Bobby Smith
Osvaldo Ardiles
Paul Gascoigne
Gareth Bale


Those that don't make the Daily Mail top 10 include the likes of Cliff Jones, John White, Alan Gilzean, Martin Chivers, Steve Perryman, Gary Mabbutt, Jurgen Klinsmann, Gary Lineker , John White and Luka Modric

 

[Grey Fox]

I would have to have Stevie Perryman in my top 10 a Spurs man through and through, probably in place of Gascoigne, who gave me lots of pleasure, but never really consistent enough.

 

[HotspurFC1950]

Legends become legends some time after they retire from playing.

 

[HailKingLevy]

A player can't be considered a legend at any club until he has retired ..

What if Bale plays here for 5 more years but then signs for (whoever) and scores 5 in a cup final against us .

 

[ilikeost]

A player can't be considered a legend at any club until he has retired ..

What if Bale plays here for 5 more years but then signs for (whoever) and scores 5 in a cup final against us .

What if I bought some rocket boots and flew to Mars and there set up a football academy for the locals? There I find the best player ever. Sell him to Spurs and he scores 5 against Arsenal in a intergalactic cup final?

 

[Randall Flagg]

To the people saying King isn't a legend, what have you been smoking!?

First of all, going on pure talent alone I believe he was one of the most outstanding central defenders of his generation. Not only for us but for England aswell where he occasionally played out of position yet you wouldn't know it. Unfortunately he did have quite a big problem with injuries, nevertheless most of the time he didn't even train and would still pull in heroic performances, hardly ever making a mistake (until the end of last season when his knee's just couldn't take it anymore). If he had not been so injury prone I believe going on performance alone he ranks above Ferdinand or Terry.

 

[Dinghy]

Legends become legends some time after they retire from playing.

Sorry but Ledley has been a legend for some time...

 

[Jenko]

Well I don't think there is a player from the past who can say they were better than he is now. But there are still plenty who can argue they were as good for longer. If Bale keeps this up for 3 more years he might be the all time best but in this day and age we are going to be doing very well to keep him (and injury free) for 3 more years, so its a difficult one. Still Hoddle for me, but he's passed out Jurgen now cos he's been doing it for longer.

 

[Mr-T]

Sorry but Ledley has been a legend for some time...

Gazza was a legend when he was still at the club but Italia90 had already made him the most famous player in the world at that time.

 

[monkeynick]

There's an awful lot to consider and there seems to be a lot of weight on having won a trophy with us, with that in mind he's no Cliff Jones or Steve Perryman but then he's no Justin Edinburgh or Steffen Iveresen either.

For me he's not a Waddle yet, but up there with Ginola and this is entirely based on my affection for those players which in turn is based on when in my life I watched them play.

In short this incoherent ramble is suggesting comparisons are futile. Bale however is brilliant.

 

[Wirral Spurs]

Now regarded as one of the best players in the World so I would say right up there. He is the most exciting player I have seen since Gazza, who I regarded as a legend despite only playing for us for 4 or so years.

 

[stemark44]

How many of the previous players mentioned could play as many positions as Gareth?
He can play LB,Wing Back,LW,RW,AM and Striker.
That's a pretty special player there.

 

[hodsgod]

You are forgetting the 1953 Cup Final. I remember watching it on television. For those who are too young to know, Matthews was the greatest player of the post-war era. The Second World War robbed him of 7 years of his career. He was the Pele or Messi of the day. He would draw massive crowds wherever he played even though his career was at unfashionable clubs (Stoke and Blackpool). I was lucky enough to see him in the 'flesh' a couple of times towards the end of his career (he played for Stoke until he was 51).

Being a bit older than the rest of you, I was lucky enough to see both our championship winning teams (albeit being only 4 when my gooner father took me to watch the Push-and-Run team). My idea of legends therefore goes back further than most of you. Billy Nick was a double legend as he was a fantastic player (similar in style to Dave Mackay) as well as our greatest manager. My list includes Ramsey, Burgess, Nicholson, Jones, White, Mackay, Blanchflower, Greaves, Gascoigne, Hoddle, Ardiles and Modric. Carrick, Berbatov and VdV were not here long enough to qualify although I think that are/were all great players.

I would also argue that the player pictured in my avatar was a club legend but I doubt if any of you can recognise him.

Matthews is in my opinion the greatest player hat ever lived. Messi will not play at the highest level till he is 51. He was the stand out player in the world, before they had Balon D'or etc, it's a shame he is forgotten so easily these days.

 

[Flashspur]

I dont know. I've been watching Spurs since a wee lad in 1961. Some of our really great players with the better food and training these days etc would have been equally great in this era. I am talking of true talents like Hoddle, Mackay, Greaves, White, Jones, England, Jennings, Ardiles, Waddle, Blanchflower, Gilzean, Chivers, Knowles etc. Bale is a brilliant athlete and probably more gifted in that way then any of the others. I think the test is what he can do for Spurs. Mackay and Blanchflower did the double. Hoddle won FA Cups and EUFA cups. Jones and Greaves won FA Cups and European Cup Winners Cups. Ardiles won a FA Cup and a World Cup. I think you have to take your team through a competiiton and win trophies to be regarded in this way or achieve something for your country. Bale is young and a supreme talent. He is still maturing. If we can keep him for a couple of seasons longer I think we will win something very big with him in the team.

He is not great just yet but he is on the cusp and he needs more time with us. Its really up to Levy.

And there lies the question. Does DL want to hold on to the lad and get a once in a generation opportunity where every kid in the school playground thinks he is Bale and becomes a Spurs fan (think of what that would do for our fan base) and build a team around him. Or does he want to take the money and run? I know what I would be doing but I am not our managing director!