Re: 15.Co
He was on top of the world in the summer, but looked a shadow of the player that starred in the Under 21 tournament when he came on as a sub against Shalke.
Real was such a poor move for him, and this isn't with the benefit of hindsight. Real were always going to go after Bale, competition was always going to be fierce at the Bernabeu.
By all accounts, Florentino Perez wasn't even convinced by him prior to the under 21 tournament. But, given his performances in the tournament, and the Spanish public sitting up and taking notice that one of their brightest young talents was set to move to England, it encouraged him to act.
That, and, apparently, Zidane personally insisting that they couldn't miss out.
We were the right club at the right time, instead he chose the glamour of Madrid after assurances of playing time from Zidane. And who could blame him, given Zidane's standing. Must have been staggering for him, the flattery.
Still, there was something unconvincing about the whole move. I think he knew it himself, but allowed himself to be convinced otherwise by Real.
He could've followed his "footballing father" to England, played in the same system and formation under which he flourished at Malaga - and while playing regularly.
He could've been a star here. His profile would've sky rocketed, and he would've stood an odds on chance of playing at the World Cup.
Now, that's all been pissed down the drain. A real error of judgement.
I think he likely regrets the choices he made in the summer.
I hope we do sign him in this summer, but it'll be hard to take to him the way we could've had he joined at the beginning of the season. He doesn't appear to be a player of much integrity, from being an "antimadridista" to "being one of the biggest Real Madrid fans when I put on the shirt", and particularly reneging on his word with regards to us and his "footballing father".
I sound like a woman scorned, but I really can't articulate how gutted I was that we didn't get hold of him last summer.
He is a real talent, and it's quite sad in its predictability how his career has stalled at Real.
We should be in for him, if he really wants out in the summer. But fuck me, lad, you really made an error of judgement.
