Gareth Bale: Making himself easier to root for

FBL-ENG-PR-WEST HAM-TOTTENHAM

Let’s be honest among ourselves: Once upon a time, cheering for Gareth Bale felt like rooting for Microsoft or Apple — too big, too gigantic, too conceited to hold on to — but that sentiment has lessened in the last year or so due to his inconsistency.

Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas implied after the Aston Villa game that this radiant athlete did not do anything to alter the old opinion of consistency; the rest of us actually did it for him. Although Bale’s recent performances validate him as a potential superstar, and makes him more attractive for clubs to brag on about his talents, it also merely made every fan of the sport who doubted him look at him contrarily, because, well, we tend to be shallow that way.

There was a moment in London against the Villans, when he launched a driving shot with the famed left foot of his which turned out to be the last minute beauty of a winner that made the headlines; both for himself and the club.

With 16 goals this season, he is proving that he knows how to play the game, and more importantly, how to win games. An important and a required aspect of a superstar in the making. Tottenham might not necessarily not be best team in the EPL this season, but they are winning games at the moment. Both, at the domestic and European level. Well enough in the EPL to place them in third behind the two Manchester based clubs.

But win or lose, it’s easier to cheer for the guy wearing No. 11, even when he does not score the spectaculars as long as he takes the ball, receives it, gets fouled in between, gets up and gets on with business.

And from what we can see, Bale is just doing fine with it.

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Edited by Staff Editor