Tag Archives: unstoppable

Gareth Bale should quit Tottenham for Real Madrid – Luka Modric

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Quit Spurs and join me in Madrid, Gareth! Modric tells old pal Bale to follow his lead and live Champions League dreams

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UPDATED:

08:54 GMT, 30 November 2012

VIDEO: Watch Gareth Bale tear Liverpool to pieces at White Hart Lane

Click here to see the Spurs winger's matchwinning performance on Wednesday

Luka Modric has told Gareth Bale to join him at Real Madrid to realise his dream of winning the Champions League.

The Croatia playmaker quit White Hart Lane for the Bernabeu in the summer for 33million to further his own ambitions and has urged his former Spurs team-mate to do the same.

Force of nature: Gareth Bale (centre) ran Liverpool ragged at the Lane this week

Force of nature: Gareth Bale (centre) ran Liverpool ragged at the Lane this week

Big move: Luka Modric (right) quit Spurs for Real Madrid last summer

Big move: Luka Modric (right) quit Spurs for Real Madrid last summer

Bale has been in brilliant form for Andre Villas-Boas' side in recent weeks, and set up Aaron Lennon for one goal with a searing run down the left wing before scoring a free-kick himself against Liverpool on Wednesday.

Modric compared Bale's pace, strength and skill on the ball to his Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo and reckons the pair can be an unstoppable force together in Jose Mourinho's team.

Deadly duo: Modric and Bale in their days together at White Hart Lane

Deadly duo: Modric and Bale in their days together at White Hart Lane

He said: 'We used to talk and I know
he wants to play Champions League football every season and has a big
dream of winning the Champions League. Madrid would be a great club for
him to achieve his dreams.

'I play with Ronaldo here at Madrid
and the way he just runs with the ball with such confidence and
defenders back off him is exactly the same as Gareth.

'To have the both in the same team would be unstoppable.'

Bale, 23, has caught the eye of Europe's top clubs with a series of stunning performances for Spurs over the last few years in both the Premier League and Europe.

Madrid and Barcelona are leading the chase for the Wales star and can offer almost guaranteed Champions League football each season, such is their dominance in Spain.

Spurs sit fifth in the Barclays Premier League table and are set to challenge for fourth spot, their finishing position last season, once again this term.

But with far more strength in depth among English clubs, Spurs cannot be certain of playing in Europe's top club competition each year, as they found out the hard way when Chelsea deprived them of a spot in the competition by beating Bayern Munich in last season's final in May.

England made bad start against South Africa – Ben Kay

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Dreadful start cost England dear against Springboks

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UPDATED:

21:30 GMT, 17 June 2012

Stuart Lancaster should force his players to watch a re-run of the dreadful opening to the game in an effort to put this tour back on track.

The root cause of England’s defeat came in the opening minutes when they fell off too many tackles by using their arms rather than shoulders in tackling the Springboks.

England had clearly not learned lessons from the first Test in Durban which had seen the Springboks build an unstoppable momentum in the early stages of the second half.

Post-mortem: England gather after their second defeat to South Africa

Post-mortem: England gather after their second defeat to South Africa

It was no surprise that South Africa used the same tactics at the start of Saturday’s match and it looked as though England’s mindset was wrong.

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Crocked: Ben Youngs (centre) will miss the final Test through injury

It might work in England’s favour, despite Youngs’ role in leading the revival on Saturday.

His over-use of ‘crabbing’ across the gain line, looking for a hole to open up for either himself or another runner, can hamper England’s attacking opportunities.

This tactic allows the opposition to close up the midfield, leaving Flood and his outside backs little time.

Care, who had a very good midweek match last week, is one option, while Dickson, a substitute on Saturday, gives Lancaster strength in that position.

Option: Danny Care could come into the England side for the third Test

Option: Danny Care could come into the England side for the third Test

Another player under the spotlight is line-out organiser Geoff Parling. He had his poorest game in an international shirt as the Springboks disrupted England’s flow of possession from the set-piece.

The line-out has been an area of great strength and it has to improve next Saturday. Dylan Hartley must look at his throwing because he seemed to be hitting his men too low.

Parling should hang on to his place — ahead of substitute Tom Palmer — but one change in the pack could well be at No 8, where Ben Morgan has yet to produce the form of the Six Nations. Thomas Waldrom backed up his good game in midweek as a substitute and deserves his chance.