After a busy off-season in which Spurs spent more money than they ever have, they began the season with two 1-0 victories to get six out of a possible six points. This puts them at the top of the table, which is the opposite of how they began last season. Their struggles in the first month of the previous campaign cost them dearly as they missed the Champions League by one point. Although some fans may get their hopes up that they've won both of their games without Gareth Bale, I offer some caution. Their two wins have been against teams that will finish in the bottom of the table and both victories were the result of Roberto Soldado penalty kicks. Spurs have been unable to unlock the opposition's defense without the aid of penalty kicks.
While there hasn't been many goals, the team has provided fans with excitement. They are clearly a faster, stronger, and overall more physical team than any in recent memory. They have plenty of depth to endure a Europa League campaign as well. Etienne Capoue is a beast at defensive midfield. Roberto Soldado is performing at a similar level to Liverpool's Luis Suarez. Paulinho runs all over the field. In addition, Lewis Holtby is returning to form after an injury and should be back with the team shortly.
Although it seems that it is inevitable that Bale will be sold to Madrid, it would be incredibly exciting to see Bale stay with Tottenham for the remainder of this season. The transfer window closes on Monday, and Spurs have a North London derby against Arsenal on Sunday. If Spurs were to get a result at the Emirates Stadium then perhaps Bale would agree to remain for one more season to deliver a championship to White Hart Lane. This possibility seems to be gaining in probability the longer this saga continues. A championship at Tottenham would make him a legend that will be remembered forever, while the same at Madrid is expected and would be forgotten the following season.
The Bale saga has spread beyond White Hart Lane as it is impacting the entire league. Until Tottenham acquires an additional player or two they have resisted selling Bale. This resistance led to Madrid's refusal to sell several of their players including Mesut Ozil, Angel de Maria, and Fabio Contrao to clubs such as Arsenal and Manchester United. In addition, Manchester United's interest in Bale has delayed their willingness to sell Wayne Rooney to Chelsea, which has affected their plans to sell Juan Mata. Spurs chairman, Daniel Levy is driving the market and will most likely wait until the final hour before pulling the trigger on a deal.
By Jeff Graceffo
For more on this story go to:
http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/espnfcunited/id/8961/how-can-real-madrid-afford-gareth-bale?cc=5901
http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1535436/tottenham-chairman-daniel-levy-hints-bale-deal-far-done?cc=5901
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1751780-gareth-bale-transfer-rumours-latest-news-on-the-tottenham-hotspur-star/page/2
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1751780-gareth-bale-transfer-rumours-latest-news-on-the-tottenham-hotspur-star/page/3
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