File this under, “If true, imagine what the specter of Suarez is doing at Anfield”.
Belgium midfielder and Tottenham second-year man Nacer Chadli responded to a question about what’s going wrong around White Hart Lane with the following:
“I feel like the ghost of Bale is still very present at Tottenham. That’s not strange when you look at how much he meant to the club and the fans. It’s not easy to replace him, but we’re getting there.”
It’s a bit late for Halloween, but could this be true? Could the departure of one superstar to Real Madrid for loads of dough really have that much of an affect on things that a new player could feel it?
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Undoubtedly Chadli would’ve felt the chill when neither he nor many other big name signings lived up to the billing post-Bale. Roberto Soldado has struggled mightily, while players like Erik Lamela are just finding their form this season.
Neither Andre Villas-Boas nor Tim Sherwood could fix it. Mauricio Pochettino is off to a rocky start, though his reputation implies things will turn around.
And frankly, as we’ve seen with so many players, it takes time to adjust to the Premier League. Lamela is finding his way and Christian Eriksen is a bonafide playmaker.
Look at the adjustment period for Suarez, who took a year-and-a-half to find his form at Liverpool after his prolific time at Ajax.
It takes time, and certainly sees additional pain when fans are demanding more and more. That seems more likely than any ghosts hanging around, but they can sure feel that way. Think of Cleveland after LeBron James left. Bale wasn’t the homegrown superstar LeBron was, but he was supposed to be a symbol of the club’s ascension. The ghost comparison just may work.
As for Chadli’s contention that Spurs are coming out of it?