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Bale in line for top accolade says Wales manager Chris Coleman

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments16

Gareth Bale

Wales manager Chris Coleman believes Gareth Bale is in line to be player of the year for the second time in three years.

If he wins the PFA title he would join Mark Hughes as the only Welshman to win the honour twice.

Coleman says 23-year-old Bale is one of three candidates as player of the year.

"He [Bale] is going to be up there with [Robin] van Persie and Luis Suarez," said Coleman.

"He is doing himself lots of favours if he carries on playing like he is and winning games and scoring goals."

Bale made it 15 goals in 23 Premier League appearances for Tottenham Hotspur this season with two strikes in their 3-2 win at West Ham United on Monday.

His record compares this season to van Persie who has 19 league goals in 24 appearances and Suarez (18 in 26).

Bale has also lit up the international stage scoring a goal and setting up the other in Wales' 2-1 friendly win over Austria at the Liberty Stadium in February.

"People talk about his goals which are absolutely magnificent but his all round game has been tremendous," said Coleman.

"You have to put his up there at the minute with the best players certainly in the Premier League. On his form he is world-class.

"He is doing all his talking on the pitch.

"West Ham didn't play that badly [on Monday night]. They won't play much better.

"But if you have got someone like Gareth Bale in the opposition. There is only so much you as a team you can deny the opposition, but if you have got one player that is capable of doing what Gareth Bale is capable of - how do you stop that?"

Coleman says he feels uncomfortable to compare Bale to fellow Welshman Ryan Giggs, the Manchester United midfielder who has played every season of the Premier League.

"The difference between with Giggsy and Baley is Baley scores more goals than Ryan," said Coleman.

"Ryan was very much a creator - a match winner himself.

"Baley is a more a goal scorer of dramatic goals. There aren't many player who can do what he does, not just in the Premier League but in football.

"Gareth's still 24 and you have to look what Ryan has achieved with Manchester United. To be fair to Baley he just wants to go about his business and do his job nice and quietly.

"He is a great player but I don't like to compare him to Ryan Giggs."

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16 comments

  • Comment posted by User0503380892, at 16:14 27 Feb 2013

    I also tape games and watch major 'incidents' from them if not the full game. Booked once this season for simulation. HR is a complete charlatan and we are well rid. His supposed qualities of an arm round players and getting the best out of them a fallacy...O'Hara, Hutton, Dos Santos, Bentley , Pavyluchenko, Bostock, Jenas, Taraabt, Pienaa, krancjar, Corluka....the list goes on, remove the wool

  • Comment posted by User0503380892, at 11:21 27 Feb 2013

    his last two bookings for 'falling down' were incorrect as on both occasions there WAS contact,, The BBC is Anti Scotland , should check the videos and then comment knowledgeably rather than comment from ignorance

  • Comment posted by User0435259100, at 13:43 27 Feb 2013

    i did "comment knowledgeably". i based the comment on watching bale all season. he is one of the worst fallers in the epl, which by the way, is a league full of them.
    the last two may have been over turned, but there are loads more preceding them. so maybe you should reseearch before you respond ignorantly.

  • Comment posted by User0593503974, at 16:47 27 Feb 2013

    ton

    this stems from him destroying the jocks
    while playing for wales. in which he was accused
    of diving to win a penalty even tho the defender
    admitted he clipped him

  • Comment posted by User0435259100, at 16:57 27 Feb 2013

    He was booked two games in a row after he dived for the penaltyagainst Scotland. As for HR, no interest in his skills, just that his teams were good to watch as a neutral. Avbs teams aren't. And FYI research isn't an acronym.

  • Comment posted by User0435259100, at 17:14 27 Feb 2013

    @11 it stems from him falling down all the time. Maloney said he thought he caught him, replay showed otherwise. Ramsey was another who spent the game falling over. Surprise surprise though, spurs fan defends spurs player. Who'd have seen that coming.

  • Comment posted by User0435259100, at 11:00 27 Feb 2013

    bale is also better at falling down than giggs

  • Comment posted by OMatzerath, at 03:23 27 Feb 2013

    "The difference between with Giggsy and Baley is Baley scores more goals than Ryan," said Coleman.'

    It is a continuing source of wonder to me that Wales struggle with this master of tactical insight in charge.

  • Comment posted by Steve, at 19:38 27 Feb 2013

    Suarez is his main competitor this season but truthfully, Bale is miles in front of anybody this season.

    Has the ability and potential to go on and become the greatest player in the World - currently he sits at 3 just behind Ronaldo and Messi, however, if he carries on like he is..........

  • Comment posted by IoT91, at 18:49 27 Feb 2013

    Yes and your objectivity is just as questionable for I only noticed any ill-feeling towards Bale from you post-scots game. + Replay wasn't conclusive at all - showed some contact (granted it was very little but at that pace it is enough to bring a man down). Bale has dived but no more than the average player. ramsey did make some blatant dives in that game - probably frustrated by lack of form

  • Comment posted by User0435259100, at 19:22 27 Feb 2013

    Hate cheats in the game, diving is cheating. I don't like my team winning when a player dives and I've criticised many. Didn't like bales cheating only felt the need to criticise him once he'd cheated my team. He goes down easily at pace, as do many. Doesn't mean they shouldn't be criticised for it. Great player, no doubt, nquestionable honesty though.

  • Comment posted by User0503380892, at 10:13 28 Feb 2013

    The BBC is Anti Scotland , why not look at the videos of the two games after the scotland match that you claim he dived and was booked? no denying he was booked but also no denying he was clipped each time. i can only assume that you have never played football to any significant level such is your misunderstanding of the finer nuances of the game. bale is a fine professional and a good role model

  • Comment posted by User0503380892, at 15:44 27 Feb 2013

    Ignorance is indeed bliss up north, helps you through the dark nights I suppose, oh and r.e.s.e.a.r.c.h,,,,, FYI, they were not overturned, I do not need to research this topic as I attend all Spurs games and again FYI, in the past three seasons he has been booked twice for 'simulation', both deserved, by the way, but, hardly 'loads'? Or maybe it is your bitterness over the quality

  • Comment posted by User0503380892, at 15:54 27 Feb 2013

    ,or should I say lack of quality in the SPL that overrides objectivity? I can understand that. Watching Scottish football is akin to watching a slow death by proxy. Get out more and remember, take the full course of whatever prescription drugs you are on : )

  • Comment posted by User0435259100, at 15:57 27 Feb 2013

    attending matches doesnt mean you see what goes on. watching games on tv clearly gives a better view than someone sitting in a stand. he has been booked for simulation on atleast two occasions this season.
    as for bitterness, no, enjoyed watching spurs under arry, not so much under avb. no doubting bales quality, just think he falls down too easily like so many in that league.

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