For about two days everything we’ve heard out of Tottenham, it’s manager and players has been how evil and awful Charlie Adam is for his disgraceful (and worse) tackle on Gareth Bale during a friendly match between the two teams, although in reality, the foul doesn’t even deserve any sort of replay because it was so ordinary.
But there’s some sort of hype machine working at Tottenham at the moment. Maybe it’s so they can push off some criticism for Bale missing out on the Great Britain team because he was injured, or at least his club claimed he was, but then immediately start and play him big minutes in the preseason tour.
Andre Villas-Boas said how brave Bale is to play; how they’re afraid he’ll get injured (but they’re still playing him) because he’s not 100% fit. And then comes Charlie Adam and helps Bale fall down. Bale made a meal of that foul, as he often does while escaping tackles. Truth is he’s Tottenham biggest and most expensive asset. Luka Modric, everyone seems to feel, won’t stay this time around. If Gareth Bale gets injured again, like he has been in the past by Adam himself
And now there’s this conspiracy theory from Tottenham players, especially Kyle Walker – He did him once before at White Hart Lane. It just keeps coming up that he doesn’t really like him. Gareth is a very good player. He needs protection. Players shouldn’t hate him. They should appreciate playing against a player like him. They can actually learn from him rather kick him. It’s simple. He is jealous, as Gareth is such a good player.
Just a case of a player with bad timing (Adam) fouling someone willing to make the most of it (Bale), getting the obvious but too enthusiastic support of his team and manager over practically nothing, which will probably make the next encounter between the two teams in the league much more heated, if Adam actually gets to play, which he shouldn’t. Not because of the foul, but because he’s not a good enough player.