England manager Fabio Capello preparing for Gareth Bale ahead of the Wales Euro 2012 qualifier
England national team manager Fabio Capello is aware of the challenge his side face when they take on Wales at the Wembley Stadium in the Euro 2012 qualifier. The Italian manager is aware of the threat the Wales squad possesses; Tottenham Hotspur winger
Gareth Bale.
After previous disappointing results, England will be looking to secure a decisive win over Wales as they host the Euro qualifier. Failure to do so will only earn them further criticism and Capello knows he has to contain Bale, which would increase his side’s
chances to registering a victory.
The 22-year-old Welshman signed with Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2007 from Southampton for a fee of £7 million. Bale got off to a slow start with the London side, making just 13 appearances in all competition for the Spurs and scoring three goals.
However, he has since then become a regular, flourishing under English manager Harry Redknapp. In the 2010-2011 season, Bale made an impressive 42 appearances in all competitions, including the UEFA Champions League, and found the back of the net 11 times.
While he initially started off as a left-back, Bale is now used as a left-winger because of his incredible pace and natural goal-scoring abilities. He came to everyone’s notice after his hat-trick at the San Siro against Serie A giants Inter Milan in the
European competition.
After various man of the match performances throughout the last season, Bale was awarded the PFA Player of the Year award by his fellow footballers. He has since then been linked with a move to other sides, but reportedly plans to continue on with Tottenham
Hotspur.
Capello is planning to make a few changes to his starting XI to ensure they can handle the fast-paced winger. Arsenal youngster Theo Walcott could be taken off to make room for the more experienced Manchester City player James Milner.
Capello said in an interview:
“Bale is a really important player for Wales. I was at Tottenham's game against Manchester City and he was so-so.
But for Wales against Montenegro on Friday he improved a lot.
He ran a lot and was really fast. When he receives the ball and attacks the space he is really fantastic. It's difficult to stop him.”