{"id":35661,"date":"2021-01-21T11:40:59","date_gmt":"2021-01-21T11:40:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colossusbets.com\/blog\/?p=35661"},"modified":"2021-01-21T11:40:59","modified_gmt":"2021-01-21T11:40:59","slug":"gareth-bale-tottenham","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colossusbets.com\/blog\/gareth-bale-tottenham\/","title":{"rendered":"Gareth Bale hasn’t lived up to his Tottenham billing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gareth Bale might not have been afforded the ticker-tape homecoming in front of a packed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium he surely would have have received in normal, non-Covid-19 times, but the excitement around the Welshman\u2019s return to North London could still be felt last summer.<\/p>\n

As one of the greatest players in Spurs\u2019 history, big things were expected. Bale\u2019s fitness was a concern, but many spoke of how it was only a matter of time until he\u2019d get up to speed. Four months on, though, and the 31-year-old has still only started one Premier League match this season, coming off the bench just three times.<\/p>\n

Bale has had to make do with appearances in the Europa League and the cup competitions. He was left on the bench for the full 90 minutes of the 3-1 away win over Sheffield United on Saturday and will almost certainly be left out of the starting lineup for the crunch match against Liverpool at the end of the month.<\/p>\n

Of course, Bale is only at Spurs on a season-long loan from Real Madrid<\/a>. Tottenham have an option to extend the winger\u2019s loan stay by another year, but on the basis of what they have seen so far, why would they? Enough time has now passed to make a judgement on Bale\u2019s performances and he hasn\u2019t done anywhere near enough.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know that he arrived injured,\u201d Jose Mourinho attempted to reason last week. \u201cAnd he was injured before, I believe, the first month. And then, step by step, Europa League matches were helping him to get his condition. Premier League of course. Europa League group phase is a different level than the Premier League. The knock-out is a different story. But the group phase is a different intensity, a different rhythm, a different quality.\u201d<\/p>\n

If Mourinho, however, truly believed Bale\u2019s only issue was a lack of fitness he would surely be making more of an effort to get minutes into the Welsh winger\u2019s legs. Instead, Bale has only been afforded the odd cameo appearance off the bench and a handful of starts in the cup competitions weeks apart.<\/p>\n

There have been glimpses of the old brilliance. Every so often, there is a reminder of why Bale was once considered one of the best in the world. Of why he broke Cristiano Ronaldo\u2019s world record transfer fee. But Gareth Bale hasn\u2019t been the match winner Tottenham surely hoped he would be this season. He has contributed sparsely to the club\u2019s Premier League title challenge.<\/p>\n

While the exact terms of Bale\u2019s loan agreement have never been officially published, there is widespread agreement Real Madrid are subsidising the Welshman\u2019s wages. Nonetheless, Gareth Bale will still be among the top earners at Tottenham this season. Are the North London club getting good value for their money?<\/p>\n

An element of sentimentality formed the basis of Tottenham\u2019s move for Bale last summer, but the club has a duty to be level-headed in its analysis of whether it\u2019s worthwhile keeping the player around for another season. Daniel Levy is known for his shrewdness in the transfer market. He must listen to his head over his heart when making a decision on Bale\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

Bale has been one of the best players of his generation. It could even be argued he reached heights never before reached by a British player as a four-times Champions League winner for the most successful club in European football. But he is now a shadow of his former self. Bale\u2019s body simply cannot sustain him anymore.<\/p>\n

The pang of sentimentality almost made Gareth Bale returning to Spurs worthwhile regardless of his performances, but Mourinho has been right to leave him out. And Levy would be right to shake the Welshman\u2019s hand and send him back to the Spanish capital at the end of the season.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

You could earn up to \u00a3100 (or currency equivalent) in bonus funds by joining Colossus with our New Player Bonus. Click here to join the action.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gareth Bale might not have been afforded the ticker-tape homecoming in front of a packed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium he surely would have have received in normal, non-Covid-19 times, but the excitement around the Welshman\u2019s return to North London could still be felt last summer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[643],"tags":[272,76],"class_list":["post-35661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sport","tag-featurehome","tag-premier-league"],"yoast_head":"\nGareth Bale hasn't lived up to his Tottenham billing - Colossus Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When Gareth Bale signed on loan for Tottenham it was billed as the homecoming of a hero. 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