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Gareth Bale is overpriced and underperforming

Gareth Bale has starred in a 10-2 victory for Real Madrid. (Source: AFP PHOTO/ JAVIER SORIANO)
Roar Guru
14th May, 2015
22

Less than one year after Gareth Bale being the toast of European football and the narrative of the Welshman’s Spanish stay has been completely flipped on its head.

After coming to Madrid with the world record transfer fee of €100 million and a PFA Player of the Year award in his trophy cabinet, there were huge expectations placed on the former Spurs winger – and by and large he lived up to the lofty expectations.

Bale scored 22 goals in 44 appearances for Los Blancos in his debut season as he helped the Spanish giants claim their 10th Champions League crown and their 19th Copa Del Rey, scoring important goals in both finals.

It was hailed as “incredible” by Steve McManaman and “fantastic” by teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, but as the curtain closes on Bale’s second season in Madrid, the tide has turned on the Welshman. Disgruntled looks from his teammates, poor performances on the field, battles with injury and reports from the Spanish press that coach Carlo Ancellotti wanted to drop Bale have culminated in a nightmare sophomore campaign for the 25-year-old, where he has gone from darling to dud.

Spain’s two leading sports newspapers, Marca and AS, have lambasted Bale for much of the season, with the former giving Bale the lowest score of any eligible player in this month’s El Clasico while the latter failed to even give him a score – as Bale registered a 0/10.

Bale has been described as “listless”, “irrelevant” and a “disaster” by the Spanish press, which was compounded by an AS poll in March that revealed that 68.3 per cent of Real Madrid fans wanted to see Bale dropped to the bench.

Bale couldn’t seem to catch a break from anywhere but maintained the confidence of his coach and his president. As former Philadelphia Eagles coach Joe Kuhariach said, “If you listen to the fans, you’ll find yourself sitting with them.”

Yet statistically Bale’s 2014-15 campaign has not been too far off his debut season, down just three goals and seven assists from last season – disappointing, sure, but hardly a disaster.

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Radamel Falcao’s four goals in 28 games is a disaster, Mario Balotelli’s four goals in 26 games is a disaster, Bale’s 19 goals and 11 assists this season is no such thing.

But statistics aside, Bale is not the same player he was last year and it’s clear to see. He shy’s away from the ball, he overthinks his decisions, he drops his head after every mistake as he feels his teammates’ glares without even looking. Bale is in a bad situation and only time will tell if he decides to persevere or look elsewhere to advance his football career.

Realistically, under FIFA’s Fair Play Financial rules, there are only two clubs that could afford him and they are both in Manchester. But Bale’s joy is gone at Madrid and he does not play with the same liberation and freedom he does when playing for Wales.

Physically, he is in peak condition but mentally he is far from it.

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