Is Gareth Bale’s time at Real Madrid running out?
By Ben Sundock
The patience of the Real Madrid board is running out with Welsh forward Gareth Bale. Following a poor performance against Eibar on Saturday, the club could look to sell him this summer.
Five goals in 16 matches after the departure of a 40-goalscorer simply isn’t going to cut it at one of the most demanding clubs in the world. In the Spanish capital at the Santiago Bernabéu, no one is safe if the results aren’t up to snuff.
After picking up three goals and three assists by the beginning of September, Gareth Bale looked primed for his best season in Spain. But, after going 532 minutes without a goal – he hasn’t scored since the huge win over Viktoria Plzen – the boo-birds have come out to show their displeasure with Bale.
One of the factors behind Julen Lopetegui’s firing could be Bale’s inability to find the back of the net and his lack of team play over the last couple of months. Since September 1st, he has just one assist in La Liga and hasn’t scored since the match against Leganes.
According to Sergio Santos Chozas of AS, the forward has been “distant and cold” and has seemed unfocused and unmotivated as of late.
Although I am a Bale fan and defender – even after hearing these rumors – the stats from the 3-0 loss to Eibar are rather scathing. The Real Madrid number 11 lost the ball 21 times during the match, completed just 10 passes in the attacking half, and finished the match with a 5.97 rating according to WhoScored.
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To add more fuel to the fire, he was caught offside three times and took three shots with only one going on target.
For the man who believed he could be the one to pick up where Cristiano Ronaldo left off, this is incredibly poor. In his sixth season with the club, Bale has not been the leader on and off the field this young team needs.
He needs to be assertive in the locker room and on the pitch. He should be looking to make a darting run in behind and latch on to a pass from the midfield. After all, his pace and natural finishing are his best two skills.
A January move is out of the question, but keep a close eye on any news as we approach the end of the season. I, for one, don’t want to see Gareth leave.
But, I could see it happen with the way he has been playing. His demeanor has looked weird while on the pitch and something clearly needs to change. Maybe manager Santiago Solari should bench the Welsh international for a match or two to send a message.
Next. Champions League: Real Madrid head to Rome after disappointing Eibar loss. dark
One thing about all these rumors is true: if Gareth Bale doesn’t start producing soon, he will not have a place on this team for much longer.