Real Madrid: Gareth Bale has one last chance to prove his class

This is Gareth Bale’s last chance to shine with Real Madrid.

We have heard this before and we may even hear it again but it looks like this may be Gareth Bale’s last chance to prove himself at Real Madrid. Some may argue that it is more chances than he deserves but nonetheless, the Welshman is still part of the squad and will definitely get his chances to show what he can offer once the season is back.

There have been many excuses behind why we haven’t seen the best version of Bale consistently. We have gotten accustomed to seeing him show his skillset mainly in cup finals such as the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League but that is clearly not enough at Real Madrid especially when we are all very aware of exactly what he can do when at his best.

However, his inconsistency has hurt us on some occasions. The reasons given by many will need to now be swept away as the Welsh forward will need to do everything in his power to take full control of the remaining matches.

Injuries:

This is easily the most used reason for Bale’s inconsistent performances since he joined the club. The forward has spent more time recovering from injuries that he has on the pitch which makes it extremely difficult for any manager to depend on him. Zinedine Zidane simply cannot build a team around Bale because at any point, that will falter. Instead, the manager understandably takes a less risky approach by working up formations and tactics that don’t necessarily have to include Bale. This way, if he’s unavailable, then nothing much really changes and if he’s fit to play and chosen, then nothing will change at that point as well.

Regardless of how good any player can be, it’s almost impossible to build your tactical plans around him if you aren’t sure how long he’ll be fit for. Even though you can’t specifically blame Gareth Bale for the injuries, he will need to take more care of himself in between matches and be given the required rest not to put too much pressure on his body. This is not to say that he hasn’t been taking care of himself in recent years but it’s more vital now than ever especially with an extremely packed schedule coming up.

Golf:

This simply cannot and should not be a reason as to why Bale is underperforming on the pitch. There has never been a rule against players not being able to pursue their hobbies when not working and he has already made sure that it does not affect his body or his job whatsoever.

Here’s what Gareth Bale told MARCA:

"“A lot of people have problems with me playing golf. I’ve spoken to doctors and everybody’s fine with it. The media have this perception that it’s not good for me. ‘You should be resting, it can cause problems, injuries’. In America, I know Steph Curry plays maybe on the morning of a game. Here, if I play two days before a game it’s like ‘what’s he doing?’ I just like going out to play. You can get away from football, away from anything negative that’s going on and reset your mind. The next day you feel a bit more fresh and ready to go out and concentrate.”"

He uses his passion for golf in order to clear his mind and get away from his actual job for a while. Isn’t that why all of us have hobbies?

Done With Real Madrid

Another reason is that he simply isn’t enjoying his time at the club. There is no denying that Bale enjoys Spain and Madrid in particular but there have been reasons thrown around that the player simply isn’t happy at the club and that’s being shown clearly on the pitch. However, his agent has come out more than once to calm the waters and say that Bale is in fact very happy to play for Real Madrid and that no one at the club has a problem with him, including Zidane.

After a whirlwind of a transfer window last summer, Zidane’s press-conference about the player was taken out of context. Since then though, the manager did what he does best and has shown everyone that he does in fact count on every single player at the club. In the first game of La Liga, Bale started and I actually would not be surprised to see that happen again on Sunday night.

The Fans

This will be the biggest change when the season resumes. If anyone does in fact believe that the fans at the stadium are assisting in Bale’s lack of consistency, then now will be the time to see if that is actually the case. With the remainder of the matches to be played behind closed doors this season, it remains to be seen what effect that could have on the Welshman, if any. He will be able to go out with a clear mind and will be able to completely focus on his football rather than all the noise that’s surrounding him.

However, this talk automatically brings up his substitute performance against Paris Saint-Germain earlier this season after the “Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order” debacle. He warmed up to the sounds of fans criticizing him and came on to give one of his best performances of the season. So, I guess time will tell which atmosphere Bale prefers.

The Last Dance

Regardless of how things go from here on out, there are no certainties that Bale will be leaving the club in the summer. He has always ended up staying in Madrid when many expected him to leave throughout the past six transfer windows and therefore, it cannot be a surprise at all if we see him stay no matter how his performances are from now until the end of the campaign.

Gareth Bale is a fighter, there is no doubt about that. He’s a silent fighter as he clearly does everything he can to stay out of the spotlight but he is a genuine fighter and has the mentality to play for Real Madrid. Now, he just has to prove he also has the ability once again.