Gareth Bale is one of the oddest players in Real Madrid’s team. He is incredibly atheltic, swift (as Marc Bartra can attest to), strong, and has developed in England as a winger who explodes when given a free role to do as he pleased.
The 89th minute goal he scored at Real Betis was his classic ‘Turn up with a ridiculous goal and save Spurs’ move. However when he is not producing such jaw-dropping moments, he has a frustrating ability to simply vanish from the games. That goal in that Copa Del Rey final was emblematic. Despite scoring one of the most outrageous goals we will ever see, Bale drifted in the game, struggling to get on the ball, dominate proceedings and exert influence. On the surface, his similarities to Cristiano Ronaldo are blatantly obvious. However Cristiano Ronaldo he is not. This is not me being harsh because I dislike him, but rather the fact that when the Real Madrid midfielders and attackers start their quick 1 touch passing moves, Bale sticks out like a sore thumb. The tempo of the passing dropping perceptibly since more often than not he has to take a second or even a third touch before the ball is released. Gareth lacks the tremendous understanding of space, movement and the technical aspects of his game. But he can’t honestly be blamed for that though. Cristiano Ronaldo was lucky to be drilled ruthlessly on those aspects by Rene Meulensteen, Carlos Queiroz and co. while at Manchester United.
Gareth Bale is a product of the English game. Consequently he has the strengths of a typical English footballer and suffers some of the more common problems faced by English players. The most interesting thing about him as a footballer is the fact that he is a producer of magical moments rather than consistent threats. Apart from this he is also technically poor. Obviously this is in relative terms and not an absolute. In Real Madrid’s decent attack he has easily one of the poorest first touches and close control. Those two things are more often than not crucial in Spanish football simply because the teams are a lot more compact and deny opposition the space he regularly got in England. When there is space to run into Gareth Bale is one of the most dangerous attackers in Europe. A terrifying combination of speed, power, acceleration and finishing. He suffers however when that space is denied. When Madrid have a majority of the ball possession and are camped outide the opposition penalty box Gareth Bale can range between being incredibly naive to running around like a headless chicken.
Under Carlo Ancelotti, Bale seemed somewhat subdued. Hence, the arrival of a manager like Benitez could be a godsend for the Welshman. Not too comfortable with the role of a number 10, Bale is showing glimpses of improvement. Just like Gerrard and Torres at Liverpool, Benitez has a tactical plan when moving Bale into this role and the Welshman could improve this season beyond all expectations. All he must do is improve his first touch and passing and he will be ripping the opponent apart, time and again.
Its time for the Welshman to solve his conundrum and turn into one of the greats of the modern game.
