That one warm, desperately humid week in September in which momentum gathered that Gareth Bale could be on his way back to Tottenham was a lot of fun. I remember standing in the entrance of my local Chinese takeaway waiting for my order when I first read reports that all parties were keen on making a move happen as soon as possible. The excitement, the mouth-watering anticipation, the delirium...
Anyway, this isn't about my crispy chilli beef, it's about a Welsh wizard.
It felt like a fairytale story in a godforsaken year for this planet, so you can forgive Spurs fans for falling in love with the idea of Bale returning to north London and firing the club back to glory. Luckily, his mixed start has been eased by the fact that Tottenham are currently top of the Premier League regardless.
Bale. Is. Back.
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) September 19, 2020
Welcome home, @GarethBale11 ? #BaleIsBack ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/iOIWC2ZwtC
His return has been par for the course so far, though he's not a youngster or a player struggling to adapt - he's a match-fit veteran with a glittering career. But a subdued return to action in tandem with Spurs' hot streak has provided the best possible environment for the realisation to set in again that this Gareth Bale isn't the one that departed for Real Madrid back in 2013.
That's okay.
Was it ever realistic for a 31-year-old, who has a history of niggling injuries and has only started more than 20 league games in a season twice in the last five years, to be as effective as prime Harry Kane and Son Heung-min? Probably not, but the romanticism in the move made it seem possible, but that doesn't mean Bale isn't at the very least useful.
With a host of stars dropping like flies because of such a condensed schedule, it's probably for the best that Jose Mourinho isn't being over-reliant on this version of Bale. Too much game time and he'll pull up again, possibly even end the loan spell (Daniel Levy already negotiated a lower fee due to the first month he missed with injury).
Bale's best role in this Spurs setup may be as the super sub, basketball's sixth man, the star to raise the ceiling of the team when appearing in short bursts. His two most notable contributions this season have come from the bench - the last minute miss against West Ham before Manuel Lanzini's rocket (a real Sliding Doors moment) and the winner against Brighton.
Spurs' conservative style makes it hard to get Bale, Kane and Son all clicking at the same time. Mauricio Pochettino used to preach that players didn't come to Tottenham to play, they came to train. Under Mourinho, it appears that players aren't coming to play, they're coming to play for Kane and Son.
Look at the competition Bale has for his place in the lineup - Erik Lamela, Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn. The first two are real dogs, putting in the hard yards that their manager so desperate wants, facilitating in order for Kane and Son to shine. Bergwijn, who usually brings trickery and skill to the team over work rate, came into the lineup against Manchester City and delivered one of these grafting performances himself. Bale doesn't seem capable of playing that role as well as his peers.
If one of Kane or Son were to get injured (easily a possibility this season), then it opens up for Bale to have that starring role again, to play in a system at least partially dedicated to him. But until then, he's another cog in Mourinho's machine. That's okay.
Source : 90min