Everything Is in Place for Gareth Bale to Have Monster Season at Real Madrid
Real Madrid have every reason to be heading into the 2016/17 La Liga season with optimism, even without having significantly upgraded their playing squad during the summer transfer window.
Despite plenty of rumours surfacing about potential targets over the past few months, Alvaro Morata remains the only major incoming addition, and Zinedine Zidane will be tasked with overhauling Barcelona and fending off Atletico Madrid with more or less the same squad as last term—but that won't be a huge cause for concern for the boss.
Real finished just one point behind the Catalan title-winners last term after a fine end to the campaign, while they also won the UEFA Champions League against their city rivals. The hope now will be that more time training the players in his own manner will allow Zidane to make the necessary improvements to end Real's long wait for a league title.
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Gareth Bale has begun to play even more of a key role in Real's XI, and the former Tottenham Hotspur winger looks well placed to not just improve his game, but be a pillar in Real's chase for honours.
Success and centre stage
Last season could hardly have ended any better for Bale. After a difficult first half of the season in which he was criticised by some for being chosen by Rafa Benitez as the central attacking midfielder—as if it was something the Welshman himself had instigated—and suffering injuries on international duty, he managed to rediscover his best form at a critical time.
With Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema both suffering injuries in the title run-in, it was left to Bale to lead from the front as Real attempted to chase down Atleti and Barca...and he did so in style.
It wasn't just a matter of filling a role on the right of the attack for Bale. Instead, he was the driving force in many of the toughest fixtures Real faced, dragging the team to victory with his powerful runs through the centre, his willingness to force opponents backward and his ability to hit the back of the net.
Again and again, Bale came up trumps for Real when a single dropped point would have ended their hopes and given rise to inevitable headlines about overreliance on Ronaldo.
Against Rayo Vallecano, he was the catalyst for a comeback win, while a stubborn and difficult Real Sociedad had to be worn down with relentless intent from Bale, and Bale alone at times, for a late victory to be earned.
That Real didn't win the title in the end was down to earlier failings rather than absences in the final months, and the impetus and positivity they took from consecutive La Liga victories translated onto the European stage.
Trophies are the be-all and end-all, of course, and Bale produced a telling performance in the final itself, assisting Sergio Ramos' goal with a flick on from Toni Kroos' free-kick before calmly finishing his penalty in the shootout to secure Champions League glory.
The summer was a continuation of Bale's impressive shouldering of responsibility and helping his team reach highs.
Wales, qualifying for their first major international tournament since 1950, went on a run to the semi-finals with Bale as their front man. While he wasn't at his explosive best in every match, it was due to the new requirements of him rather than his form dropping. Selfless work rate, tactical discipline and the odd moment of quality in front of goal helped his nation to unprecedented relative success.
Bale's run of form from March to June will leave a lasting impression, solidifying his status as one of the best players in the world—and Bale fits that category comfortably.
Importance and acclaim
A clear indicator of how vital Bale has become to Real can be seen in the picture of him portrayed by the pro-Real Madrid Spanish media.
After successive calf muscle injuries early in the year, Marca reported Zidane (h/t Sport) was "fed up with Bale missing his recovery deadlines," and there were frequent allusions to Bale playing for Wales when he wasn't fit enough to play for Madrid in the first half of the campaign.
Following his exploits at the back end of 2015/16, however, there have been positive reviews and reports on the No. 11 at every turn, from his summer holiday activities to his extra training on a weekend off, both per Marca. The same outlet also called him "one of the best players in the world...and a contender for the next Ballon d'Or."
This acceptance of Bale as a key player hasn't been handed to him as a result of shirt sales or his big fee. He's had to work hard to earn this status, and it has taken him a few seasons to do so. He is no longer in Ronaldo's shadow, but instead showing he is capable of being just as important with or without the Portuguese striker.
The BBC attack—Benzema, Bale and Ronaldo—will likely remain the first choice for Zidane more often than not, and although nobody expects anything other than outlandish goal returns and performances from the No. 7, that will now also be the same case for Bale. And he's capable of exceeding even those lofty standards.
Roles and goals
Where Bale has so far lingered behind Ronaldo is in his strike rate. The backing has to be for Bale to improve drastically here this season. His first two seasons yielded 15 goals in 27 La Liga matches and 13 in 31. Last year was much closer to a one-in-one ratio, with 19 in 23.
Indeed, looking at actual game time, the Welshman averaged a goal every 91 minutes of action across the league season and one every 63 minutes of action from mid-December onward.
That latter rate is Ronaldo territory from 2014/15, when the superstar netted 48 La Liga goals in 35 games—or one every 65 minutes.
It shows Bale is capable of hitting that kind of consistency across a prolonged period of time, and now he must manage it over an entire season, injuries permitting. While his ability and technicality cannot be disputed, those lingering fitness worries need to be eradicated as much as possible, given he has been prone to missing stretches of games with his troublesome muscle strains.
With Benzema also struggling with fitness issues last season, Real's wide threat will be evermore important this term. Morata has plenty of great qualities, but a regular goalscorer he is not. Until he brings that potency and clinical edge into his game, the wide forwards must provide the penetration and relentless shooting from all angles that Real require.
Bale is a natural selection whether Zidane uses his 4-3-3 of last season, the 4-4-2 of pre-season or the more midfield-oriented 4-1-4-1 of the UEFA Super Cup. Add in the improved confidence, determination and drive that Bale possesses, plus his own sense of self-worth within the hierarchy of the squad, and there's little to hold him back from having his best season ever.
And if that happens, Real Madrid are already a step closer to reclaiming the crown in La Liga.
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