Gareth Bale Needs World-Class Season to Save Real Madrid Career

Gareth Bale has single-handedly taken the club vs. country row to a new level this week, leading to massive criticism in the Real Madrid-reporting Spanish press.

The world's most expensive player was spoken about in a number of negative terms by both print and broadcast around the club, after suffering an injury in the weekend victory over Levante.

Ed Malyon of the Mirror tweeted his opinion that it felt "like the end game" for the Welshman with the ongoing portrayal of his battle for status with Cristiano Ronaldo at the club.

As things stand, Ronaldo gets to decide where and when he goes or stays, and Bale himself needs to have a truly top-drawer second half of the season to turn around his career in Spain—if, indeed, that's where he wants to remain.

Euro Joy, Domestic Despair

Bale was part of the Wales squad which sealed qualification for Euro 2016 after the defeat in Bosnia-Herzegovina, with the nation's final game due to be played a few days later against Andorra. At the weekend, Bale started for Real Madrid against Levante, but played only 45 minutes before being subbed.

It is this second Wales game which has caused the big problem; the team were already qualified, but Bale played the full 90 minutes in what was a celebration match for his nation.

The Madrid press' point has been that the 26-year-old should have shown more appropriate responsibility and commitment to the club, but that completely ignores the fact this was very, very much a one-off for Bale and just over three million inhabitants of the country.

Stu Forster/Getty Images

Wales haven't qualified for a major tournament in more than half a century—most fans, and certainly none of the players, have ever even seen the country compete at that level, never mind take part themselves.

Just as Luis Aragones managing to unify the different factions of the Spanish team and finally land a title at Euro 2008 was cause for national pride and celebration—and certainly cause for a lot of forgiving and triumphant articles at the time—so, too, is this achievement for Wales.

It's absolutely right to be celebrated, it was the right time for the player to be a part of it, and it's completely correct that Bale honoured his countrymen, not disrespected his team-mates, by staying involved until the end of that successful campaign.

Scathing Attacks, an Over-Reaction?

Media reports in Spain are notoriously selective and one-sided, that much is accepted by most, even if not acceptable by all. The only real problem which comes with that is when opinion becomes accepted as fact, lapped up by fans of the club in question and causing even wider rifts between club and player.

Even by those standards though, Bale faced an absolute barrage of criticism.

TV broadcaster Roberto Morales said Bale's actions amounted to "an act of total irresponsibility," per the Mirror, while Tomas Roncero of AS (h/t the Independent) let rip to a far greater and more personal extent:

"

The injury to Bale is a real irritant to every proper Madrid fan...you have mocked Real Madrid because you have prioritised your national team over the club that pays you. 

Be patriotic, love your country, but if you are already qualified you don’t need to go to the party against Andorra, and play 90 minutes on top of that. It’s inadmissible for a Real Madrid player.

"

The Mirror reported Roncero further:

"That is why Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the history of Real Madrid apart from Di Stefano, and you will only ever be the most expensive. Nothing more. Madrid above all else, otherwise you can’t play for this club."

Bale's choice to play against Andorra was argued against Ronaldo leaving Portugal's team to return to Madrid after their own qualification was also assured.

One of the bigger questions has to be, why argue the point at all? Real Madrid have already had success with both Ronaldo and Bale in team, so why is it an issue? Accept them both and reap the attacking play they bring, or continually bring arguments into the equation and force one out of the club, ready to make space for a new expensive hero.

Until they get tired of him trying to climb to the top of the club hierarchy, of course, and the process begins anew.

Not that it may have occurred to the single-minded, pro-Real Madrid section of the Spanish media, but Chris Coleman leading Wales through to the Euros was the culmination of a process started some time ago by Gary Speed, the former boss who took his own life in 2011 while still in the job.

Many of the players were close to Speed, and it's probable that he at least entered the thoughts of one or two as they celebrated qualification.

Exactly where does due respect end for country and begin for club? And why do those affiliated with Real Madrid feel are able to dictate where that critical point should be?

Benitez Backing

As for the Real Madrid manager, Rafa Benitez maintains Bale is entirely committed to the club, per Spanish radio show El Primer Palo, (h/t Sky Sports).

Indeed, he intimated Bale wanted to continue playing against Levante, and it was Benitez's own decision to pull the forward out, a fact the Spanish media have conveniently overlooked in their eagerness to pigeonhole the former Tottenham man as uncaring and not bothered about the team's success.

Benitez said:

"

The other day, when he came off at half-time, he wanted to continue. We could see he was fatigued. And when you are tired, there is more chance of an injury. 

He wanted to play on, I said no, and we let him rest.

Now the most urgent thing is to begin the treatment, and they will tell us what is expected in one or two days.

"

This isn't the first time Benitez has defended his player, either.

Right from the start of the season, it was clear Benitez wanted Bale to be a central figure in the revival of Real, building his pre-season plans around the attacker and making sure he featured prominently even against the ongoing backdrop of misplaced criticism.

It initially bore fruit—but it hasn't been a long-standing success for reasons outside of Benitez's, and Bale's, control.

Bale's Role

Playing centrally and just off the centre-forward in what is essentially a four-man Real Madrid attack, Bale was a fast-moving conduit for the transition of the team: Direct into the attacking line from deep, from where he could link with the other troika of front players, or else running at pace at the defence on the counter-attack.

Bale's speed and mobility was also key to another aspect of the team's attack early on: The rotation of positions, particularly with Ronaldo and Isco, as they waltzed into and out of each others' zones of the pitch to good effect. 

An in-depth look at Bale and the rest of the attack in the opening weeks revealed the strength of that interaction, and the outcome was a shed load of goals for Real Madrid in September.

LLUIS GENE/Getty Images

Since those first few games, though, Real's squad has been beset by injuries, meaning Bale (along with Ronaldo and others) have had their individual positions changed as well as the actual tactical framework of the team altered. 

Luka Modric and Karim Benzema, vital parts of the team—tactically as well as technically—are both missing, and James Rodriguez has barely been available so far this term.

Strangely, there were no furious column inches decrying the Colombian for putting club before country in a needless friendly when he picked up an injury against Peru in New York in September, even though he hasn't set foot on a pitch for Real since that occurrence...and that after he returned to preseason late due to his summer commitments with his nation. That late return meant he wasn't fit enough to actually start the campaign in the Real XI.

Selective, much?

Turnaround

There's only one real currency that the Spanish press (and indeed many of Real's fans and ardent Ronaldo-specific supporters) will accept and be unable to refute: Goals.

Once back in the side, and presumably back in the centre, Bale needs to offer up the end product to score and create in equal measure, being a huge final third threat that he looked in those early games.

While Real Madrid aren't being successful (and sometimes even when they are), there is always additional scrutiny, unfair expectation and over-the-top reactions—but that's what comes with the coverage and demands of being at the biggest club in the world, and it goes for players, managers and board members alike.

It isn't going to go away any time soon, so those involved have to have not only the talent in their chosen role but also the mentality to fight their own corner when things get tough.

Few should doubt Bale's stomach for the fight given his single-minded approach to make a success of his career at Real, but now he needs to deliver consistently and continuously for the remainder of the campaign, landing silverware along the way, if he wants to prolong his stay in Madrid.

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