During the best season of his career-at Tottenham Hotspur back in 2012 2013-Gareth Bale scored 26 goals in 44 fixtures. 21 of those came from regular season Premier League play, while another five were netted in cup and continental competition. The strong performance caught the attention of Real Madrid, and Bale was brought aboard at Santiago Bernebeu Stadium for the 2013 2014 campaign. But now the question on many people's lips 'is patience running out for Gareth Bale?'
His domestic league goal tally was lower than the previous year, at 15. However, the Welshman also scored six goals in the Champions League, helping the Vikings finally bring home a record 10th UCL trophy. In other words, even if Gareth Bale underperformed in last year's La Liga campaign, he still contributed so much to Real's Champions League campaign that he was rightfully hailed as a hero. Fans in the Real Madrid home jersey 2014 2015 (available now at Soccer Box!) were hoping for more of the same from Bale in his sophomore season at Bernebeu.
A Frustrating Season
Unfortunately, Bale just hasn't been able to find a groove with Real Madrid this season. He's only scored 13 goals (out of 29 appearances) in domestic La Liga matches. That's strong enough to make the Welsh midfielder the football club's third most dependable scorer, after Cristiano Ronaldo (42) and Karim Benzema (15), but it's still disappointing considering the superior numbers that Gareth was putting up while wearing the Tottenham soccer jersey.
Where Bale has truly been a disappointment this season, though, is where he was such an integral component last season: the Champions League. While Ronaldo is still doing his part (he's scored nine UC goals so far), Bale has largely underwhelmed in the UEFA contest. He's only netted two goals so far, both of them in the group stage, and has been something of a dead weight in the knockout rounds.
Juventus
The criticism against Gareth Bale hit a new low on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, as fans in the Real Madrid home jersey 2014 2015 reeled from a surprising UCL loss against Juventus. Juve's Zebras had the home field advantage first in the semis, and they used it to beat an out-of-sorts Vikings squad 2-1.
The Real Madrid squad were knocked off their game from the very beginning, after a goal at the eight-minute mark from Juventus attacker Alvaro Morata. Ronaldo needed less than 20 minutes to equalize the score, but when Juve's Carlos Tevez drained a penalty goal early in the second half, it put Real at a deficit from which they never recovered.
Granted, the Vikings will still have a chance to make up for the unexpected loss, when they don the Real Madrid home jersey 2014 2015 for next week's home leg. The football team played at home in the second leg of the quarterfinals as well, using the home field advantage to break a scoreless stalemate with crosstown rivals, Real Madrid.
The question right now isn't whether the Vikings can still score a place in the UCL final, though: it's whether Gareth Bale should be benched for the second semifinal game with Juventus.
Most of the conversation about Bale was sparked by comments made by Roy Keane, a football manager and former Manchester United captain. Keane trashed Gareth's performance in an interview, accusing the Welshman of "giving nothing" and taking the easy way out during the Juventus match. Keane's comments have inspired plenty of speculation about Bale's future at Real Madrid.
Bottom line, it seems as if patience may be wearing thin for Gareth Bale at Santiago Bernebeu stadium. The Welsh midfielder hasn't had a bad season, but he hasn't had a great one either, and his non-factor performances in the Champions League could directly impair the football club's chances of defending the prestigious title this season.
Bale says he's serious about sticking around at Real Madrid for the foreseeable future, and it's probably unfair of Roy Keane (or anyone else, for that matter) to blame him for Real's loss when Juventus just played a mighty good game of football. Gareth also recently returned to the soccer pitch after a calf injury, so he deserves the benefit of the doubt. Still, if he continues to be ineffective at next week's semifinal home leg, then a transfer could be in his future.
Do you believe in Gareth Bale? If so, stop by Soccer Box and pick up a new Real Madrid shirt in his honor. We even have a player-specific home shirt with Bale's name and number on it. In the meantime, follow Soccer Box on social media to keep up with the latest action. We can be found on Instagram or Google + as well as other popular social networks.