Quote Originally Posted by the other bob wilson View Post
We all know about Gareth Bale and Wales, his attitude towards playing for his country is superb and he is an example to others with a fraction of his ability who have chosen to give international football a miss. Therefore, I want to back him, but if this article has got the situation right (and given it's Guillem Balague, it probably has), then I'm struggling to see the difference between what Bale is doing and what the much derided Winstone Bogarde did at Chelsea. Real Madrid aren't blameless by any means, but you can't use that to try to justify what Bale is, apparently, doing.
Bob, I'm not sure if you read the post as a criticism of Bale as it wasn't meant to be. The onus is, and always has been, on Real to sort it out but the player does seem to have allowed his relationship with the manager to exceed other considerations. Bale is an outstanding player, one of few to get you off your seat when the ball arrives, and I'm simply bemoaning the fact that we're all missing seeing him in full flight. And I don't think there's much doubt that the situation has been allowed to affect his recent performances in a red shirt.