Tottenham have seen an improved version of their Madrid loanee in recent weeks and want to make more of an impact
Jose Mourinho followed his week of praise for Tottenham’s fringe players by saying that Gareth Bale is “happier than ever” and deserves full confidence after a strong midweek Europa League show-up against Wolfsberger.
Bale, on loan from Real Madrid, has undefeated much of the campaign but fired in a goal in the second half of an 8-1 overall win after scoring in the first leg the previous week. Dele Alli, who was a spy, also shone in the continental round of 32 and was supported by the manager.
Mourinho’s positive result over Bale (and Alli) comes as Tottenham try to bring down a relegation that put them down to ninth in the Premier League, suggesting the manager is ready to invite players who have not been before into his domestic line.
What Mourinho said about Bale
“He looks happier than ever, he looks confident,” Mourinho told reporters. “In training, you can see that his confidence is back, as he hits his sights.
“You could see from his goal on Wednesday. It was a confident bullet. A player with fear or negative emotions would never have hit that kind of bullet. To hit the ball that way, I think a strike means a lot.
“It means freedom in terms of the brain muscle. For this, you have to be in good shape. It’s in the best condition since it came.”
Because of that turmoil in Bale ‘s position and confidence, Mourinho is not afraid to increase the workload of the promoters.
“We trust him. We trust his knowledge and analysis. And everything with him is done with a great participation of everyone. Because everyone wants to best for him because in the end, it ‘s best for Tottenham.
“So if he wants to make important contributions we do it one bit at a time. Of course, we want that in a more consistent way.
“Of course we have important Premier League games, a crucial final, and a crucial every minute of every game in the Europa League, so the more we have Gareth, a player with quality and confidence and experience and knowledge big times, the better. “
What now for Spurs?
Tottenham have a chance to continue their good form in the coming weeks, with all three of their Premier League games against Burnley, Fulham and Crystal Palace. They will play Dinamo Zagreb in the last 16 of the Europa League, with the first leg coming on March 11th.