Tottenham were hoping to see a familiar face rediscover their spark back in north London, but a season-long contract has not played out as expected
Gareth Bale has not “performed” since returning to Tottenham, admitting Michael Dawson, with the former Spurs captain “so disappointed” with the Welshman’s contribution so far.
Jose Mourinho moved to bring a familiar face back to north London in the summer of 2020.
A season-long loan deal has been signed with Real Madrid, allowing Bale to return to the Premier League.
That agreement seemed to benefit all involved, with the 31-year-old finding himself frozen out at the Santiago Bernabeu under Zinedine Zidane.
However, fitness issues have followed Bale back to England from Spain.
He’s still scrambling around for a game-changer as a result and has only seen 15 appearances across all competitions – with those rounds including just 230 minutes of Premier League football.
More was expected from the four-time Champions League winner, with Dawson reporting talkSPORT: “I’ve been so disappointed since he came in. We all talked about the three Spurs that would be with Heung-min Son, Harry Kane and Gareth joining.
“He came injured and didn’t hit the ground. In his defense he didn’t get many minutes.
“It simply came to our notice then. It needs game time. He was out for a few weeks when he returned and then he goes into cup games and he does just fine. But you need a series of games.
“One game here and there, ten minutes here and there – it doesn’t give you much of a chance.
“Yes, he played against Brighton and it wasn’t good, but give him another chance and keep at it for three or four games.”
Spurs could do with Bale rediscovering the spark as talismanic striker Harry Kane is missed with an ankle injury.
The England captain has always been a great loss to his club’s employers, with Dawson admitting that the 27-year-old has been replaced by a fertile 27-year-old.
He said: “We have lost Harry. Harry is our main one and that is not hidden. You can’t be successful without a player like that because you can’t replace him with another.
“Spurs can’t replace Harry and you’ve seen it – the proof is in the mud. They are not achieving when Harry is there and they need to find a solution to do that. ”
Mourinho’s men have suffered three blows after the Premier League, with only one win from their last five, with a seven-point gap now separating them in eighth from the top four places needed to secure the Champions League certificate.