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Graeme Souness critical of Spurs loanee Gareth Bale after interview
Graeme Souness that he was disappointed by what he heard from Gareth Bale in an interview following his superb performance in Tottenham Hotspur’s emphatic win on Sunday.
Spurs kicked through the gears during the second-half to beat Crystal Palace 4-1. Both Bale and Harry Kane scored twice as Jose Mourinho’s men made it four wins on the bounce in all competitions.
Bale has now scored six in his last six. He has also contributed three assists in that run. It appears that the 31-year-old is finding his feet in some style ahead of the business end of the campaign.
. And he noted that he is no longer 21 as he expressed caution about suggesting that he is getting back to his best.
The Welshman’s stance seems reasonable given the problems he has endured in recent years. However, Souness expressed some frustration about what he heard from the forward.
“I was disappointed with a couple of things he said there,” . “He’s 32 in July. I played my best football when I was 31, felt my strongest when I was 30. Yeah, of course, he’s not 21, but he’s talking like he’s an old man. What an example he played with for years and years in Ronaldo, who’s 35.
When asked if he is trying to dampen expectations, he replied: “Why? He’s a worldie. He should be the opposite to that. He should be telling everyone what he’s going to do and how fabulous he’s going to be. These talents don’t come along very often. He’s got ridiculous ability.”
There is surely no harm in Bale not getting carried away in interviews. He has been sensational lately. But it cannot be overlooked that Spurs have only faced sides that they would expect to beat in that run.
Had he expressed confidence in that interview, he would have likely been criticised for going over the top given the opposition they have faced.
The most important thing is Bale is playing with belief when he is on the pitch – rather than saying certain things off it.