UNITED FIT BILL IF BRILLIANT BALE DOES LEAVE REAL
THE biggest games should feature the world’s best players but that ‘rule’ had me asking one question as I watched Bayern Munich against Real Madrid: where is Gareth? Gareth Bale has had a fantastic time since he moved to Spain but on Wednesday I was worried that he remained on the bench in the Allianz Arena. There aren’t many bigger games than a Champions League semi-final between these two clubs but he did not even come close to getting on. Sometimes I wonder whether people really appreciate how good Gareth really is. I saw him develop from a young kid at Southampton to one of the best in the Premier League at Tottenham Hotspur and he has gone up another gear in Madrid.
That is why I find it so hard to understand why he is not playing so much now. I do not imagine he is the kind of lad who would fall out with people, so I cannot work out why he is being limited to a bitpart role.
When he is fully fit and confident, Gareth is a joy to watch. He is far too good to spend his time on the bench — in fact it would be a travesty if he remained unused.
If this is going to continue in Spain, I would like to see him go to a club where he will be the main man again.
Maybe Manchester United, who have been linked with him in the past, would fit the bill.