Owen Hargreaves has tipped Gareth Bale for big things in the number 10 position going forward on BT Sport’s coverage of Ludogorets vs Tottenham (5/11/20 5:55PM kick-off).
The Welshman inhabited the number 10 role against the Belarusian outfit, and he seemed to impress Hargreaves and Glenn Hoddle.
Hoddle initially made the point that Bale may be a different player in that role, and Hargreaves would add to that, stating that different doesn’t necessarily mean worse.
“He’s closer to the goal and that’s where you want to see him, and with Kane, you know, Kane can drop off and he can pop into that space,” Hargreaves said.
“Glenn makes a point, that front three is as good as anything, and I’m with Glenn. Out wide he’s got to track back, he’s got to make those big roles, but in the hole as a 10, he could be unplayable.”
Hargreaves is right, and Jose Mourinho has been very clever in making this switch.
We all remember Bale as a pacy converted left-back who became one of the deadliest wingers in the world.
However, at the age of 31 and a number of injuries behind him, he may not have the energy to perform that role anymore.
However, one thing that hasn’t deserted him is his technical prowess, and playing him as a 10 may allow Spurs to get the best out of him.
Bale has the ability to be Spurs’ best player, after all, he has won two PFA Player of the Year awards in the past, but Mourinho has to manage him in the correct way by adapting to his skillset.
It will certainly be interesting to watch how Spurs deploy Bale in the coming weeks.
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