Nedum Onuoha told The Football Show on Sky Sports (23/12/20 at 11:50 am) that he is ‘hearing’ that there isn’t much dissent from Gareth Bale about his lack of game time in the Premier League for Tottenham.
In the Europa League, and in last night’s League Cup win at Stoke, Bale has started matches for Spurs, but he’s yet to earn that in the Premier League.
On Wednesday, he scored a glancing header during Tottenham’s 3-1 win against Stoke in the League Cup, but he then went off injured at the break.
Former Manchester City defender shares what he was told about Bale’s situation when he initially arrived in North London and he dismissed claims that there are any problems with his lack of starts in the league.
“I think from speaking to one or two people across the situation, I don’t think when he came over he was at his maximum fitness levels due to a couple of niggling injuries and things like that,” said Onuoha.
“So, the fact that he is being brought in little by little and he is trying to find his feet. That doesn’t necessarily surprise me. I think the best of him is to come.
“I am not hearing much dissent in terms how little he is playing in the Premier League or how he’s not played to his absolute maximum yet because the people who probably know more understand why that’s happening, so I wouldn’t read too much into it.
“I just think when things fall in line for him, he is going to have a huge impact and who knows he may have a bigger impact than the last time he was playing in England.”
There’s no doubt that Bale will be left frustrated with his injury yesterday because for months now he has been trying to get his expensive engine going once again.
A lack of game time in recent years has hurt him, so the Welshman always knew that it was going to be a tough road back to full fitness and match sharpness.
But he isn’t there yet, and whilst 75% of the season remains, he will want to turn that around pretty quickly.
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