It’s almost impossible to say anything positive about Tottenham after their Europa League elimination on Thursday.
It was one of the flattest and most drab performances you’re likely to ever see from a Spurs side in Europe, and while there were many reasons to complain, there was one shining beacon of hope.
Indeed, amid a number of poor showings, Gareth Bale provided a rare bright spark.
The Wales international didn’t start the game, and to be fair to Jose Mourinho, we can understand why, this was a match that should have been sewn up, and it represented a chance to give the Real Madrid loanee a bit of a rest.
However, it quickly became clear that Spurs needed to call upon the winger, and although he failed to score or assist after coming on, he made a real impact.
Bale may have only played an hour of football, but he was one Spurs’ most potent attacking threats, getting four shots off, playing three key passes and completing two dribbles.
Compare that to someone like Harry Kane who played the full 120 while only getting five shots off and completing one key pass, and you see the impact that Bale had on the game.
In fact, Bale completed the joint-most dribbles of any Spurs player and made more key passes than any player who started the game, so you can see exactly what he brought off the bench.
Spurs will have to have a bit of an inquest after this crushing defeat, and they will have to pick themselves up and dust themselves off in order to make this season even a slight success, but if they are to push on from here, we can’t help but feel that Bale will have to be at the heart of that.
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