Jermaine Jenas has told BT Sport, during their live Europa League coverage, that Gareth Bale offered Tottenham Hotspur no creativity last night.
Bale was selected to start for Spurs in their tie against Antwerp and there was great excitement to see the Welshman.
However, he failed to show the ability that once made him one of the best players in the world.
Bale looked sluggish on the ball, and never really posed any threat during his time on the pitch, as Tottenham fell to a 1-0 defeat in Belgium.
And Jenas said: “Not a good night for Bale. Still trying to find a level of fitness. But there was no creativity from him tonight.”
It’s fair to say that Bale has made a rather inauspicious start to life back at Tottenham.
The Real Madrid loanee still looks well short of match sharpness, and it could be a while before he gets into top gear.
The problem for Bale is that Jose Mourinho was clearly annoyed with the players he put out in the first-half yesterday.
Mourinho hinted after the game that his Spurs fringe players could now struggle for opportunities in the coming weeks, and that may mean that Bale has to get used to his role as a substitute rather than a starter.
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