Jose Mourinho told his pre-match press conference that Gareth Bale is getting ‘better and better’ for Tottenham.
It hasn’t been said much this season, but Bale had a positive impact for Spurs over the weekend despite that defeat at the London Stadium.
He was brought on at the break by Mourinho and the left-footed technician provided an assist and hit the crossbar during his 45 minutes on the pitch.
Ahead of Tottenham’s second leg Europa League tie with Wolfsberger today, Mourinho shared how Bale is feeling about his game time.
“He doesn’t need to convince me of anything,” said Mourinho. “I am totally convinced about everything. It’s not about convincing me.
“It’s about being ready to play the minutes we all would love him to play. It’s a process. You see how many matches he played in the last couple of years. It’s a process.
“We want him to, of course, be ready to play every minute of every game. He’s a player with special qualities. You could see against West Ham. He was on the pitch for 45 minutes. And in 45 minutes, he had a positive impact.
“He had a cross, a couple of assists, he had a shot and he hit the post. You know, he’s doing that better and better. But he’s not playing 90 minutes. He’s not playing every game. We are still managing his evolution.
“Gareth is a special example of a player we need to take care of. I can almost tell you that Gareth is playing the minutes and the periods that he feels he can. And that he feels are good for his evolution.”
If Bale is going to leave his best form towards the end then it might just prove to be the difference in how this up and down season ends for Mourinho.
If he secures a European finish and a trophy then it should be deemed a success.
But if he doesn’t then, not only will Bale be waving goodbye to those in North London in the summer, but so might his manager.
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