Glenn Hoddle told talkSPORT that Gareth Bale is ‘not prepared’ to sprint for Tottenham.
The Spurs legend thinks Bale looks ‘fragile’ and he believes his reluctances to run at full speed is a ‘mental’ thing.
Whilst Tottenham fans were delighted with Bale returning to the club in the summer, it needs to be remembered that at Real Madrid, he hardly played for a number of years added with injury problems.
Hoddle thinks all of that is playing on Bale’s mind, as he urged him to change Jose Mourinho’s mind about picking him.
“I think Gareth will be disappointed that he hasn’t had enough opportunities,” said Hoddle. “But to get the opportunities, you have to earn it.
“He came on against Brighton and scored the header that got them the three points, so he has affected the game there. But it’s been stop-start for him.
“He just looks a little tentative for me. He looks like he’s not prepared to really sprint. He’s not hitting top sprinting like we know he can do. Look, he’s not going to be like yesteryear.
“But he’s got to put his foot in a little bit more. When he goes in to beat people, he just looks a little fragile. I think it’s a mental thing with him. If he can break through that then go for it.”
This has to be a game of patience and trust with Bale because it’s quite clear that he needs time to get back to even near his best.
Every player would struggle to hit regular form if they played the limited amount of games Bale has played during these last few years.
The key thing now is can Bale be efficient when he is on the pitch and do the business for Spurs in the decisive moments as they push for the Premier League title and trophies.
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