Pat Nevin has slated Tottenham legend Gareth Bale on BBC Sport after his anonymous display in Wales’ 2-0 defeat to Iran in the World Cup.
In a game where Carlos Queiroz’s side dominated, the score was 0-0 till the 98th minute where his side scored the winner.
However, the tide turned in the 86th minute, after Nottingham Forest’s Wayne Hennessey flung a boot out at Mehdi Taremi to get sent off.
With Wales left with 10 men in the dying embers of the game, they conceded two goals within 3 minutes between the 98th and the 101st minute to suffer a crushing loss.
It has to be said that uncharacteristically, the ex-Southampton man did not look even remotely close to rescuing his side’s blushes on the day.
The Los Angeles FC superstar was on the periphery of things, as it seemed mission impossible for a man that tends to do the unthinkable for his national team time and again.
Nevin calls out Bale for his forgettable showing against Iran
Pat Nevin was extremely critical of ex-Tottenham winger Gareth Bale, who failed to step up to the plate for Wales as they succumbed to a late defeat against Iran.
“If his name wasn’t Gareth Bale, you’d have taken him off and you would not play him in the next blame”, he told BBC Sport.
Nevin continued, “He had no impact whatsoever and he didn’t try to go by anyone. We know the Bale from the past but that didn’t look like the same guy.”
What does Nevin expect Bale to do?
Admittedly, Gareth Bale was far from his heroic best for Wales against Iran.
But at this point in the former Real Madrid forward’s career, it is unrealistic to expect him to be the same electric winger that carries his nation on his back and does the impossible.
Bale is one of the greatest players on the international stage of his generation and it is completely justified for him not to have been superhuman for once against the Iranians.
To vilify the 33-year-old seems extremely harsh and uncalled for, especially looking back at his heroics in a Welsh shirt.
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