Don Hutchison has told Optus Sport that he feels like Gareth Bale is playing for Tottenham Hotspur without actually being fully fit.
Bale has impressed at Spurs over recent weeks, after netting six goals in his last seven outings.
However, the Welshman struggled for Tottenham against Arsenal at the weekend.
Bale didn’t really get involved and was hooked off before the hour mark, as Jose Mourinho’s side fell to a 2-1 defeat.
And Hutchison claims that the Spurs attacker looks short of fitness right now.
“It’s difficult when you’re not privy. It’s difficult to try and comment, because Bale was brilliant in the game against Crystal Palace,” Hutchison said.
“But in this game he was anonymous. He wasn’t getting near anyone. He wasn’t giving Doherty any protection whatsoever.
“Only these two guys [Mourinho and Bale] and the guys who are in the training ground and Jose’s staff know how fit Bale is.
“I look at the Bale now and I don’t think he’s anywhere near 100% fit. I think he’s playing off memory. He’s still got the talent.
“You look at him and he’s turned himself into a cluttered player that can pick a long pass and do magical things, but if you take the running ability out of Bale, I would imagine that Bale is singling him out as the one that was hiding the most.”
Bale’s fitness has been questioned throughout the season, but he actually appeared to be finding his feet recently.
The Real Madrid loanee has played a lot of football for Tottenham of late though, and it may just have been a case of one game too many for him at the weekend.
It also must be said that Spurs’s game plan hardly played into Bale’s hands.
Tottenham set up defensively on Sunday, and Bale was not given much service by his teammates.
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