MADRID, SPAIN. In Real Madrid’s one hundred and twelve years of history, there have been quite the names that had the privilege of putting on the all white jersey. With players like Di Stéfano, Gento, Kopa, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, and most recently Cristiano Ronaldo, it is hard to find a place between them, and it is even harder when according to some sources you’re the highest paid player of all time. Expectations are high, and the margin for mistakes is close to non-existent. Everything the players do is analyzed under a microscope. Add to the equation the tough Madrid press and the affectionate Madrid loyalist, the Ultra Sur, and it makes for quite an arrival for Gareth Bale.
Arriving at the club at the end of August, without a pre-season, Bale was faced with a difficult task. His first goal in the blanco jersey came in his debut for Real Madrid, a 2-2 tie against Villareal at El Madrigal. The Santiago Bernabeu was ready to give him a warm welcoming but he was injured in the warm up. The welcoming party was put on hold until Real Madrid faced it rivals from the south in the derby madrileño. His home debut was spoiled by an Atletico 1-0 win, and what followed were months of on and off playing time caused by injuries. Recently, even the youngster Jese has been in form and some are questioning if Carlos Ancelotti should have played Jese instead of the injured or out of form Bale.
The truth is that Madrid has not lost in the last 27 games are currently in first place in La Liga, have a date with Barcelona in the Copa del Rey Final, and with a favorable tie against Shalke in the round of 16 of the Champions League, times could not be any better for the team in Chamartin. With all seemingly going Real’s way, it is hard to find a blemish or blame someone for the way they are playing. While some people are saying that Gareth Bale has yet to live up to his price tag, I don’t know what else he can do to help the team. Fiorentino Perez invested in him so that after a year in which Real only won the Supercopa, they could finally be the kings of Spain and Europe.
Although being injured for part of the season, Bale has enjoyed his time on the field making 27 appearances and scoring 14 goals. It is a pretty nice resume when you consider that in the previous 6 years at Tottenham scored 55 times and in the 2012-2013 campaign won the award for the best player in the Premiere League. Even though his numbers are not anywhere close to Cristiano Ronaldo’s but then who’s are, he finds a way to help the team win. And even though at times people start raising questions about his fitness and his game play, he reminds them again and again why Fiorentino Perez welcomed him with open arms last summer.
With goals like the one he scored agains Elche, when the team was barely clinching to a 1-0 scoreline unable to get the second goal, and people wondering where Bale was, it closes the discussion for a while of why he got paid so much and wether or not he is the right fit for los blancos. It is true that the season is not over and that unless the team wins the La Liga or the Decima it will be seen as a failure, and the 27 unbeaten streak will be forgotten and fingers will be pointed again, but until the times in Chamartin couldn’t be better.