Midway through the first half of Saturday’s clash between Real Madrid and Levante, Karim Benzema hobbled to the touchline. The French striker had picked up an injury that is expected to rule him out for the next four to six weeks. On in his place came Gareth Bale, a winger.
It illustrated how Real Madrid’s decision to let Alvaro Morata leave for Chelsea this summer could come back to haunt them, with Benzema the only out and out striker on their books for the season ahead. Zinedine Zidane even allowed third choice striker Mariano Diaz to leave for Lyon. The European champions have a formidable frontline, but only one player to lead that line.
Bale played in the role on Saturday, enjoying moderate success there. It was obvious that the Welshman didn’t really know when to hold his position, when to run the channels and when to hold the ball up, but there was something in his performance to suggest he could be used as a central striker in Benzema’s absence.
Of course, all will be resolved when Cristiano Ronaldo returns from his five-match suspension. The Portuguese has turned himself into an all-round forward over the past few years and so he will relish any opportunities he has afforded to play in the central striker position. What’s more, he’s highly effective there.
But Ronaldo is 32. Benzema turns 30 in December. It can be argued that Real Madrid’s attack is an ageing one, which means injuries are more likely. Zidane has a number of players who can play on the wings or behind the central striker, with Marco Asensio and Isco in particular emerging as the future of the club. However, he is short of players to act as the focal point. That’s where Bale should focus his efforts.
Bale’s future at the Santiago Bernabeu is nowhere near as certain as it was 12 months ago, with first Isco and then Asensio moving ahead of him in the pecking order. Injuries hindered the Welshman last season, meaning he missed much of Real Madrid’s double-winning campaign, with the former Spurs and Southampton man still to recover his best form.
It’s entirely feasible that Bale might have to make do with a place on the bench, especially if Isco and Asensio continue their astonishing start to the season. The 28-year-old needs to create opportunities for himself and there may be one for him up front, even in the immediate term with Benzema out injured for the next few weeks.
He has the attributes to play as the central striker. He’s tall, good in the air, strong enough to hold off opposition defenders, possessing the pace needed to get in behind. As already mentioned, the positional discipline is lacking, but that’s somewhat that can be learned. And in Ronaldo, Bale has the perfect mentor, considering how he changed himself in the same way, going from winger to centre forward.
He needs to think of something new, because as things stand Bale isn’t the indispensable force he once was at Real Madrid. His face might appear everywhere around the Santiago Bernabeu, on billboards and on promotions, but the 28-year-old isn’t quite living up to such a billing on the pitch, and in Zidane there is a manager who has the power and influence to cut him adrift if he so desires. Florentino Perez, a great advocate of Bale, can’t come to his rescue.
Bale is at the point of his career where he needs to adapt. He has already done it once before, transforming himself from a full back into a winger, but the next part could be his biggest challenge yet. Needs must, though. It could save his Real Madrid career.
