I can't help but think that the reaction people on here have had to Bale's performance tonight hints at what went wrong last season, and what can be the frustrating thing about bale. He's an amazing, unique player, and he very definitely knows it. The problem is that he thinks he's capable of doing far more than he actually achieves. The moment the spotlight falls onto him he can become quite selfish...instead of just continuing to do what he has been doing well, he starts trying to do all sorts of things that he cant do particularly well...he'll start picking up the ball and taking 30 yard shots on his right foot etc. Obviously none of this is a problem if it works, but it often doesnt. Playing him in the centre of the pitch is a bad idea...he's not very comfortable getting the ball in tight areas imo, all of his good work comes when he has space to exploit. Harry tried it, and overindulged him imho. I enjoy watching Bale destroy defences as much as anyone here, but Im cautious of getting ahead of ourselves. There was a guardian article not long ago discussing whether Ronaldo is as much of a strength for your side as a weakness; I think that Bale has shown signs of developing into a player who poses a similar issue.
