If Mourinho continues, despite his
complaints about “lazy pressure”, to operate with the low block that has been characteristic throughout his career, Bale should be ideally tactically suited. If there was a problem in his early days in Madrid, it was that he often didn’t have space to accelerate into because of the way teams sat deep against Madrid.
Mourinho’s entire method is about dropping back and trying to provoke space behind the opponent; there’s no reason while Bale shouldn’t again be hurtling at the opposition box having already been sprinting for 30 yards or more, just as he did in his first spell at the club.
Kane’s all-round game should suit him as well. Bale can stay wide and cross for a forward who is good in the air and at getting across the near post or, if Kane drops off, Bale and Son Heung-min should relish running beyond the Englishman into the space his movement creates. Bale, in that sense, is a slightly old-fashioned style of forward, one who should suit Mourinho’s way of playing