What about the Welshman has made him such an easy target for frustrated Madridistas? Is it his overwhelmingly inoffensive demeanor? Do ultras believe Bale would not defend himself with the same vehemence a more vocal Ramos or Ronaldo would? Perhaps Bale’s tentative Spanish and his wildly passé alice bands have rendered him a passive, nonthreatening scapegoat.
Whatever the reason, Bale has found himself (and his Bentley) on the receiving end of fanatical supporter outrage. A poll of eight thousand fans revealed that seventy percent wanted to see the winger dropped--a damning statistic.
Real Madrid has been in a slow, persistent struggle to regain form since the start of 2015 and the entire squad has slipped in quality. Bale, though, has received a disproportionate amount of the blame. I have two theories.
Theory 1
Bale is a fundamentally selfish player and fans are just now realizing it.
Selfishness is the most serious accusation Bale has suffered. Everyone knows that failing to pass to an open Ronaldo is the cardinal sin at Real Madrid. Ultras are having trouble squaring the bland public image Bale presents with recent, selfish shots on goal. Bale has been accused of putting himself before the team and thusly booed at home. Ultras are experiencing cognitive dissonance between what they believe about Bale and his behavior on the pitch. This is in large part due to Bale’s history of appearing to be a team player.
Bale’s career has not been characterized by Hollywood passes, unrealistic shots on goal or selfish dribbling, which makes what ought to be venial sins appear all the more grave. In many ways, Bale’s history of being a team player and his stellar assist record in 13-14 has worked against his favor. Any shot missed and even the smallest divergence from the path of selflessness and self-sacrifice draws unflattering attention, given his past of deferring to Ronaldo.
Consider for a moment that Bale has always been a selfish player. It is not unthinkable. At Spurs, Bale was the star player and as such, it is very difficult to be labeled selfish. The team’s play was crafted around Bale’s strengths and catered to his playing style. Few would not call Ronaldo selfish at this point in his career. The bottom line is: If you score, then no one will accuse you of selfishness (Mario Balotelli’s penalty is a different story).
Last season, Bale was the new kid. He deferred to the senior players as anyone with common sense would. But following the World Cup, the club flooded with new purchases and suddenly Bale was a veteran of the club. A season under his belt, a Champions League title, and a class of newbies was more than enough to assure Bale that he no longer needed to designate himself a second class citizen.
You expect selfish behavior from Suarez and Ibrahimovic, but when a player as innocuous as Bale blatantly ignores an unmarked, goal-facing teammate standing in the six-yard box, the incongruity sparks hostility. How dare Bale? i
Theory 2
Bale overperformed in 13-14.
Many expected that adjusting to a new league and language would prevent Bale from performing at his Spurs best, but he surprised everyone by improving on his Spurs form. This should not necessarily have been such a surprise. Anyone who has played tennis can attest to an opponent of superior skill’s ability to raise one’s own performance.
Think of Bale’s first season as his version of John Mayer’s Continuum. Superb early work dupes fans into overestimating the greatness of his artistry. They’ve jumped the gun in declaring his talent and now they have to face the reality of Walt Grace’s Submarine Test, January 1967.
The supporter’s relationship with Bale is somewhat Frankenstein-esque. With their adoration they’ve created a player who has bought into his own hype. And sadly, Bale is not the type of player who thrives given unmitigated love.
Bale has attempted a “Spurs star player” type goal one too many times while being a Madrid squad player. He needs to remind himself that at Madrid he is a mere chorus member. There is only one headliner and if he is open, you better pass.
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