Over Half Of Real Madrid Fans Want Gareth Bale To Be Benched

Over half of Real Madrid fans who voted on an online poll want to see Gareth Bale benched in the latest lack of support for the winger from his own critical fans.

When Gareth Bale moved from Spurs to Real Madrid he fulfilled a lifelong dream, broke the world record fee for a transfer and was expected to be the latest Galactico to make a huge difference but it's never quite worked out for him.

In some ways it seems ridiculous to say a player who has won La Liga, four Champions Leagues and scored some ridiculous goals is a failure but that's how fans have made it seem.

Bale had a difficult relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo when the pair were both at the Bernabeu and the former Southampton man has never lived up to the idea he could be the next leader of the team.

At one point fans protested so much to his inclusion in the team that they attacked him in his car outside the stadium late at night after a game.

The Wales international has started 14 La Liga games this season and had been missing for the previous three weeks due to injury.

He returned off the bench on Sunday against Espanyol and Spanish paper AS asked who should be benched out of him, Lucas Vazquez and Vinicius Junior. Bale 'won' 54.1% of the vote, Vazquez got 36.98% and Vinicius got 8.91%.

Bale has done a lot at Real but it never seems to be enough. Image: PA Images

Bale has 11 goals across all competitions for Los Blancos this season whereas Vazquez only has four and Vinicius has only scored three but fans clearly want the men in form to keep their shirts.

Without the former Spurs winger in the team the Champions League holders have scored 15 goals in six games, with Bale's assist against Espanyol the only one he was on the pitch for.

Vinicius is already a fan favourite at the Bernabeu. Image: PA Images

Former Real manager Jorge Valdano recently criticised the winger, telling a Spanish podcast, via Goal, "Bale has a tremendous class, but then he disappears, he shows less passion than other players.

"Bale is a player who fights against his body, he does not look like a passionate player. He came to occupy the emptiness left by Cristiano and he has not, the one who has occupied that empty place is Vinicius."

If Santiago Solari listens to the fans then it might be a while before Bale is back showing what he can do from the start of a game.

Topics: Football News, Santiago Solari, gareth bale, Champions League, Spanish football, Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid, La Liga

Ryan Sidle

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