Gareth Bale should not play No 10 for Real Madrid, says Terry Gibson
Wednesday 26 August 2015 18:38, UK
Gareth Bale is not best suited to the No 10 role at Real Madrid and Rafa Benitez needs to work out where the Welshman's best position is, says Terry Gibson.
Real got their season underway with a disappointing 0-0 draw at newly-promoted Sporting Gijon on Sunday, with a strong forward line looking distinctly out of sorts.
Bale, who came under much criticism last campaign for his faltering form, appeared off colour in a No 10 role, and Gibson believes Bale needs to be deployed in an altogether different position.
"Real Madrid do have an issue with who is playing where up front," Gibson told the La Liga Podcast. "I don't think Gareth Bale is best suited for the No 10 role. I think James or Isco are better suited.
"I would play (Cristiano) Ronaldo up front and give Bale a completely free role.
"Like Barcelona, where (Lionel) Messi has a free role, Suarez is the main striker, Neymar plays on the right wing, and Messi goes where he wants.
"At Real Madrid, they are unsure who is playing where, and who will fill in a position vacated by someone else.
"I don't think it was addressed by Ancelotti last season. He kind of fudged around it by playing Bale on the right, Ronaldo on the left and (Karim) Benzema up front – it was a little more restricted.
"As it is now, with Bale in the middle, Ronaldo starting on the left then going up front, and on Sunday night we had Jese, who didn't really know where to go.
"There is a lot of work to do for Real Madrid."
New boss Benitez needed a positive start to silence some of the critics who are already on his back, and Gibson believes that resolving which is his strongest forward line is top priority, with Los Blancos' president Florentino Perez notoriously impatient.
"I am not saying that Rafa Benitez is going to fail, it is just matter of whether he will be given time by Florentino Perez," Gibson added.
"We know the pressure that comes with managing Real Madrid, he knows what comes with managing Real Madrid.
"Five of the nine games that he has been in charge, including pre-season friendlies, Real have not scored a goal. It is worrying.
Listen to the latest La Liga podcast, as Jon Driscoll is joined by Terry Gibson to discuss the opening weekend of the La Liga season.
