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José Mourinho has affirmed his belief that Gareth Bale will thrive in his second spell at Tottenham, but told fans to expect the forward to contribute in different ways from his first stint at the club.
“Seven years is a long, long, long gap,” said the manager. So what player in the world is the same as he was seven years ago? Sometimes they are neither better nor worse, they are just different players.
“For example, you look at [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Lionel] Messi, and compare them with seven years ago. They play in different areas, in different positions. They transform their qualities to try to explore their qualities in other responsibilities in the tactical system of their teams. I think it happens with most of the players, so I’m sure he’s a different player ”.
Bale was one of many Tottenham players who struggled in their 1-0 Europa League loss to Royal Antwerp on Thursday. In 58 minutes he registered zero shots on goal and 24 accurate passes before being replaced by Harry Kane.
“Every word that I said [on Wednesday] I believe in them because he is working very, very hard, ”said Mourinho. “It is getting better”.
Tottenham should have a healthy side for their home game against Brighton on Sunday, with Eric Dier and Tanguy Ndombele coming back from injury. Mourinho says his team especially missed Ndombele on Thursday.
“Tanguy felt only a small sign of fatigue in one muscle area and he was also protected. The truth is that we miss him because he gives the team speed: think fast, think fast, move the ball fast and fast. We miss him. “
Mourinho spent much of his first season explaining why Ndombele remained on the bench despite his transfer fee of £ 55m, the club’s record, in 2019. He has become a key player in just a few months, starting six competitive games this season. His greater presence speaks of Mourinho’s will to promote those who show him their value in the field. On Thursday in Antwerp, few did.
