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Gareth Bale’s performance during Real Madrid’s loss to Juventus in the Champions League did him no favors in the seemingly never ending struggle to quite his critics. Although, according to his agent, Jonathan Barnett, that might be a struggle that everyone but Bale is concerned with.
Gareth Bale against Juventus. pic.twitter.com/L1knymGakW
— Purely Football (@PurelyFootball) May 6, 2015Descriptions of Gareth Bale’s performance vary from “poor” to “invisible,” and continue a dialogue that has surrounded the Welshmen all year. One that says that he has thoroughly under performed. One of the loudest critics of Bales most recent performance was former player and manager Roy Keane. A pundit for ITV’s telecast of the game, Keane had this to say:
“You can’t win a game with 10 men. Gareth Bale gave Real Madrid nothing tonight…You could see a lack of confidence, but he kept making the easy decision. The reason he is at Real Madrid is to be brave, to get at people, but every time he got it tonight – even in one-v-ones – he turned back and, again, his team-mates can’t be happy with him because he took the easy option every time.”
As harsh as the criticism is, Bale’s agent has trivialized it. Here’s what Barnett said to the BBC in response:
"Why should we take any notice of comments from people who don't know what they are talking about -- and from people who have failed in management?”
Roy Keane has had managerial stints at Sunderland, Ipswich Town, and Aston Villa in the Premier League as head or assistant manager. He quit his assistant position at Villa last November in order to focus on his ongoing assistant managerial position for the Republic of Ireland.
Bale’s agent Barnett went on.
"This is only an issue in England. Gareth is at the biggest club in the world. He is one of the best players in the world. He is fine. He only listens to relevant comments."
And he confirmed his client’s focus.
"He is 100 percent focused on Real Madrid."
