Football
PA Sport 9y

Gareth Bale not at fault for lack of touches in Madrid - Chris Coleman

Wales manager Chris Coleman has accused Real Madrid's players of ignoring Gareth Bale on the pitch.

Coleman's comments echoed those of Bale's agent, Jonathan Barnett, who claimed earlier this month that his client's career is suffering in Madrid because his team-mates "do not pass the ball to him".

Bale has had a tough second season at the Bernabeu, being in the firing line of fans and the Madrid media alike, but the Welshman insists he will stay at Real despite the sacking of manager Carlo Ancelotti on Monday.

"I watch all of Gareth's games and I can tell you as a manager you do not look at just one player," Coleman said. "But there is so much focus on him that if he makes one mistake it is a big deal. If he fails to find Cristiano Ronaldo with a pass and Ronaldo reacts and makes a gesture it gets blown up.

"I have watched many games where Ronaldo has been poor, Isco has been poor. They paid a lot of money for James Rodriguez and there is not a lot coming from there, but it is Gareth who is getting it."

Bale acquired hero status in Madrid last season when he scored winners in the Copa del Rey and Champions League finals and scored 22 goals following his world record £85.3 million move from Tottenham.

The 25-year-old has scored 17 times for Madrid this term with 10 assists and those figures are not too dissimilar to Chelsea's Eden Hazard, who was named the Premier League player of the year.

But Bale was castigated for his performance in Real's Champions League semifinal defeat to Juventus, criticism which has frustrated and angered Coleman.

"He was heavily criticised after that first leg but I am seeing him in great positions and not receiving the ball from certain players," Coleman said. "My assistant Osian [Roberts] called me up and I told him 'I know what you are going to say, they are not giving him the ball.'

"It wasn't Carlo Ancelotti's fault, it is down to the players on the pitch and it looked to me like he was being overlooked.

"You can only do what you do best. With us when he is good positions we make sure we give it to him, in Madrid I did not see that and it was not because he was not working hard.

"I am not saying it was just Ronaldo, but offensively I look at Madrid and wonder why he is not getting the ball.

"That Madrid team towards the end of the season looked disjointed and did not seem to have that togetherness, and Gareth has suffered for that."

TV pundits Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher were quick to criticise Bale against Juventus.

Keane was particularly hard, accusing Bale of "giving nothing" and "taking the easy option every time", while Carragher said he was "timid" -- but Coleman said it was not just a simple case of demanding the ball.

"You can say off the pitch to a teammate: 'I am in a good position, give me the ball'. On the pitch it is different," Coleman said. "What can he say? If they are not going to give him the ball there is not much he can do. So I would not agree with that criticism, that is too black and white.

"Things happen in a flash on the pitch and he will move into a good position and then not receive it, so I cannot say I agree with what Roy and Jamie had to say.

"The media in Spain attacked him because of whatever was going on with the president of Real Madrid and he got caught up in that.

"But every time he is with us he gives it all. I don't think it matters too much to us, as long as he keeps turning up for us in the same mental state as he has been."

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