'You've chucked him in at the deep end'! Coleman blasts Real over Bale handling



Chris Coleman hit out at Real Madrid’s management of Gareth Bale on Wednesday, accusing them of pushing their £86million man too hard too soon.

The 24-year-old was initially named in Coleman’s squad for Wales’s forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Macedonia and Belgium but was withdrawn yesterday because of a thigh injury that is expected to keep him out for a further three weeks.

It is the latest in a string of injuries suffered by the world’s most expensive player and one Coleman believes could have been avoided if the Spanish club had heeded his warning last month that Bale was ‘nowhere near ready’ at that stage to play more than 45 minutes.

Stricken: Gareth Bale was at a Madrid hospital on Wednesday to have a scan on his thigh Back tracking: Wales boss Coleman at the press conference where he confirmed Bale's absence



CONFUSION: THE WELSH FA PUBLISHED THIS SQUAD LIST

The Wales FA published this squad list before Chris Coleman's press conference. But then the manager revealed Gareth Bale would not take part in the World Cup qualifiers.

Hennessey, Myhill, Fon Williams, Ben Davies, Gabbidon, Gunter, Ashley Williams, Taylor, Ricketts, Matthews, John, Allen, Collison, King, Ledley, Vaughan, Ramsey, Crofts, Bale, Bellamy, Vokes, Robson-Kanu, Church

Ancelotti proceeded to use Bale for more than an hour on his debut against Villarreal just four days after that warning, which came in the wake of a 32-minute cameo for Wales in a 3-0 defeat against Serbia on September 10, but the winger has since only appeared fleetingly in two Real games.

Coleman said: ‘I’m not surprised because we said all along it’s been tough for Bale because he has done no pre-season and then he’s thrown into the deep end.’

He added: ‘I would never criticise another manager — Carlo Ancelotti is a brilliant manager — but La Liga football is a different tempo to the Premier League. I can understand the thinking that the Premier League is the fastest, most dynamic. It is, so maybe Carlo was thinking Gareth could handle it. He’s a super athlete.

‘But I did say in our last camp that he was nowhere near fit.’

Bernablow: Bale was due to start the match against Getafe, but pulled up in the pre-match warm-up

Down: Bale came on as a substitute in the defeat by local rivals Atletico Madrid last weekend Coleman also believes Bale has been physically and mentally affected by the stress and pressure of his drawn-out move from Tottenham — and predicted he will suffer further injury problems this campaign as a consequence of having not completed a proper pre-season. Coleman said: ‘You have to put things in perspective. What has happened to him with the move, he must feel under pressure. He is probably trying too hard to do things that come naturally to him. Physically he is not there, he is not ready and he might not be for some time. ‘If you don’t do a pre-season, no matter how good you are, you always play catch up for the season. This season might be a tough one for him, as good as he is. ‘He has had the weight and stress of “will the move happen, won’t it?”. I think he has gone into it when he is not at his best, physically or mentally. It has had an effect. ‘I hope I am wrong but I don’t think it will be the last one (injury) he gets this season because of the stress of everything. Physically he is not there yet. You can’t miss a pre-season.’



Clumsy: Wales initially named Bale in their squad, before withdrawing him

Coleman was no less forthcoming in discussing his future with the Wales team. His contract expires in June, but after reaching a verbal agreement with the Football Association of Wales in the summer it is understood that the FAW are reviewing the situation in light of their dismal qualifying campaign for Brazil. They currently sit bottom of Group A.

Coleman admitted for the first time that he has his own reservations about continuing in the role, a frustration borne from not having regular use of his marquee names. He said: ‘I don’t know (if he wants a new deal), I am looking at it myself.

‘I’m going “Can I do what I really want to do”? Can I achieve the success I am desperate for the country to achieve? I can’t get my best team for 90 minutes. That has got to worry anybody, never mind the run of games that I need.



Difficult start: Bale has found life tough going after completing his £86m switch from Tottenham

‘I feel like I have won the lottery and I have this much money in the bank — because you look at the players we have got — but I can’t touch them. That is an enormous frustration.

‘I just want to concentrate on these next three games, finish this campaign well.’