Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho said on Wednesday that only Real Madrid can answer questions on why it has taken their on-loan forward Gareth Bale the best part of the Premier League season to hit his stride in London.
Bale rejoined Tottenham from Real a season-long loan deal in September after falling out with French manager Zinedine Zidane and had to endure his worst season in Spain in 2019-20 with only three goals in all competitions as they won the league.Mourinho was reluctant to trust Bale in league games, citing the 31-year-old's injury issues and lack of match fitness after being frozen out in the final part of his spell in Spain.
"Ask Madrid, maybe if they answer to you, you can understand why it took a while. Maybe to be patient was the main reason," Mourinho told reporters ahead of Thursday's meeting with 18th-placed Fulham.