Gareth Bale's return to English football plumbed new depths on Sunday night as he was rounded on by critics after an abject display in Tottenham's 1-0 defeat at Brighton.
Bale was finally given his big chance in the starting XI by Jose Mourinho but blew it as he failed to muster a single effort on goal in a seemingly lethargic display.
The Welshman was hooked on the hour mark and received a torrent of criticism from fans on social media. He was given a mark of just 3/10 in football.london's player ratings.
His former teammate Jamie O'Hara tweeted: "I’ve played with Bale and he always had this inner confidence and self belief, this kind of quiet arrogance.
"He seems a shadow of the player I knew.
"Seriously this loan [has] been a disaster," O'Hara added.
Bale's performance was a big talking point in the post-match press conference, with Mourinho asked directly if the 31-year-old's loan move was simply not working out.
He replied: “We lost a match. And when we lose a match, we lose all together. We don’t lose because of one player or one bad performance.
“So I don’t think it’s fair, especially for myself in representation of my team, to answer that question – especially now.
“If that question comes in a great moment for the team, after a victory and when Gareth like the team plays a good game, it’s easier for me to answer.
“I don’t want to do that (now). We lost – and we all lost.”
It's the latest difficult moment for Bale who hasn't come anywhere near to showing the world class form he was producing just a few years ago before injuries and a falling out with Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane stalled his career.
