Wycombe Game a Big Opportunity for Gareth Bale, Tottenham

José Mourinho made it clear that whether or not Gareth Bale plays for Tottenham on Monday against Wycombe is up to Bale and if he has the confidence to perform. While the headlines across the net were about Bale not being given minutes at Tottenham Hotspur rather earning them, it is on Bale to take the minutes. As fans we have to hope Bale is ready for those minutes, because Wycombe may the the last good opportunity for a while.

Bale was built to beat teams like Wycombe

Wycombe try to play possession and like to employ an offside trap. While they get some good push up the right win and Joe Jacobson is likely their best player at left back, they give up a lot on the flanks. So Spurs are facing a team that likes to play an offside trap and gives up a lot of room on the sides, if Gareth Bale is not licking his lips in anticipation he may well and truly be done.

At his best Gareth Bale is about pace, power, and timing. An exceptional athlete that loved to attack from wide on either flank, Bale has historically feasted against offside traps. Further, with the space he should see, regardless of flank he is deployed on, Bale should be able to get a head of steam up.

In the Premier League players get very little time on the ball due to the defensive pressure. It will be difficult for Wycombe to consistently provide that pressure – if Spurs can move the ball quickly – which should give Bale time and space to do damage. We all know Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son are carrying a very heavy load and it would be great for Bale to take some of that load off them.

Bale should be facing someone, somewhat familiar

Back in 2006-2007 there was a little battle going on for the left back spot on the Wales U-21 team, between Gareth Bale and his likely opposition on Monday Joe Jacobson. Bale and Jacobson were both part of the U-21 side at the same time in 2006 and 2007, but never actually played together. It was often Jacobson captaining the U-21s after Bale went to the senior team.

Of course we know Gareth Bale worked his way from left back, to left outside midfielder, to left wing, to best player in the world. For Jacobson, he international career ended with a U-21 qualifying loss in 2008. Now nearly 13 years later the two will likely face off as Jacobson plays left back and hopefully we see Bale on the right wing for Spurs.

If not now when for Gareth Bale at Tottenham

The reality is that like it is for many of the squad players on the fringes at Tottenham Hotspur, the time is running out to break into the rotation. Barring injury of course, as the opportunity to play lower level competition disappears and things tighten up in the Premier League, expect José Mourinho to tighten his rotation.

Mourinho already has a pretty tight rotation, but expect it to get even smaller as he will only go with the players he can trust. The problem for Bale is how can the coach trust him if he cannot trust himself. This is where the idea of Bale having the confidence to go comes in and hopefully he is ready.

This is the perfect match-up amongst dwindling opportunities. With some major matches against Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester City on the horizon as well as hopefully more cup action, now is the time for someone to step up. Given the enthusiasm involved and the money spent, Monday may be one of the last times to show Bales return is about more than nostalgia and jersey sales.