There are four decisive months ahead for Gareth Bale after the Wales attacker changed the status of his return ticket to Madrid from confirmed, to back on hold.
Bale went back to Tottenham Hotspur last September on loan from Real to reconnect with his former club but so far things have not been going well and many have suggested they will not extend the stay.
Tottenham fans were certainly expecting more from the 31-year-old.
However, last week he returned to the team for the first leg of the Europa League last-32 clash against Wolfsberger and gave his best performance yet, assisting Son Heung-min for the first goal and scoring the second himself in the 4-1 win.
Then in Sunday's Premier League match against West Ham he played the second 45 minutes and showed his quality by assisting Lucas Moura for the Tottenham goal, making excellent passes and hitting the crossbar.
Bale wasn't a starter because Jose Mourinho believed he is not yet ready for two full matches in three days. But it does seem things are changing.
Bale, more than anyone, wants to lift the mediocrity of these first five months and return to the times when he was considered the best left winger in the world between 2011 and 2013.
Also from a financial standpoint, he has special responsibilities.
Bale earns £600,000-a-week from his parent club and Spurs are paying £220,000-a-week of that figure. He stands out on the London club's scale, pocketing around £100,000 more a week than Harry Kane, the big star.
He is often criticised for his lack of commitment, but knowing him – I interviewed him at Real Madrid and we are still in contact – I don't think that is the case.
He is a player who takes longer than others to recover from injuries, having a lower tolerance to the available treatments.
He struggles permanently with injuries to his back, ankle and calf and I know he makes a big effort to get better, and with total commitment.
In my opinion, he has been unfairly criticised.
We all hope his injury problems are over – or at least easing – and that we can see a Bale from his best times in the remainder of the season.
The first person interested in seeing this renewed form is Mourinho. The manager knows that with Bale fit, he can create one of the most lethal attacks in the Premier League alongside Kane and Son.
Mourinho needs all three in great shape if they are to bridge the nine-point gap to fourth place, otherwise it will be a failure for him as well.
For Bale the rest of this season is crucial. He knows he has to triumph at Tottenham, otherwise, returning to Madrid, his life will be difficult with Zinedine Zidane not wanting him back.
With the UK leaving the European Union, the Welshman will have to compete for one of the three extra-community vacancies for teams in La Liga and Real will have Reinier, Takefusa Kubo, Vinícius Jnr, Rodrygo and Eder Militao in the same position.
When he arrived in London last September the club issued a statement, on behalf of the player, saying "I'm Back".
Let's hope that at the end of the season he will be able to make another, saying "I'm staying", rather than |I’m Leaving".
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Results:
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 2,000m - Winner: Powderhouse, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap Dh165,000 2,200m - Winner: Heraldic, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.40pm: Conditions Dh240,000 1,600m - Winner: Walking Thunder, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash
8.15pm: Handicap Dh190,000 2,000m - Winner: Key Bid, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
8.50pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 1,200m - Winner: Drafted, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
9.25pm: Handicap Dh170,000 1,600m - Winner: Cachao, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
10pm: Handicap Dh190,000 1,400m - Winner: Rodaini, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
RESULTS
6.30pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner Canvassed, Par Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m
Winner Dubai Future, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Mouheeb, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
8.15pm Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
9.50pm Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Topper Bill, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
9.25pm Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Man Of Promise, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
