Manchester City midfielder Frank Lampard has said that Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo should come to the defence of his team-mate Gareth Bale whenever the Welshman gets undue criticism.
Bale landed at Real Madrid from Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2013. In his inaugural season in La Liga, the Welshman was instrumental in guiding Carlo Ancelotti’s side to their triumphant Champions League campaign.
Real Madrid’s Champions League win in Lisbon last summer was their tenth European Cup success, and the stellar role Bale played in the triumph endeared him to the Santiago Bernabeu faithful.
But Bale has courted controversy this season after being labelled selfish by certain sections of Los Blancos' fan base.
The Welshman’ failure to set-up his team-mates in two successive games at the start of the year, against Valencia and Espanyol, has riled the fans.
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Ronaldo made his displeasure with Bale public when he angrily chided the forward against Espanyol on the pitch.
Lampard feels that a player of Ronaldo’s stature should come out in support of Bale instead of turning against the Welshman when he is in the eye of a storm.
The former England international added that criticism will have a negative effect on Bale which will ultimately be detrimental to Real Madrid’s success.
“If he hasn't passed to Cristiano once and it's not come off and there are a few boos then it's only going to be detrimental to the team and to those two as individuals”, Lampard was quoted as saying by AS.
“I would like to see Cristiano come out and say there is no issue because he is the boss really and he maybe needs to say that."
Lampard further added that a player of Bale’s fortitude and calibre might become even stronger after criticism and silence his detractors with better performances.
“[Bale] might come through this phase even stronger. He might beat three players next week and put it in the top corner.”
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