Rafa Benitez has joked that Gareth Bale is a “problem” player after ridiculing criticism of the Real Madrid winger's displays in the No 10 role.
Los Blancos face Real Betis in their second La Liga match of the season on Saturday, but most of the pre-match build-up has centred around the Welshman's perceived unsuitability to playing in the hole behind Cristiano Ronaldo after a stalemate at Sporting Gijon last wekeend.
“[On James Rodriguez's peripheral role], after a World Cup and Copa America, you must give players time off and James joined up with the squad later than his teammates,” the Coach said at a Press conference.
“He didn't play in Gijon for technical reasons, nothing more than that. It's wrong to create a debate when a player hasn't played because he started pre-season late.
“Neither can you create a debate every time a player doesn't play or if this or that happens.
“[On Karim Benzema], he's still not ready to play every minute. Logic says that working individually isn't the same as working with the entire team, but we'll see if he leaves [for international duty] and how much he plays.
“I don't like to talk about specific players, but Karim is a striker who does almost everything well.
“He has a lot of quality, and although he's yet to find continuity in his game, we'll help him do that.
“We've challenged him to score 20-25 goals, lay off assists and help out in defence.
“[On Bale], I understand there are now many media outlets and that the news must be sensationalised.
“In the case of Bale, it appears that a player who is quick, heads well and has a great shot is a problem. For me, it's great to have so many playmakers.
“I have to take advantage of an attacking squad of the highest quality. We have many quality players and they all must be respected and managed in the best way possible for success.
“After twenty years of coaching, I analyse every game and ensure a player doesn't stay fixed in one position for an entire season.
“I'm giving freedom to my players at the moment, but either way, I'll be criticised if I do or don't give them freedom.
“[On whether the 'BBC' are non-negotiable], I'll play the team I feel are best-equipped to win the game.
“If I have to play Bale, Cristiano [Ronaldo] and Benzema, I will. It's the same as if I have to play Denis [Cheryshev] or Lucas Vazquez. I'm not here to win our first game but to win the League.”
