Wales manager Chris Coleman has said that Real Madrid players weren’t giving Gareth Bale the ball enough, and also added that while there were plenty of occasions when the likes of Isco, Ronaldo and James were poor, Bale got more stick from the media and fans.

Here are some of Coleman’s quotes to the media regarding Bale’s struggles at Real Madrid.

I watch all of Gareth’s games and I can tell you as a manager you do not look at just one player..

But there is so much focus on him that if he makes one mistake it is a big deal. If he fails to find Cristiano Ronaldo with a pass and Ronaldo reacts and makes a gesture it gets blown up.

I have watched many games where Ronaldo has been poor, Isco has been poor. They paid a lot of money for James Rodriguez and there is not a lot coming from there, but it is Gareth who is getting it.

He was heavily criticised after that first leg (Real-Juventus CL semifinal) but I am seeing him in great positions and not receiving the ball from certain players.

My assistant Osian (Roberts) called me up and I told him ‘I know what you are going to say, they are not giving him the ball’.

It wasn’t Carlo Ancelotti’s fault, it is down to the players on the pitch and it looked to me like he was being overlooked.

You can only do what you do best. With us when he is good positions we make sure we give it to him, in Madrid I did not see that and it was not because he was not working hard.

I am not saying it was just Ronaldo, but offensively I look at Madrid and wonder why he is not getting the ball.

That Madrid team towards the end of the season looked disjointed and did not seem to have that togetherness, and Gareth has suffered for that