A PENNY for the thoughts of Gareth Bale, who if we believe Marca, the Spanish newspaper that campaigned to sign him, is currently the biggest flop since Spider-Man: The Musical.

Yeah, he won the Champions League in his first season and yes, he scored the winning goal, along with 21 others in the season where he also got 16 assists.

Sure, he’s dealt with the pressure of being the world’s most expensive player and going from having a Spurs side built around him to slotting into a Real Madrid side where he’s very much number two in star terms, but it is nowhere near enough for the world’s most fickle newspaper and the world’s most ridiculous football supporters.

Bale escaped any ire from Madrid fans on Sunday as he scored twice in the first half against Levante in a 2-0 win, but not even a Madrid victory stopped fans jeering Carlo Ancelotti, pretty much the best manager in the world in terms of who is working today, with only Pep Guardiola and his polar opposite, Jose Mourinho, coming close.

However, in midweek Bale was booed mercilessly as Madrid lost yet scraped through in the Champions League against Schalke, with headlines intensifying that he’ll be back in England sooner rather than later as Manchesters City and United and Chelsea sniff his signature.

It will probably be a relief for Bale to link-up with Wales and head to the stress free environment of Israel for the national sides biggest game in over a decade compared to the pressure cooker that is Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

Madrid are a soap opera club emphasised beautifully by Bale’s first goal on Sunday, a rebound from a Cristiano Ronaldo shot that saw the ex-Man United man protesting and objecting as he missed... and then again when Bale scored. You’ve never seen anything like it.

It’s a big shame for Bale that things have soured since his great first season and his reaction to scoring on Sunday – holding his hands over his ears and kicking the corner flag – was a far cry from his heart symbol and beaming smile.

However, it would be foolish to write him off as a La Liga man just yet. Bale is at his dream club and has the talent to win over the Madrid fans all over again.

And in the meantime, a stonking performance for Wales can put a smile back on his face, and ours.