Talk of a title push has dampened somewhat after a miserable week for Tottenham Hotspur saw them lose ground in the race atop the Premier League. 

Dropping points at Crystal Palace before back-to-back losses at Liverpool and home to Leicester City has exposed some of the gaps in their squad, as Jack Pitt-Brooke of The Athletic recently pointed out. 

After a period in which Jose Mourinho was criticised for his approach at Anfield, Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane also questioned the form of Gareth Bale since his return to North London. 

Brought on at half-time against Leicester, Bale was only able to muster one shot in a toothless Spurs attack (via WhoScored) and has yet to truly get going after joining on loan from Real Madrid. 

Still, despite the criticism, former England man Carlton Palmer has launched a staunch defence of the 31-year-old, now rated at £18m by Transfermarkt. 

"I think people have to give Gareth a bit of time," he said when speaking exclusively to GIVEMESPORT. 

"It's about getting to that pace of the game again.

"I think in the second half of the season, Bale will be a big, big player for Spurs again."

GIVEMESPORT's Jonathan Gorrie says...

Anyone hoping Bale would able to repeat his final season at Spurs was always likely to be disappointed. 

Given the options available to Mourinho, there's little need for him - at 31 - to try and carry the attack in the same way he was doing in his mid-20s. As Keane said himself, Bale is a player who has provided big moments in his career and there's still plenty of time for him to do exactly that. 

Granted, things could be going better for him but this is a man to have barely featured in well over a season working his way back up to his best. Indeed, the games come thick and fast during this period, offering plenty of opportunities.