When Gareth Bale returned to Tottenham Hotspur, you could have forgiven fans for dreaming about just how devastating a frontline involving the Welshman, Harry Kane and Heung-min Son would be. 

One of the greatest players in Spurs' Premier League history was coming back to line-up alongside two modern-day greats and bring all his trophy-winning experience to help the club push on. 

Still, as so often happens in football, things have not really worked out as planned.

According to ESPN, some of the playing staff at Tottenham are confused over how he has been managed since re-joining. 

Indeed, the former Real Madrid forward has made just four Premier League appearances - the last one coming in mid-December - despite teammates reportedly being impressed with his level of performance in training. 

The idea of extending his stay into a permanent arrangement is said to hinge on how often he plays this season and the report claims that will likely need to increase to make any move viable. 

GIVEMESPORT's Jonathan Gorrie says... 

Given the criticism Jose Mourinho has faced in terms of his defensive set-up, perhaps the idea of turning to Bale anytime soon is somewhat unrealistic. 

While a player to have produced great moments over the course of his career, the 31-year-old does trail teammate Steven Bergwijn in defensive metrics such as tackles (0.7 to 0.3 via WhoScored), clearances (0.6 to 0.5) and blocks (0.1 to 0) per game. 

While it's not exactly a huge difference or a reflection on their attacking ability, it does seem in keeping with the safety-first approach Mourinho has been accused of adopting.

It'd be foolish to doubt Bale's attacking quality considering all we've seen from him over the years and, with a cup final to come, there's every chance he can still make this season a success.