Roy Keane ... the Spanish media ... the British media ... all were critical of Gareth Bale after his non-performance against Juventus last night in the Champions League.

It's far from the first time that the Welshman has been critcised in Spain this season and according to ESPN and Irish Examiner writer Dermot Corrigan suggests a lack of allies in the local press is not helping.

He told Off The Ball: "As a foreign player and as Welsh as well, he doesn't have anybody digging him out in the press here. He doesn't have very many people who back him up. Isco, for example, didn't have a great game last night and hasn't been playing brilliantly lately but he's got a lot of friends in the Spanish media - not so much that he's cultivated but just that he's a young Spanish player who they like to see here - so if he has a great game he gets talked up and if he doesn't have a great game it goes under the radar."

Bale has had more protection from outside forces within the club, thanks to Carlo Ancelotti, president Florentino Perez and Cristiano Ronaldo who have all backed him publicly.

(Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)

But one of the moments which might have turned some against him was when Ronaldo showed public exasperation when the former Tottenham winger did not pass a ball to him when through on goal.

"I think they get on OK. When he first came over, Ronaldo seemed to have a big brother feeling for Bale because Ronaldo would have spoken good English as well and because they'd have similarities. There is a feeling that Ronaldo is up to 30 now and maybe Ronaldo feels that he can't let Bale overshadow him in games. But I don't think it's deliberately that Ronaldo is setting out, when he does those gestures, to knock Bale down. It's just that he wants everybody to pass him the ball."

But as Corrigan also said, Bale is not suited to the short passing, intricate style that the Spanish media enjoy most, whereas he wants balls played in over the top where he can use his best assets.