Open Wide For Some Soccer!

[Ameritoon]

Well I did grow up with the game, so your point does not stand. It's not like he has an excellent first touch or incredible pace, but his ability at both of those and easily good enough for his role. I'm going to need video evidence of all of your criticisms if I'm ever going to take something you say seriously again, because that is baffling.

[Deuce]

Yeah those are some outlandish claims, man.

[Vinny Green Balls]

that goal against Slovakia meaningless in an unimportant game.  A lot of people peddle this bullshit about him.  The Bradley of 2009 did flatter to deceive more often than not, with utter recklessness.  I would say that maybe you would have had a case then. But this Bradley is much more mature, and a much more complete player.

 

I think the nepotism tag still haunts him despite Bob fucking off a couple of years ago.  But honestly, We're a much shitter team without Michael.

 

And yes I grew up with the game too.  My first memory of football was us driving up to Philadelphia from Maryland in 1978 to see the Argentina Netherlands final.  I also had the honor to meet both Cruyff and Neeskens, and Beckenbauer when they played for the Diplomats and Cosmos, respectively.  Your claims are not obvious to me at all.

[Guest JS]

Poor man's Jonas.

 

Christ.

 

He's got no first touch and the turning circle of an 18 wheeler. No amount of tracking back and hard running can make up lack of basic skills that most 16 year olds have mastered.

 

This man speaks the truth ^

[Deuce]

Is he a "poor man's Jonas," JS?

 

I'm still not buying that. I watch every U.S. game and enough Roma games. He isn't exactly a whirling dervish, but I've also seen him dispossessed in one of those turns maybe 3 or 4 times ever. He's deceptively tricky with the ball.

 

And I've gone through about 30 minutes of "Bradley all-touches" highlights for Roma watching his first touch, he's been heavy-footed a few times. But hardly "no first touch."

 

Fact is, he's a very good, versatile box-to-box central midfielder who's proven himself at every club he's played for (except Villa, but Houllier is an idiot for not using him while on loan).

[LucaAltieri]

It's great that he's playing in Italy. It allows for us to see the gulf in quality on the ball between him and your bog standard serie A player.

 

He clearly has a very specific role in the team that's valuable. He does the running so the quality players don't have to. Usually in top sides the players in that role have a bit more about them. Players like Gattuso. But sometimes Italians will deploy more limited players if they need to. I'm thinking along the lines of Muntari at Inter. That's about Bradley's level.

 

He'd have trouble finding a spot in a La Liga side or an equivalent top side in the Premier League side. Maybe at the likes of Stoke where ball control isn't really an issue for midfielders. Elsewhere he's going to be that unused loanee.

[Deuce]

Replace Bradley with Muntari in the U.S. team (or Roma) and they'd flounder. He's a far better player than Sulley Muntari.

 

There are only a few U.S. players I'll defend to a fault. Bradley is one of them.

[LucaAltieri]

Perhaps. They're not identical players so it would depend on the opposition. Bradley is better at picking out a forward pass. Muntari is much stronger and dominant. Arguably better positioning too. It's horses for courses.

[LucaAltieri]

I can also understand you defending him. It's cultural. You guys really like your players with a good with ethic. I'm English, I can relate to that. Bradley would be a much better player if he had the mixed heritage of Mix, for example. There's no doubt that Mix is a much more cultured player.

[Ameritoon]

I just wholeheartedly disagree with you in about every way. I wouldn't defend any other American player like this, I'm only defending him because he's genuinely a quality midfielder that has only gotten better since his move to Italy. He's faced unfair criticism since he's been with the national team, but I didn't think it carried over to after he proved himself. There's absolutely no way Mix is more "cultured" than him, he's promising and clever going forward, but other than dribbling ability and technique he has nothing else on Bradley at the minute. Like I said, you're going to need video evidence to back up these claims, there's a reason Rudi Garcia has spoken incredibly highly of him lately.

[Deuce]

I don't see how the extent to which he's "American" matters in the slightest. Bradley has been playing in Europe since he was 19. He's clearly quite good enough to play at a high-level in the Eredivisie, Bundesliga, and Serie A and no doubt could continue to play at a high-level in the PL for more than the likes of Stoke (he'd walk into our starting XI with ease).

 

It's a tired and entirely incorrect argument that says American players are all hustle with little technical ability, as Dempsey and Bradley have proven consistently at the highest levels and what recent U.S. performances, like the one yesterday against Bosnia, have shown.

[SEMTEX]

I'm not convinced he'd walk into our XI. If we played 5 midfielders (3 CM), then he'd likely be in the XI. With 4-4-2 staring us in the face, I don't think he'd start.

[Deuce]

He's better than Tiote and more consistent (and better defensively) than Sissoko, imo. A 2-man central midfield of Cabaye and Bradley would actually work very well.

 

A 3-man central midfield with Sissoko and Bradley running box-to-box with Cabaye as a deep-lying playmaker would be best.

[SEMTEX]

I think I hate all of the options for a 2 man midfield partnership tbh

 

I'd throw him in my 3, but I don't see what you all seem to see in him. He's solid, but unspectacular from what I've seen. Though admittedly I haven't studied him quite so intently as you fellas.

[Deuce]

I think I hate all of the options for a 2 man midfield partnership tbh

 

I'd throw him in my 3, but I don't see what you all seem to see in thinking he is all that great a midfielder. He's solid, but unspectacular from what I've seen. Though admittedly I haven't studied him quite so intently as you fellas.

 

Like I said, I'm really not all about repping all American players to a fault. Majority of the U.S. team couldn't cut it in the PL, the best we could hope for would be Cameron at Stoke kinda deals. We'll even see if Altidore is up for the challenge. Guys like Zusi, Eddie Johnson, Besler, Evans, despite being regular players for us, aren't nearly that level.

 

But I know Bradley's worth. He's really a class player.

[BillClinton]

He isn't great but he's the best player we've got. I think he'd be a good starter on a mid-table premier league club but not someone I'd want here. Roma is probably too good for him and he shouldn't be there long with Strootman coming in. A few years ago I would have rated Holden higher but Bradley has definitely improved a lot since then.

[Deuce]

Strootman isn't a replacement for Bradley though.

[BillClinton]

He is if DeRossi/Pjanić don't go anywhere. Someone's got to be the odd man out unfortunately. 

[LucaAltieri]

I don't see how the extent to which he's "American" matters in the slightest. Bradley has been playing in Europe since he was 19. He's clearly quite good enough to play at a high-level in the Eredivisie, Bundesliga, and Serie A and no doubt could continue to play at a high-level in the PL for more than the likes of Stoke (he'd walk into our starting XI with ease).

 

It's a tired and entirely incorrect argument that says American players are all hustle with little technical ability, as Dempsey and Bradley have proven consistently at the highest levels and what recent U.S. performances, like the one yesterday against Bosnia, have shown.

 

It matters a great deal where he's from because that's the footballing culture he's been around the majority of his life. He may well have moved to Europe when he was 19, but as a pro that means he's probably got 10-15 years of playing an American game ingrained in him. I see it in my fellow Sounders fans. They fucking love Osvaldo Alonso because he's tough tackling. But he's just such a limited player. A lot of his "tackles" are fouls and he offers very little outside of being a bully. It's the mentality here.

 

I love it here in the US but it's pretty gutting knowing my kid is going to grow up thinking "soccer" is all about direct running for 90 minutes.

 

Also, there's no way Bradley would walk into our Newcastle side. He'd be decent backup for Tiote and probably be behind Bigi in the pecking order for a CM spot.

 

It's interesting you should mention Dempsey. He's rather the exception that proves the rule. He DOES have some technique and skill on the ball and that's made him probably the biggest American player in the world.

[Incognito]

Didn't cut it at Villa did he?

[BillClinton]

Didn't cut it at Villa did he?

 

He didn't, but not sure that he was ever given a real chance.

[Deuce]

He is if DeRossi/Pjanić don't go anywhere. Someone's got to be the odd man out unfortunately. 

 

Well Pjanic is more than likely out the door soon anyway, though he's not in competition with Bradley. Pjanic is an AM who can play wide too, Bradley can't challenge him for those spots.

 

De Rossi is the only player on the roster with the same basic position as Bradley: holding midfielders who can pick out the pass and get forward a bit too. But De Rossi hasn't played at a high-level for Roma for a couple seasons.

 

Depending on what happens with Lamela and how Totti holds up, I imagine we'll be seeing a lot of 4-man midfields, with Strootman running box-to-box, Florenzi given relative free reign, Pjanic locking down the right side and cutting in to goal, and Bradley holding.

[Deuce]

Didn't cut it at Villa did he?

 

He was never given a chance.

[Ameritoon]

Played like two cup games in his short spell.

 

P.S. Far, far better than Tiote. And a much better passer, just look at his passing from yesterday.

[Ameritoon]

He isn't great but he's the best player we've got. I think he'd be a good starter on a mid-table premier league club but not someone I'd want here. Roma is probably too good for him and he shouldn't be there long with Strootman coming in. A few years ago I would have rated Holden higher but Bradley has definitely improved a lot since then.

 

You really think that? I think the current Roma team (challenging for Europa League) is pretty much the perfect level for him.