Michael Bradley

[teppic]

McBride was too one footed he always had to switch to his favoured foot .

mcbride was ace when he played for us. he was better than big dunc as a target man and we screwed up big time not turning the loan in to a deal. i mean... he showed us enough when he was here to buy him.

we could have got 5 years of top service for a couple of million.

remember sunderland in 2003? mcbride was superb and got a great goal. overshadowed by the rat's last minute strike.

oh... kilbane got a good goal for sunderland that day. i think that was when moyes was convinced to put a bid in for him.

 

[TX Bill]

I have learned that the ability of this forum to evaluate talent is [Poor language removed]. If DM thinks Bradley can be Carsley 2.0 then that is all I need to know. I watched him a bunch last summer in the U-20's and the national team and what struck me about Bradley was how effortless most of his work was. He dispossessed people as if he was just passing by and then made a nice, easy pass, to move the ball along again.

So go on with your stories of how he this or that (last year it was the same thing about Pienaar), I support DM and would love to see Bradley in Blue where I think he could become a first team regular.

Yeah YEAH !!!!

What he said...

 

[teppic]

that american U-20 side was mint. a couple of black players were the bomb up front and bradley was bossing everything.

we need timmy howard to have a word in moyes' ear. surely we can set up some sort of partnership with a US side? it's our second home now pre season.

 

[TX Bill]

that american U-20 side was mint. a couple of black players were the bomb up front and bradley was bossing everything.

we need timmy howard to have a word in moyes' ear. surely we can set up some sort of partnership with a US side? it's our second home now pre season.

That was Altidore and Adu.

They both played well in that tournament.

 

[FCConnecticut]

That team did show some real range, matching Brazil in the beautiful game and surviving a CONCACAF style rugby match with Uruguay.

 

[Tennessee Blue Mike]

Always a rugger match against Uruguay. I agree FC I have seen Bradley look good in other games but sadly looked out of sorts against England at Wembley. What I have seen of him a do like so as TX Bill says IMWT and nothing less.

 

[chicoazul]

Gentlemen, the sad truth is that the vast majority of the US players just wouldnt cut the mustard at Everton. *smokes cigar*
I watch a fair bit of MLS and the national team. Bradley has played a lot better though but would need to improve a fair bit to make the first team on a regular basis.

That Altidore is a brute though, a sort of Yakubu-lite.

 

[Rook]

Gentlemen, the sad truth is that the vast majority of the US players just wouldnt cut the mustard at Everton. *smokes cigar*
I watch a fair bit of MLS and the national team. Bradley has played a lot better though but would need to improve a fair bit to make the first team on a regular basis.

That Altidore is a brute though, a sort of Yakubu-lite.

Bradley can play in the starting 11 but he needs a few months in the prem to get used to the pace.

There are a few Americans who could play on the squad (mostly as subs):

McBride - sub striker
Beasley - left wing sub (would work well w/ Johnson)
Dempsey - right wing or striker when everybody is injured - could start but gets tired over the course of the season.
Altidore - sub striker (not sure if as good as Vaughn or Anichebe yet though). Hes the only MLS player that could play for us right now. However he's currently struggling this season.

 

[Sharpys top lip]

Bradley can play in the starting 11 but he needs a few months in the prem to get used to the pace.

There are a few Americans who could play on the squad (mostly as subs):

McBride - sub striker
Beasley - left wing sub (would work well w/ Johnson)
Dempsey - right wing or striker when everybody is injured - could start but gets tired over the course of the season.
Altidore - sub striker (not sure if as good as Vaughn or Anichebe yet though). Hes the only MLS player that could play for us right now. However he's currently struggling this season.

Sorry rook, think chico is right. Dont think any would comand a place in the everton team.

 

[Rook]

Sorry rook, think chico is right. Dont think any would comand a place in the everton team.

Trust me, all of those guys could play on the squad. If McBride and Dempsey could score for Fulham they could do it for us too. McBride (if he stayed in the prem) is smart enough that could have played til he was 40. No he couldn't start but he could definitely come in and bang a few goals in late like Duncan did.

Given that we currently have no natural RW of course Dempsey could play the position. No he wouldn't be an everyday player but he'd give us depth in the midfield.

Beasley was great on Rangers (when he wasn't injured). I also thought he played well on Man City the year before. He was the only player with pace on that side. Beasley also played well when PSV made their semifinal run in the C-League. Beasley throws in great low level crosses, the kind that AJ pounces on. Is Pinnear better? Yes, but Pinnear struggled at the end of the season and we had no one to take his place to give him a breather.

Altidore - maybe not....yet; he'd probably have to get loaned to relegation fodder or a good Championship side.

Even though Bradley had one bad game against England, there was no way he could have done well. The England squad knew he was the only goal scoring threat in open play and put alot of pressure on him and ignored the strikers. No he wouldn't come into our squad and immediately be the next Cahill, but if you give him 6months to a year he'll bring the goods. Why people are dismissing him after a season in which he score 20 league goals AS A MIDFIELDER i have no idea. If the guy was English he'd be rated as a 15M dollar player and we have the chance to get him for 4M. If he was [Poor language removed] then why would 2 of the best talent evaluators in the Prem, Moyes and Hughes, be interested in him??

 

[chicoazul]

Its all hearsay Rook, I refer you to the likes of Kezman and Kuyt that volleyed goals in for fun in the Dutch League. I happen to think he's a decent player from what Ive seen but the others you mention, no chance pal - they wouldnt make it onto the bench with a fully fit team.

 

[Sharpys top lip]

Trust me, all of those guys could play on the squad. If McBride and Dempsey could score for Fulham they could do it for us too. McBride (if he stayed in the prem) is smart enough that could have played til he was 40. No he couldn't start but he could definitely come in and bang a few goals in late like Duncan did.

Given that we currently have no natural RW of course Dempsey could play the position. No he wouldn't be an everyday player but he'd give us depth in the midfield.

Beasley was great on Rangers (when he wasn't injured). I also thought he played well on Man City the year before. He was the only player with pace on that side. Beasley also played well when PSV made their semifinal run in the C-League. Beasley throws in great low level crosses, the kind that AJ pounces on.

Altidore - maybe not....yet; he'd probably have to get loaned to relegation fodder or a good Championship side.

Even though Bradley had one bad game against England, there was no way he could have done well. The England squad knew he was the only goal scoring threat in open play and put alot of pressure on him and ignored the strikers. No he wouldn't come into our squad and immediately be the next Cahill, but if you give him 6months to a year he'll bring the goods. Why people are dismissing him after a season in which he score 20 league goals AS A MIDFIELDER i have no idea. If the guy was English he'd be rated as a 15M dollar player and we have the chance to get him for 4M. If he was [Poor language removed] then why would 2 of the best talent evaluators in the Prem, Moyes and Hughes, be interested in him??

Sorry rook, but once again, The usa players are just not good enough for everton. I can see your being patriotic an all that. But theirs a reason why fulhamwere down at the bottom all season. Players like dempsey, Mcbride an that other forward who is so bad it's embarresing.

Look theirs no way id have beasley or dempsey at our team. Their low prem/ championship players at best.

Not trying to upset you, but its the truth.

 

[Rook]

Like I said would most of them be everyday starters, No. And would I spend our whole transfer budget on them, no way. But any one of them could be decent squad players and subs. Last I checked we lost 4th due to lack of quality depth in the squad after injuries. You can't tell me you'd rather have Jags playing striker than McBride or Dempsey.

Bradley could start though. He's only 20 of course he'll have a bad game or 2. But if you want to dismiss players for having a poor game for their national side then I guess Bentley is [Poor language removed] and Lescott should be sold. Against good (yes I mean England) international sides Bradley is never going to look good in open play because the manager (his dad) plays a defensive style and tries to score on set plays and against England we had 2 crap strikers and Donovan wasn't available for free kicks. That style of play isn't going to change either until Altidore and/or hopefully Adu hopefully develops into quality goal scorers.

Last I checked too not all players who lit up the Dutch league were crap and Kezman and Kuyt are strikers so its not a good comparison. And if we are going to stay away from good players in crap leagues then I don't why we bothered to pick up guys like Cahill. The only midfielders in any league I can think of who scored 20 league goals is Ronaldo (lampard and Gerrard scored 20 plus in all matches). We are nuts if we don't buy him for say 4M. Plus like I said if he couldn't cut it then why are Moyes and Hughes interested in him.

 

[chicoazul]

Thats sounds like a load of excuses for American players being a bit gash in fairness mate. No offence like.

By the same token, would you rather have Dempsey or McBride instead of Vaughan or Johnson?

And Bradley being a bit pish against Premiership players whilst playing defensive midfield is no good as thats the position we need him to fill and not the attacking midfield one where Cahill and dare I say Osman do a better job. He might come good though.

 

[Rook]

Thats sounds like a load of excuses for American players being a bit gash in fairness mate. No offence like.

By the same token, would you rather have Dempsey or McBride instead of Vaughan or Johnson?

And Bradley being a bit pish against Premiership players whilst playing defensive midfield is no good as thats the position we need him to fill and not the attacking midfield one where Cahill and dare I say Osman do a better job. He might come good though.

I'd take Vaughn and AJ any day over McBride and Dempsey but it would have been nice to have a McBride or Dempsey when everybody but Anichebe was hurt. It would have also been nice to have Dempsey at RW when 1/2 our midfield was hurt.

I'll admit Bradley has to improve on some aspects of his game. The matches I've seen him in (U-20 World cup and national side) he threw in some boneheaded rash tackles (ironically his tackling was the only thing I though he did well against England) and has to work on his first touch. I can't tell you he's going to light up the Prem but 4M seems like a pretty good bargain and a good chance to take. If there was a 20 year old Championship midfielder who scored 20 league goals prem teams would be falling over themselves to sign the guy. The dutch league may suck but its way better than the Championship.

He also would provide a physical presence that our vertically challanged side sorely lacks. I also get that feeling we'll need a goal scoring mid because (and I hope I'm wrong) with his history the odds may only be 50-50 that Cahill plays 1/2 the season. Plus if we sign him for 4M we still have (hopefully) 16M to play with and we are going to need another midfielder anyway so we can pick up that holding midfielder and/or a playmaker. Also who knows now that Jags is settled in maybe Moyes can play him at the holding midfielder position in the preseason to see how he does.

Like I said time and again. Moyes also a track record of signing good players who played well in the lower leagues so if he's interested there must be something good about him. Ironically his signings from "good" leagues VDM, Krodulp have been his worst.

For the record Bradley isn't my dream signing. Of all the players out there that we could afford (i.e. less than 10M and 50K/week) probably Valencia from Wigan would be my 1st choise (I think he may be better than Bentley). Just think Bradley is a hell of a bargain if we could get him for that price. If you think about it Alves on Boro (who did pretty well) was on Bradley's squad and didn't score much more goals than Bradley and Boro paid 12M for him.