Brek should fit in well then, theoretically, and his strengths are size, pace down the line and getting the ball into the box. Some disagree on how good of a crosser Brek is, but time will tell. When healthy I think it's one of his strengths and I've seen just about every game he's played at FCD and for the NT. He wasn't a great crosser of the ball last year by any means, but that was also the foot with the loose bone fragments. If he returns to pre injury form, and he's young so I don't see why he wouldn't, then you guys got a very good deal for only 3.5M, and that doesn't factor him actually building on the potential/talent he showed in 2011.
Yeah, Ethers was brilliant for a few years, genuinely deserved an England chance, but he just hasnt looked confident since the injury. Kightly is just bang average, for me. Its exciting times, we normally never sign players from abroad/without any PL experience.
He's certainly not lacking in the talent department. In the few times I've seen him play, I've been impressed with his close control for a guy his size and willingness to take players on. He was the main guy behind the goal against Mexico in the Azteca. There have been questions about his attitude I believe, but I'm not sure.
He's of Norwegian extraction. Full name is Dane Brekken Shea. And yes, he's gone thru some crazy hairstyles. He tried Bo Derek cornrows. He went thru a Secretariat phase. He used to die it strange colors in streaks. He's also quite an artist, and has raised quite a lot of money for charity by selling his work. It's all abstract paint splotches to me. http://www.leftfootstudio.com/LFS.html As an FC Dallas fan, I can tell you that this kid has a ton of potential. For a guy his size he's got some great speed, and he's really good in the air. He's got things to work on. He doesn't beat guys 1 v 1 very often (unless it's in the air.) He's not great at combination play. But the things he does well...............could make him a very good player for you. If Brek Shea was French you'd have to pay a hell of a lot more money for him. Just like Geoff Cameron, you guys are getting a deal.
Heres why I'm not crazy about the move.. Because I'm looking at it from the perspective of a Nat Team Fan and not a Stoke Fan. I think at Stoke, Brek will learn more from his competition than the club itself with training and what-have-ya. Theres a reason, whether you choose to accept it or not, why Stoke have a wide spreading reputation for being long ballers. And not so much on the pretty side. As for Brek being still only 22, and like most have noted, he's still a huge potential.... Majority with two cents would want him to go somewhere more well-rounded, more tactical. The pretty stuff. Thats what he needs. He can get all the hoofing and physicality he needs here in the MLS. With that said I hope I'm proven wrong, and wish the best.
The reason is the media perceive something, then everyone else parrots it without thinking. Not to say we dont make use of the long ball. Thats not a dirty word. Not everyone has to play like Barcelona. Theres as much beauty in one brilliant long ball as watching Spain knock it around in the middle for 90 minutes. If this lad is a winger, he'll be expected to get on the end of Kenwyne/Crouch's flick ons or control a long ball and whip in a cross. We play a lot of balls into the box, but that comes from the wings, not long balls. Shawcross does love a hoof though. We've had quite a few expensive flops (Palacios, Kitson) but if a player is willing to work hard and learn, Pulis can usually improve them. Look at the examples of Begovic and Shawcross, we got them cheap, and they will move for big money one day In fact, having read your post again, its spectacularly ill informed. You seem to be labouring under the misapprehension that long ball stuff is easy, no tactics involved. Ridiculous
As a person that is extremely negative on Brek, i hope this works for him. I like Stoke (and the route 1 stuff is just lazy journalism to be honest). They play not so much different from any other team with that sort of bottom of the table talent, to be honest. If he gets playing time, it can only help his confidence and his professionalism. i found him to be clumsy and slow (decision making-wise). This can only be a positive in my opinion, just hope he gets some playing time to start to develop at a higher level. Good luck to him, congrats if it actually pans out. I'll be watching him and G-Cam on horrible firstrowsports streams with coffee in hand.
Whenever I saw Brek play center/full back, I thought he was taking too many chances with the ball trying to dribble past players in his own third of the field and not always succeeding. Maybe he was young and cocky at the time but it certainly was nerve-racking.
Well, in fairness, the long ball is a point-to-point attack with its own intricacies while Barcelona is all intricacies. That said, within a year or so, I posted the clips from the classic Leeds-Stuttgart 1992 Champions Cup game (Leeds with Cantona, Chapman, Speed, McAllister, et al) that a long ball-cross based attack and that was a thing of beauty. Stoke is far simpler than that but it obviously doesn't have the world class players of the 1992 Leeds and Tony needs to be more effective than pretty. As to Shea, a side line hugging winger is his best position and $3.5M (~£2.2M) for the guy is a pretty good price. A year ago, some folks here were screaming $10M or bust. And this is why
UhhhhWhat? I think my post was pretty fair. General, but fair. Maybe it's your comprehension that's off. I'm sure you read the answers to your request for an analysis on Brek. And again, most would say he needs work with: Combination play, and 1v1 skills. Now if you think that Stoke is the best place to go for that then you my friend are wrong. But for your prides sake maybe you should go back and try reading my post one more time.. NO where did I say that it takes no tatics to play the long ball or that it was easy. C'mon now
For Stoke, I don't see that much downside. I don't Brek will be an absolute bust/flop if the worst case scenario happens, he has athleticism and positional versatility to fall back on if his raw skills never turn into production and can certainly be a serviceable player even without being at his best. The upside for Stoke is humungous. Brek is big, skilled, fast, athletic, and has positional versatility. I won't say I am expecting it, but Stoke could be selling Brek for 10+ mil in a few years, he has that talent.
You seem to have a very narrow view of football coaching and tactics. I assume combination play is linking play, one twos and that? Basic football coaching, you will get that at any team in the world, regardless of their style of play. As for beating a man, thats the job of every winger in every system ever. A proper, chalk on the boots winger will be told to beat his man and whip in a cross. Thats Etherington's role for us, and the role Shea will likely take. As for the tactical side, what do you mean by this quote then: "Majority with two cents would want him to go somewhere more well-rounded, more tactical. The pretty stuff. Thats what he needs. He can get all the hoofing and physicality he needs here in the MLS." Thats shows a) a lack of appreciation for the work that goes into tactical systems which arent Barcelona and b) a lack of knowledge of Stoke's style of play. Hoofing and physicality, you've been listening to Wenger We're not a beautiful side by any means, but we've never been as bad as we've been painted by some
Stoke Fans who don't know Brek, this article and anothe article linked within is pretty much the definitive evaluation of Brek. http://theshinguardian.com/2013/01/18/talking-brek-shea-with-the-stoke-city-potters/
Just about to post this. It's why even if healthy, FCD is a shitty place for him. The tactics we terrible, and while the injury was part of Brek's reason for poor play last year, the constant shuffling of positions( he lined up as a lone striker a number of times) did not help him at all. Basically had a coach who had no clue how to build around one of his top two players nor surround him with complementary talent. http://theshinguardian.com/2012/07/17/get-him-the-damn-ball-the-brek-shea-story/ Looking at Shea’s 2012 season it becomes pretty clear what the problems have been: too much time missed (due to injury, suspension, and U-23 duty) and not enough consistency in his role. The first game of the season saw Shea play on the right wing. After the U-23 flameout, he returned to play the first half against DC United on the right only to switch at halftime to the left. Shea’s best stretch of the season by far was when he was firmly settled into his preferred left wing position with Blas Perez as an effective target striker. Perez’s absence has forced Hyndman to deploy Shea in a more advanced position. Shea has languished up top, however, and has struggled to get enough touches. In fact, he had fewer touches in his last two games than in any other 90 minute outing in either 2011 or 2012. It turns out that touches are pretty important for Brek Shea. He is a creature of involvement. As the chart shows below, if Shea is tasked with scoring, he needs to see a lot of the ball. It is not all bad news for Shea. He has continued to be a menace to defenses and he could easily have another goal or two on the season. Of players with at least 800 minutes played this season, Shea is a respectable 17th in MLS in shots attempted per minute. The impetus for Shea to rediscover his golden form from 2011 is pretty clear: get some attacking help, keep Shea on the left, and get him the damn ball.