Brian McBride

[LouisianaViking07/09]

According to wikipedia, he had 40 goals in 153 appearances for Fulham. He was their captain for his last season and kept them up over the last few years. How's his image at the club and overall in the PL? Do you wonder what kinda striker could he have been if he came to the PL several years before in his career? Should he have stayed at Fulham for another season or 2? What season did he score the most goals?

[Harry Boulton]

Decent striker, good in the air. Not the quickest along the ground but lead the line admirably. Seemed to always be scoring but 40 in 150 is just shy of 1 every 3 games, which for a club like Fulham aint too bad. Shame they haven't got him now. Johnson and Zamora are abysmal infront of goal these days.

[thetoffees]

I Always rated him,

He went to Everton on-loan a few years before Fulham and grabbed a few vital goals, he also seemed to have a good attitude and work ethic. He was popular with the Everton fans and they wouldn't have minded keeping him but Moyes felt the price was too high for a player in his 30s.

I wasn't surpised when someone else snapped him up and as you say you do wonder what he could have done if he moved to the Premier League earlier in his career.

[nurspec]

Very underrated player imo ,and one of the main reasons why players from the USA are gaining a bit more respect there,even though he wasn't treated with the same amount of respect. I remember one season for Everton in particular when he singlehandedly saved that club from relegation,what was his reward ? They never offered him another contract,shame on them,but Fulham gained from that and he had another very good season scoring important goals in their very own survival. There aren't many player that i rate in the USA national team outside of the incredible talent in the gaol keeping department ,but McBride broke the mold.
BY the way Friedle has been in the top 3 of keepers in the premiership in the last 4 years without question ,not that you will hear that coming out of that league from anyone.

[Alan_V]

...I remember one season for Everton in particular when he singlehandedly saved that club from relegation,what was his reward ? They never offered him another contract....

Not quite true. He was at Everton on loan. At the end of the season, they tried to buy him, but MLS quoted a higher price than they could afford at the time. Moyes still rates him very highly.

[nurspec]

Not quite true. He was at Everton on loan. At the end of the season, they tried to buy him, but MLS quoted a higher price than they could afford at the time. Moyes still rates him very highly.

Please tell me how high can the MLS of all leagues possibly value McBride ,where Everton is put off?
He saved that team from relegation ,ffs, and you don't become a hero in England as an American for nothing Friedle and Howard are still not looked upon with siuch admiration as McBride got till this day. He deserved that contract and Mayes as much as i think he's one of the best young managers in the game ,should have bent over backwards to sign him evento a very fat 1 year contract.

[billyireland]

How do you spend money that is not there?

[sendorange]

to say he saved them from relegation like some kind of one man crusader is more than a little strong.

[thetoffees]

He didn't save Everton from relegation at all! We finished seventh that season!

He came in when we were short of strikers in January and bagged a few goals, including two against Sunderland which won us the game.

He tailed off a bit towards the end of the season and the price quoted was just too much for a player of his age. With funds limited at Everton Moyes was looking to bring younger players in and McBride, although talented, was the wrong side of 30.

[Yossri]

Decent striker, good in the air. Not the quickest along the ground but lead the line admirably

http://www.mal3abna.com/my_avatar.aspx#.jpg

[Alan_V]

Please tell me how high can the MLS of all leagues possibly value McBride ,where Everton is put off?
He saved that team from relegation ,ffs, and you don't become a hero in England as an American for nothing Friedle and Howard are still not looked upon with siuch admiration as McBride got till this day. He deserved that contract and Mayes as much as i think he's one of the best young managers in the game ,should have bent over backwards to sign him evento a very fat 1 year contract.

Eveton seem to be a conservative club when buying players. Meaning, they don't buy players that they can't write a check for. They won't go in to debt to buy a player, even if Kaka or Ronaldo wanted to play for them.

Anyone remember the price MLS was asking for McBride?

[LouisianaViking07/09]

He didn't save Everton from relegation at all! We finished seventh that season!

He came in when we were short of strikers in January and bagged a few goals, including two against Sunderland which won us the game.

He tailed off a bit towards the end of the season and the price quoted was just too much for a player of his age. With funds limited at Everton Moyes was looking to bring younger players in and McBride, although talented, was the wrong side of 30.

I wonder how things might have turned out if Everton did snag McBride. Would he have been a more brillant striker or super-sub?

[thetoffees]

He would have probably done ok, his goalscoring record at Fulham was reasonable enough so he will have bagged his fair share of goals, especially if you consider our other striking options at the time -Kevin Campbell, Duncan Ferguson, Tomasz Radzinski and Wayne Rooney, none were prolific goalscorers.

[Harry Boulton]

Please tell me how high can the MLS of all leagues possibly value McBride ,where Everton is put off?
He saved that team from relegation ,ffs, and you don't become a hero in England as an American for nothing Friedle and Howard are still not looked upon with siuch admiration as McBride got till this day. He deserved that contract and Mayes as much as i think he's one of the best young managers in the game ,should have bent over backwards to sign him evento a very fat 1 year contract.


Not structly true.

Howard looked good in spells at United but his game consistancy was not up to scratch so he was sold. However, at Everton he's gaining a reputation as a consistant and capable goalkeeper and the more he plays, the better he'll get. Playing time for keepers is vital. He'll follow in the footsteps of Friedel who has, over the last 8 years or so, having also failed at a big club, established himself as one of the most unbeatable keepers in the league. Some times he has what people here refer to as "one of those games" when everything, and I do mean everything, seems drawn to him. Every shot, every cross, every through-ball, every header. He's truly unbeatable at times.

He has a habbit of having "those games" against Liverpool incidentally which I find highly amusing. Even if Liverpool do end up winning, it's usually after their 20th attempt opn goal, having been thoroughly thwarted for their previous 19................ :D

[jcsd]

Very underrated player imo ,and one of the main reasons why players from the USA are gaining a bit more respect there,even though he wasn't treated with the same amount of respect. I remember one season for Everton in particular when he singlehandedly saved that club from relegation,what was his reward ? They never offered him another contract,shame on them,but Fulham gained from that and he had another very good season scoring important goals in their very own survival. There aren't many player that i rate in the USA national team outside of the incredible talent in the gaol keeping department ,but McBride broke the mold.
BY the way Friedle has been in the top 3 of keepers in the premiership in the last 4 years without question ,not that you will hear that coming out of that league from anyone.

The guy only plkayed 8 games for Everton!!!! In them he managed a very creditable 4 goals, but his impact on Everton's postion in the league was zero.

Overall he was a decent player, particularly good in the air and an otherwisde decent finsiher. No other great talents, but worked hard and had a good attitude all of which made him a bit of a cult hero among Fulham fans.

[ironduke2010]

The guy only plkayed 8 games for Everton!!!! In them he managed a very creditable 4 goals, but his impact on Everton's postion in the league was zero.

Overall he was a decent player, particularly good in the air and an otherwisde decent finsiher. No other great talents, but worked hard and had a good attitude all of which made him a bit of a cult hero among Fulham fans.

from what i hear, mcbrides attitude, work rate, and off field and locker room leadership are what puts him over the top in many a managers, players, and fans minds. you know, one of those guys you love to have around because he gets everyone to keep it together and kick it up a notch or 2, but who can also play well himself.

[lost]

mcbride was a very good addition to the premiership. he wasnt technicaly brilliant, but he had enough brains to be in the right position at the right times, and to lay the ball off to sensible positions. he wasnt fantastic at holding the ball up, more of a target man in the box than a lone frontman waiting for support to turn up during a countrer attack. he was very, very brave, he could take a beating without flinching or losing his temper, as we saw for the usa v italy, and clearly he was physically tough enough to hand most peoples asses to them in a fight, which shows what a controlled pro he was. he had a good scoring record in a side that has an abysmal scoring record in general, and are perenial bottom half material.

along with freidel one of the usas all time best footballers ( not that they are in much good company there, sorry to say)