Listen to the old man, he's right. The way Bradley played against England and Spain, and for that matter Canada in last years Gold Cup, he would probably not even be in the first team of any of the top 15 prem sides. He could be a sub for a bottom three, but that isn't the way to improve as a player. 20 year-olds that go to the prem and start for a solid team their are stars. MB doesn't play like a star, so i guess he isn't one. He should stay in Holland and continue learning the game, then come back to the National team for the 2014 world cup.
From a starting standpoint, I would think it would be easier for Bradley to get a starting spot at Boro instead of Everton given Everton's success this year, but I honestly can discern whether going to the EPL is the right move for him right now. Doesn't mean it isn't, but I admit I am not great at evaluating players.
I just see it as a "money move", nothing more, nothing less. If he starts the season in the Eredivisie like he did last year, and performs better in WCQ's, which we know he'll be starting in, he's got the January window. I just don't get the big hurry here.
Uhhh, sure he got that stupid red card, but up until that point the Canada game may have been his best contribution to the national team. He was wonderful that game... and I'm not a fan.
You're all ignoring the obvious conclusion that Bob Bradley has pictures of Gareth S. as a bottom to Simon the alpha Merino ram's top. Clearly this is the only way any team would want Mike Bradley.
Well, based on what I've read here on BS, he's only got a year left on his contract so Heerenveen want to sell him now while they can get something for him...
That first half against Canada was the most dominant performance by an American central mid I'd ever seen. He hasn't come close since.
WTF is with you haters? Do you not understand that an EPL team wants him, right now, for a good sum of money and they just watched all the same games you did? They especially would have seen him just play against England and considered that very closely given all the EPL opponents in that game. Unless any of you really are a pro scout, then i'd suggest the multitude of teams that have expressed interest in Mike in the last few years, his honours at the U-20 level, and his scoring exploits tend to suggest he's a good player. People have been hating Mike since the day he showed up on the US scene. They said he was in Bradenton because of his dad. They said he got drafted in MLS because of his dad. They said he started for NY b/c of his dad, and then the next coach continued starting him. They had no idea why Herenveen bought him and then he scores about 20 goals this year. Now nobody can understand why a 20 year old, entrenched national team starter, with great effort on defense and a scoring touch just might make a good center mid in the EPL. Just keep doubting because he's broken right through every ceiling you supposed US fans place on him. And it's not just Mike. Put some support back behind our players.
You're right, but that still doesn't mean he'll get the playing time he'll need to keep getting better at an EPL team. Certainly Heerenveen won't want to miss an opportunity to make some decent money on him, and giving him a free transfer isn't one of their options. There are certainly folks that have over-reacted on both sides of the fence here about who and what Michael is in terms of his abilities; I still think he has a long way to go to become the player that many think he is, but he's not the waste of time that many think he is either. I do think it speaks volumes that he seems to perform best when he's as far away from his father as possible.
'Twas probably true. Def true. Def true, at least, first year. They bought him for $60K. Some people have socks that cost more. Flag waving and chest beating won't make the team perform any better.
Don't you see how wrong they were at each step? A kid that "didn't deserve to be at Bradenton or MLS" is now about to get a significant money transfer into the EPL.
The narrative that there's some great ill-will towards Michael Bradley--that Horatio Alger of American soccer--fits a small % of the postyers who've commented on him.
Pretty much agree. That last sentence is the key. At Heerenveen Michael Bradley has come to thrive in an offensive midfield role. He seems to be natural at that, while he always seems to be laboring at the defensive mid role his father insists on confining him to. Nothing personal, of course , with that--- it is part of his father's "vision" on how to play the sport, one he inflicts on everyone. A move to Middleborough, or a similar team, might well offer Mike the chance to bloom into a bonafide firstrank player [at least in the same sense McBride did]. It might not happen, of course, but his promise is clear enough to deserve that chance. As for his play with the national team, I do not think he will have similar success until someone other than the current manager leads the team. Which of course puts him in a tough place, no matter what. In short, there is precisely one Bradley who has earned the right to be an important part of the USMNT, and his name ain't Bob.
I'd say the HA story of US soccer is Jay DeMerit. The fact that he played right under Bob Bradley's nose in Chicago isn't a strong vote of confidence for Bradley's ability to recognize talent, either. Bradley seemingly never rated him, but has no choice but to include him in the national team or face looking like an idiot. I once introduced DeMerit to a one time national team assistant, this was less than a year ago, and he didn't even know who he was. Michael never had a problem with being recognized by anyone in the national team program, and that's a pretty big deal when one considers the real number of players in this country that never get seen by anyone even associated with the program. Don't mistake advantage with talent, they're two very distinct issues, Michael has talent, but he also had privilege. DeMerit has talent that was never recognized by anyone except a few people in this country, but was spotted pretty quickly once he went to England. Without the EU, he may have never been seen at all.
Depressing, really. But true. The more variety in who looks at the american player, the better off we will be....IF the USSF learns from its mistakes.
...neither will all the negativity and spite that gets posted on these boards. Constructive criticism is one thing, but what many people post after a loss (hell, even after a win most of the time) is way beyond that.... As I said before, I really hate having to sift through all that garbage to find the worthwhile posts.
I wish I could have sifted right through this dross. What he said was absolutely true. Maybe you could start up your own board of flag-waving, chest-bumping, we love magic ponies nonsense. Do you think it will help?
Do you not understand what sports are? It's not about negativity, it's about cheering on our players and our teams. It's about sharing joy and passion. When one of them succeeds like Mike, we should cheer him on not tear him down. Frankly, most posters are sick of the attitude around here.