What MB's career at Roma would have like sans injury is unknowable. But Strootman did suffer a long-term injury after Bradley left. Bradley didn't suffer an obviously catastrophic injury, so the connection to his decline would not have so immediately apparent.
not sure what this is about, but my sense is that you are one of the haterz. In which case, I would LOVE for you to get your wish, and watch us finish 6th out of 6 in the next Hex. Lol, it's really pathetic. You have a domineering presence in the middle of the park, at the most important position on the field, who played capably in Italy in until 2013...yet you want to drop him for a couple unproven teenagers. You're also probably one of these foolz who wants to move on from Howard. Lol. Were you not watching against Belgium in 2014? Or when he was playing for just this little club called Manchester United? Yeah, let's drop him, LOL!
PSV http://www.soccernews.com/psv-confirm-interest-romas-bradley/135762/ Genoa https://www.calcionews24.com/calciomercato-genoa-tutti-gli-affari-spunta-bradley-360503/ Leverkusen http://www.gazzetta.it/Calciomercat...-inter-milan-201964049930.shtml?refresh_ce-cp Cardiff & Fulham http://www.insidefutbol.com/2013/12...s-for-roma-midfielder-michael-bradley/115972/ Roma rejected a 7M bid for Bradley the summer before from Cardiff.. http://www.insidefutbol.com/2013/10...y-summer-approach-for-michael-bradley/106255/ Roma rejected a 6M bid for him from Sunderland that same summer. http://worldsoccertalk.com/2013/08/...-roma-midfielder-michael-bradley-says-report/ Wolfsburg & Werder Bremen. http://www.fussballtransfers.com/bu...-transfer-drei-bundesligisten-im-rennen_42065 I think Chievo wanted him back too but the links are broken.
Thanks for hunting all of that down! The article from SI that I found was pretty clear that the only actual offers were from Fulham and Toronto. Also, I noticed that some of your links are from the summer before the injury. And then nearly all of the others are after his agent announced the Toronto FC move. This makes it likely that those other teams never made offers. For all we know, it was "hey is Bradley available for free? No? Ok." *click* At any rate, it does indeed look like the injury really changed his level and he went to Toronto for the $$ (MLS really overpaid, too).
Not sure they overpaid. He's been a marketing boom and one of TFC's best players. Toronto never made the playoffs before he signed and now they ran away with the Supporters Shield and look like a possible MLS cup threat. And of course he wasn't going to come to MLS for the same money as available in Europe.
They also did not make the playoffs his first year and barely made it his 2nd year despite the addition of Gio and Altidore. Gio, Altidore, and Vasquez are TFC's best players.
Nerve issues in a foot could also impact your ability to have an erection. The question is what is the evidence that his injury 4 years is the cause of his decline. There isn't any, players have severe sprains all the time.
You're just being inane at this point. Most players with ankle sprains don't need surgery for nerve issues.
Yeah he doesn't walk on water I get that, but this was a laughing stock of franchise that's now the best team in MLS. And Bradley is a major cog in that. So I don't see that MLS and TFC overpaid for him.
I was speaking to his on-field impact at TFC. I don't care what MLS paid to acquire him or how much TFC pays him. Bradley is entitled to every cent he can squeeze from his club.
Couldn't agree more. This is a guy that is dominating MLS, probably the most important player on the best team in the league. He's basically Kevin Durant, or Michael Jordan in the 90s, or Tom Brady. This is a guy that was a major cog in nearly leading the US to World Cup 18. And while he was a cog in nearly getting us there, the blame for failing is more on Bruce and his midfield partners (not to mention the defense for letting in goals and the attack for not scoring enough). I wouldn't be surprised if his value is more now than it was when Europe's elite wanted him. This guy creates valuable linking play between the defense and attack. The fact he is hardly noticeable is similar to a lineman in football. You don't WANT to notice them, because when you notice them it's because they aren't performing well. This guy was a top end player in Italy through 2013. He played for the Red Bulls in the 2000s. Totti said he was a good player. And now commanding the best midfield in the league, captaining Toronto to MLS Cup. Absolutely ZERO reason why he shouldn't continue as US Captain and lineup fixture. Hopefully the new coach will know how to build around him.
You quoted my comment which was a direct response to a quote about MLS overpaying for him. Anyway....
I don't see how the cause of his decline is relevant at this point, when the truly disturbing, puzzling and ultimately fatal problem for Bradley and the USMNT was the insistence that there was no decline at all and the agreed upon auto starter status between him, multiple coaches and coaching staff, the marketing of the team, (which through the SUM+USSF+MLS connection means the tail is wagging the dog) and the US soccer press, which for years has simply marched in lock step with these other entities parroting the company line that the core of our team is Howard, Bradley and Jozy who are always awesome, full stop, regardless of anything else. In that sense I genuinely believe Bradley is as much a victim as villain in the sad narrative of the USMNT 2018 WC qualifying campaign. Even if one were to concede every point to his ardent supporters and assume he was and is our best central midfielder, he would have been better and the team would have been better and I sincerely believe we would have qualified if there was genuine competition for his spot and the glaring midfield issues that persisted were actually addressed. There was ample opportunity and pieces available to address these problems, it was the insistence that this weakness was a strength that ultimately undid Bradley and the team imo.
There's no doubt his quality of play has been declining for a number of years. Yet his responsibilities were increasing.
Ding, ding, ding, the winner of BS's Haterade Award! The point is, he hasn't declined. Everyone around him declined, including all the groups you mentioned. But MB90 was THE victim of a terrible group of coaches/players surrounding him. He played for Roma, for 1.5 years... Look, I don't want to blame everyone, or be a jerk. But let's call a spade a spade. MB90 absolutely needs to continue on as the spine of this team, for at least a few more years. Full stop. Don't know how anyone can argue that, after he nearly carried us to WC18 qualification. A true Lion indeed.
From my memory he had clear interest as soon as others heard Roma were talking to TFC but the TFC thing happened so damn fast no one else really had a chance. Greg Seltzer had connections at the time. It went from no way is Bradley leaving to TFC just offered a fee, to Bradley goes in the office and says I want to leave, transfer signed and it all went down in like 72 hours. There was a lot of talk at the time that if he wanted to move, why did he decide so quickly and so early in the transfer window. Doesn't matter now though.
You had me until this point. There were competition for Bradley's spot. Klinsmann tried to add Beckerman, Edu, Williams, Morales, and even Mix and Bedoya to the mix. In Klinsmann's first 7 matches he did not call or play Jones and tried Edu and Beckerman as the CM pair. BS and the media circle-jerk freaked out.
EXACTLY, thank you Hoya Fan. You proclaim there was zero competition, but there WAS competition...in 2010. What, did you expect that to continue for 7 years? Lol, no. MB90 vanquished his competition then, what's the point in trying more players, simply to see the same result? You had me until that quote too. That's why you are the BS MB90 Haterade Award winner!