http://soccernet.espn.go.com/column...=americansabroad&root=americansabroad&cc=5901 Zak Whitbread, a former US youth international, has fallen off the map a little due to injuries and the fact that Millwall is now in League 1. Now it seems he's healthy and premiership clubs are taking a look (if you believe the English press). For me this kid should get a look for the US, and perhaps the Guate game is the perfect time. We have guys in MLS to look at as well (Marshall, Parkhurst, etc.) Start those two (they may not be available if their teams make MLS Cup), but bring Whitbread into camp to take a look at him. A snippet from the article: Zak Whitbread, then, wasn't paying too much attention to a story in this week's Sun that linked the Houston-born defender with newly promoted West Bromwich Albion of the Premier League. According to Britain's best-selling daily, the Baggies are willing to dish out 1 million pounds ($1.7 million), a modest sum in the current market. "I don't read much into it," Whitbread said before practice Friday. "It's nice being linked with a Premier League club, but I'm just going to keep on playing. I'm not going to get carried away.'' Still, where there's smoke there's fire, so Whitbread could expect a move sometime soon. Currently plying his trade at Millwall, a biggish team in tiny League One, the 24-year-old, according to reports, is also wanted by two other Premier League teams: Everton and Blackburn, where his dad, Barry, is a chief scout. No doubt, a deal would boost his chances of once again representing the U.S.
I said in a gameday thread.. but he's the best defender in League 1 and Millwall is playing solid football right now. They started out rough, but they have won 7 out of their last 8. I personally hope Zak stays the whole season because I think if he stays, the get promoted to the Championship. IF that happens, maybe he stays with Millwall a little bit longer. Millwall also have to worry about losing their manager, Kenny Jackett. He will be sought after as well. I've been to a few Millwall games at the New Den this year and while I can't say that Zak would certainly deserve a ticket to SA, it would be nice to give him a look.. I think he's earned that.
If you're good enough, you're good enough, regardless of where you play your club soccer. If a manager with the personnel, resources and media pressure that Capello has can figure that out, then US fans and Bob Bradley ought to not have a problem doing the same.
A few of us have been preaching this for the past year or so, Bshredder, M Vann, and myself in particular have been paying close attention, Whitbread is one to watch. After he went to league one everyone wrote him off. And get this, daddy is the scout at Blackburn. could it be neoptism?! make no mistake both Whitbread and Simek are garnering attention. Both could very well be playing EPL ball very soon, making the national team picture very.....very interesting. You just dont leave two EPL players sitting bench, especially these days. Exciting times for two players who each originally started in League One and are working their way back up to the EPL.
As a Millwall fan.. I just want Zak to stay the year and not leave in January. Millwall has a good chance to go up this year. I get the impression that Frank Simek is on Bradley's radar and if Frank shows that he is 100% recovered, he'll be called back. But it'll get interesting if Subotic chooses the USA and if Jonnathan Spector stays healthy. It'll be quite a healthy competition in the backline. I am also hoping Parkhust goes abroad and his name gets into the mix.
Exactly. There are frankly too many people on these boards who are so worried about our squad for 2010, and whether Cooper, Adu, and Altidore will be on the team, when they should only be worried about the next game we have, and who are the best players right now. Alot can happen from now till 2010, the news about Zak being very interesting. With all the possible transfers, injuries, and ascendant careers I can imagine a 2010 team that looks very different from the one we have today. Zak was completely off of everyone's radar and all of a sudden he might be playing Premiership ball very soon. I can't wait for the "Cap Zak Now" threads. He's built a steady career and it looks like he deserves a shot in the big time and then with the nats. Our central defense (and right back position as well: Dolo, Simek, Wynne) is starting to develop some solid depth: Marshall, Whitbread, Demerit, Califf, Soumare, Orozco, and maybe Subotic all behind our two first choice guys. Now if we could get some depth at left back. Others to keep an eye on: Lichaj at Aston Villa Bernardo at Napoli McCouglin at Hertha Padilla at Chivas Anyone else like to throw some names out there.
He'd been part of the National Youth Team setup and was once in the Liverpool youth system, so he was hardly invisible. When he makes the jump to at least a 2nd division, I'm sure he'll get a look.
Well, he should stick out the season at least. He's in a good spot, the club has a real promotion chance-- stay there and gut that out. If they fail to do that and he continues to excel, then look into making a jump in the summer, if possibl. I'd be wary of jumping two leagues at once though, seems far better to take slow steps and improve your chances at PT. As for the Nats, there's plenty of time for that. Marshall and Parkhurst should get January looks if they're around; Califf and Orozco will for sure. Let Zak play out the year and see what happens.
Hey, I always appreciate a shout out! Way to boast my ego On a serious note, it's been a bouncy road to some degree with Zak due to injuries and a struggle to return to form but once he leaped over those hurdles, around Christmas of last year, he's shown consistency, leadership, maturity, and progression. All of these qualities you want to see in a defender. Is he a finished product? No. If we were he wouldn't be drawing interest. Instead he'd be content with his starting position, content with his skill level, and content on Millwall's push for promotion. Zak has a little bit of everything; size, decent 1-v-1, above average speed, good in the air, good with ball at his feet, strong in the tackle, disciplined, vocal, and above average in reading the game. He's not the best in one area but has enough of each to be successful hence the interest. While he plays a different game than Simek he's similar in the fact that has a solid foundation, and is technically and tactically sound. Like Simek, Zak can attribute that to being in one of the top youth academies. He's not flashy, just plays simple. I would love to see USSF and Bob keep an eye on him. I think it is all contingent on the division he plays in. If Millwall are in poll position for promotion and/or the playoffs I could see USSF making contact. If he transfers up a division, say in Jan., and through the Spring he displays his current form, I could see a call-up next Spring/Summer. Our international calendar next year is stacked and with the amount of games, players who are on the cusp, like Zak, will get chances.
I'll admit, he was off mine. Well, he was never really on it, but he moved to Milwall before I was as into the pool as I am now (joined the day before last year's Dos-a-Cero).
Why shouldn't he get a look now? If he's better than anything we've got in MLS (and I think he probably is), he's already far enough up the depth chart to warrant a look. It's ridiculous to praise Bob for playing young, MLS players but expect a star in League 1 to play in a better league before he merits a look, especially when that League 1 player is linked to Premiership clubs, was once a top prospect on our youth teams (he was one of the younger players on that previous U23 team) and who nearly broke through at Liverpool when he was in his teens/early 20s. People forget just how close Zak was to making it at Liverpool when he went out on loan to Millwall. Liverpool entered that season short on defenders but Rafa said he had confidence in Zak to step in if necessary and no purchases were made at that time. Zak got a few games at Liverpool and then went out on loan to a Championship side and began playing for Millwall immediately. He impressed Millwall so much -- even during a relegation year -- that they signed him to a long-term deal. As he said in this interview, he decided to stay at Millwall because he wanted to play. He didn't have to leave Liverpool. IIRC, he signed a three-year extension at Liverpool a year before the Millwall loan. He simply didn't want to be a fringe player anymore. So we have an experienced US youth player, a Liverpool academy grad and someone who has played on teams in the top three levels in England who is now attracting attention from several Premiership clubs. He's just 24. Yeah, I'd say he should be swimming a few laps in the USMNT pool. FFS, if an LA Galaxy player can play for England, I think we ought to be open to a still-young central defender playing great soccer for Millwall.
I completely agree Tallavana with your assessment. Liverpool thought very highly of him, but not highly enough to make him untouchable when the offer from Millwall came. Remember, he played in some Champions League Qualifiers back in 05 for the club. I don't think he ever made it into a prem game for them though. He was a member of the US U23 squad that tried to qualify for the Athens Olympics, but lost to out to Mexico. Zak, who you'd say at the time was a starter in central defense for that squad, got hurt and couldn't play in the crucial games. Before that in 03 he played for us at the U20 World Cup. If I remember correctly he played every game for us, and even scored against Germany. He fell off the radar because of injury, not because his talent was ever questioned. From what I've seen of him live, I'd say he's at least as good as guys like DeMerit and Califf. We'll see............
As someone who has actually watched Zak play this year a few times, I agree. He should be given a shot.. I can't say for sure that he's any better than a guy like Parkhurst but he's much better than your typical League 1 player. And for the record, I think Parkhurst should be given a shot as well. To respond to your point above, I actually think BB doesn't play some MLS standouts enough. Bob very much favors Euro (and now Mexican league) based players (especially in the backline) and that's good for Zak. But Parkhurst is probably going to Europe in January at a level higher than League 1....Spector, Simek, and Gibbs are getting healthy and into form, and Subotic and Soumare may still play for the US. That'll be a tough nut to crack for Zak. I don't know when BB should bring him in if he doesn't do it for the Gutemala game next month. The Hex and the Confed Cup will more regulars along with younger players that have been going through the process (Orozco, Torres, Davies, etc). Maybe Zak gets the shot if we have any friendlies next year or if we clinch the Hex early. Either way, by next fall, Zak won't be in League 1anymore but hopefully he'll still be with Millwall.. and an upgrade to even just the Championship will probably get Bob's attention. Zak is very underrated and should be in the mix. I like the kid a lot and he's done great things for Millwall and I hope he gets the team to the Championship next year.
Does anybody other than an American say Whitbread is a League 1 star? Links to articles written by British sources? Awards given? Anything other than rumours of Premier League interest? Seriously, I am interested, as like most, I don't watch League 1 and haven't seen Whitbred play for years.
I strongly disagree. Case in point, Micheal Parkhurst comes right to mind, as well as Marvell Wynne. And let's not forget Bakary Soumare, who will be in our player pool once he gets citizenship. I'm also quite fond of Carlos Mendes and Patrick Ianni, although I only see them helping in Hex games and perhaps the Gold Cup. Furthermore, there are some players who were staples before, have been dropped, and really need to be back in the mix (Jonathan Bornstein comes to mind). In short, Even with Whitbread playing in good form, there are a lot of guys domestically who have earned the crack at the US Kit during the Guatemala game. This is unfortunate, because once the Hex starts, we really can't be experimenting with new players. So we only have the Guatemala game and possibly one friendly to work in new guys, which greatly limits Whitbread's chances. That said, I really would like three things to happen. For one, from what I remember of him watching old U-20 games, Whitbread is a good defender and does deserve to still be on our radar, so I would really think it would be a good idea for Bob Bradley to call him to practice during the winter break. If he is good enough, he could even Merit a cap. Furthermore, he needs to talk to his agent, because of his level of play. I know Millwall is a storied side, but the sad thing is League 1 isn't on par with the MLS. English fans may staunchly disagree but looking at the regular season and the CCC schedule, the MLS fixture list is in fact crowded with quality opposition. If Millwall don't get promoted, and he isn't bought by a side in Cola or Prem, then we need to work out a way of bringing him to the US if he wants to. Of course, I think he will be more active in our player pool if he was on an MLS side. Either way, Whitbread probably makes the Confederations Cup roster, barring injury. It's the only time where BB can genuinely call in new guys. I know people will disagree, saying a player's skills should justify his call-up, not where he plays, but it's a two-edged sword. Zak has talent, but I'd rather have him play in the MLS (With the CCC and other fixtures) than in League One for 2 years until the World Cup. I don't see a lot of US players without European experience or at the very least an MLS cup appearance get to be on our final 23 to South Africa.
You lost me at Carlos Mendes Bob Bradley has seemed to favor Euro players over MLS players, because MLS plays thru international dates. Bob's got his starting due in the middle set at Boca and Gooch. So far in this qualifying cycle those two have played well. No reason to change. Why would any MLS coach, with games to play, want their centerbacks to sit on the bench in some far off land? They wouldn't, and I think Bob is sympathetic to that. So he keeps bringing in guys like DeMerit and Califf. Does that mean those two are better than Parkhurst or Marshall? No.......but they're available to warm a sideline.
See how much easier that is to read? Paragraphs are your friend. In response... 1. Some of those guys don't play the same position as Zak. The others aren't clearly better. In fact, for all but one, I think they are clearly worse. 2. What winter break? 3. He gets paid a lot more with Millwall than he would in MLS and, no, the MLS fixtures list is not even close to being crowded with quality competition. I do think MLS is better than League 1. But not by nearly as much as you appear to believe. 4. Why would Zak make significantly less money at the club level for the sole purpose of playing for peanuts on the US national team? Further, Zak is English. While he would welcome the opportunity to play in a World Cup for the United States, he would never sacrifice his club career in England to do so. 5. The Confederations Cup is NOT the time to call in a bunch of new players. It is a test run of the actual World Cup. We need to play each game as though it is the World Cup. New guys can play in the Gold Cup. 6. Why state this? He's not going to be playing in League 1 for the next two years. If he was, that would mean he is actually a League 1 quality player, and we wouldn't even be having this discussion. The whole point here is that Zak is going to be in a better league within the next year. The reason he is going to be in a better league during the next year is that he plays much better than the league he's in right now. Since he plays much better than the league he's currently in and since he will be in a better league prior to 2010, I see no reason at all not to consider him for the USMNT right now.
This is all a bit unnecessary innit? Someone trying to get the hype train started so they can claim 'I sawr 'im first'. How many third division players get caps with the US? Realistically he'll probably need to move up two levels to get more than a cup of tea at a position in which we have entrenched starters (Onyewu, Boca) and two others (Parkhurst, Marshall) heading overseas to first divisions during the winter.
He just hasn't done anything to merit a callup period... So he maybe be one of Millwall's better defenders, i still haven't read a British report claiming hes one of the best in all League 1. So why exactly should he get a callup? Because rumors came up claiming hes gotten interesting from EPL and Colaship teams...just interest? I'm not saying the guy won't pan out but lets wait and see if the guy actually gets picked up by a better team/league and see how he performs against better competition before clamoring for a callup that he just doesn't deserve yet. Besides I'd hope the bar set for a USMNT callup would be beyond calling up a third division player by now. Oh and MLS>League 1, this shouldn't' even be argued.
Who cares if MLS is better (if it even is)? All I care about is whether or not Zak Whitbread is better than the defenders in MLS who have been called up during the past few years. I believe he is.
Of course the level of play in each league matters. What exactly are you basing your belief that Zak is better then other options in MLS? Is it that hes playing well in an inferior league? How exactly can you compare Zak to other options in MLS or elsewhere if hes playing against poorer competition, you just can't. The guy has to play against better competition before hes even considered, otherwise you'll never be abel to justify whether he deserves callups over other options playing in leagues that are better. Or should we just start calling up players with no merit because we "believe/feel" they'll be better then our other players without any other justification?
Still waiting for some backup for the idea that Whitbred is a League 1 star. You said it so you must have some basis, right?
I remain anti-Whitbread only because I think he's a chancer. He's the Accidental American. It boggles my mind that people question whether somebody like Giuseppe (born/raised in Jersey) is American but happily accept that this guy is American. He was born here to British parents who happened to be working in Texas due to a company transfer and then he left as an infant, only to come back to play for our YNT in a lead-up to a tournament. He has no ties to this country whatsoever. I couldn't care less if we field 11 starters of naturalized citizens, but this guy?? The white guy on Trinidad has more ties to his national team than Whitbread.
http://www.expressandstar.com/2008/10/15/mowbray-targets-perfect-anniversary/ http://www.fansfc.com/millwallfootballclub/news.asp?newsid=191860 Just other people's opinions, but even you have to admit that you don't draw interest from the Permiership as a League 1 player unless you are a star player in League 1.