Nerding Out: Bradley Joins the AV Club.

holy cow! i didn't even know you could do that. funny. Not that i'm trying to ignore anyone. but funny. i never even noticed that on the control panel. lol.

 

just wanted to agree. I think this is a fact that is lost on many American fans. Obviously some come in with advantages of nationality of just a big rep. But it is very common for players to not always get starts. Every club's benches and reserves are full of those sorts of guys. I'm sure Bojan wishes he could play more. Or David Ngog. He was leading Liverpool in scoring and what did they do? Go buy two strikers and still barely play him. It's just a rough business. Every time I hear Adam Johnson name I hear someone complain about why he doesn't start. And remember when Newcastle wouldn't play Rossi? Bet they wish they had him now. Bradley's just caught up in it in the business. That's just how it is. There's no guarantees. When he get's his shot he just needs to not just not have a bad game but he needs to be outstanding. Cause that's how you stand out.

 

"With four games to go it is something that Gerard and I will be speaking about because there are two or three guys in the same boat as Michael."

Bradley's chances will also depend on how many of those two or three guys play CM.

Anybody know who his competition at CM is other than the guys currently playing and on the bench? Didn't one of them get loaned out?

 

For me the money part of the quotes were: “If we had got ourselves into a better position earlier in the season, then certain people would have got more game time."

And: “It’s true that it has been hard to play him in the situation we have been in at a time when we have had senior experienced players available.

Sometimes it can be hard to come into a situation where a team is in a relegation scrum. Especially a team like Villa, who qualified for Europe last year and have a lot of experienced Prem players with whom the manager is familiar. This wasn't a promoted club where his BL experience would be worth more than many players' fizzy pop league runs.

Quite the opposite, he was coming to a new league and a new team. Unfamiliar with his teammates and the pace and style of play. And he plays a position where this is more critical (CM) than say striker or CB.

 

There is going to be an epic exit of players at Villa this season, and possibly(hopefully) a managerial change too. Petrov, Reo-Coker, Pires, Ireland, Young are probably all gone this offseason. Whether they want Bradley back is still in doubt, but they are going to need so many new players they may have no choice, but to invest in Bradley. Guzan might get his shot the same way. There are going to be so many holes to fill without adding more.

 

Found this on the gameday thread:
Surprising tweets from Jen Chang this morning:

First:

JenChang88 Jen Chang
Michael Bradley not in the starting lineup for Villa again, but Villa apparently interested in signing him on a permanent deal.

and then:

JenChang88 Jen Chang
Gary McCallister: "Michael has done enough on the training ground to suggest there might be something come the end of the season"

This makes me think that Nigel Reo Coker probably wont be returning and we wont be resigning Pires. If we sign Bradley, our midfield core would be Bradley, Makoun, Bannan, Gardner, Delph, and Petrov barring any new signings.

 

so they sign him and he doesnt play...still...makes sense i guess. Ill run with it.

 

He idn't play when herrenveen first signed him either.

 

Well Villa probably have to sign him at least as a cover guy when they have (older) guys like Pires and Petrov.

A pre-season with the team and Bradley and probably easily passes them on the depth chart.

That said this Villa team is going to be turned upside down this summer.

 

He was back in the gameday squad today. They didn't end up using him, but it would lead you to think that he hasn't been completely discarded.

 

well if they do sign him maybe a full preseason would do him good.

 

Kinda sad that sitting on the bench for 90 minutes can be a moral victory. But when it comes to our YAs, I'll take what I can get.

 

I think this is correct. Mike has an outside chance of making Villa. I suppose it depends on BMG's negotiating positition.

 

Pires will probably be gone (to more beautiful surroundings).

NRC is a question mark.

But they may go with Petrov and Makoun as their deep mids, with the 3rd job open.

However, if the Hammers, Wolves and Wigan go down, there'll be a lot of teams looking to scavenge that talent.

 

true, and west ham's hitzelsperger is a similar player who previously played for villa and has publicly stated his desire to one day return...

 

I'm confident Bradley WILL see the field vs Wigan Saturday.

Maybe a thread title change could provide some good luck?

 

Makoun is still out and I'd be surprised if Pires gets another game after last week's meltdown. Although I think they're more likely to leave Reo-Coker and Petrov in there for 90 than sub in Bradley, Delph or Bannan.

 

If he plays, then the title could change to "THE JOY LUCK CLUB".

 

How one can be confident that Bradley will see time when he hasn't even made the bench till last week is beyond me.

 

Proposed name if he doesn't play:

Bradley: A more wretched hive of scum and Villa-ny.

 

Question: Do Bradley fans want Bradley to stay if he gets the opportunity? Or would you rather see him move on elsewhere?

 

I just want him to be happy.

 

That is a good question. Can he make the "18" if there is a new coach? Probably not. I consider myself a Bradley fan (I know, but read my history) and I think he should move on.

In all seriousness, I wish all young Americans success overseas. I just don't see Michael benefiting from circumstances at AV. He is a good player; he desperately needs a good (and nurturing) coach. [Off topic Bob Bradley remark removed by irked mod.] Somebody needs to guide the young kid.

 

I don't know if I'm a "Bradley Fan" anymore than I am a fan of any US player in Europe...but I'd like to see him stick it out at Villa, win a starting spot, and make his mark in the Premiership. I think he has the talent and the drive, and just needs an opportunity.

He's at as high a level as we've had an American field player play at the club level. Villa's poor season notwithstanding, they are usually a top 6-8 level club. The fact that he couldn't break in during a freak relegation scrap is not the end of the story for him.

 

I don't think Villa is the right team for him because if Houllier is let go,the next coach will have no reason to play him, other than if he thinks he plays well. I want him to go to a good team in a good league that plays good football and where he gets a chance to play.