Man city. Could have earned as much playing for their reservws. Kidding. My point was did Bradley consider any loans before he decided to jump ship? For a guy as ambitious as he it is startling that he would abandon a big club just as he was placed on the bench. But someone already mentioned he had a family and 6 million a year would be crazy to turn down.
I doubt it, really. I think he moved when he did as a result of the coaching changes, bringing Strootman and the upcoming WC. Bradley, in hindsight, would have gotten more PT at Roma after March than he might have expected when Strootman was healthy, but it is unlikely, unless Bradley had really performed better than he had up till then, that Roma would not have looked for another upgrade had Strootman not come back at top of form. At the end of the day, Roma had ambitions that were going to have them looking at "better" than Bradley. Not knock on Mikey, but he was likely to have had to leave (unless he wanted to just collect the check and drink espressos.) if he wanted to lead a team the way he is supposed to in Toronto.
MB is my favorite player, and I hate to say it, but ever since he went to TFC he's been trending down, besides that Mexico 2-2 friendly in April 2014. That's life though.
I'm not sure his career needs turning around. Really the only time he's looked anything approaching "world class" for the U.S. has been in friendlies. The ones before the World Cup in '14 in particular made his actual World Cup form standout as suspect. Couple this with a "big club" on his resume and I think expectations for what Bradley should be accomplishing in a U.S. shirt got way out of hand. Still, I thought he was fine against Mexico, and along with Dempsey was one of the very few in the Gold Cup who wasn't out of his element there. Bradley is deservedly still starting for the U.S., and I suspect will look even more solid if Klinsmann can find a more creative mid to play alongside him.
The thing that differentiates Bradley from the other US players that returned to big contracts in MLS (Dempsey, Jones, Altidore) is that I've always thought he could go back. Dempsey and Jones were each in their early 30s and wanted to earn one last payday. In Altidore's seven years in Europe, only one time was he able to find a club that worked out for him (AZ). With a chance to find stability and a payday in MLS, I doubt he wants to return to Europe. Even though Bradley transferred to multiple clubs while in Europe, none of this was really flailing around like Altidore except in the Aston Villa period, but even then he made a smart move to Chievo. I wouldn't be surprised if Bradley wants another go, though he'll have to sacrifice that $6.5 million salary (net salary = $4 million?).
Of course, that goes against every report at the time which strongly suggested Roma in no way wanted to sell him and Mikey went in and essentially demanded he be sold. He himself said at the time he wasn't happy being the 4th mid and not being a key part of the squad so he looked elsewhere. He just misses the big show and is trying to reconcile with it.
Yeah that's what I recall; as soon as he had his TFC payday lined up he brushed off their requests that he stay, and likewise inquiries from other quality Euro leagues like Bundesliga where he may have made good money but not over the top like MLS. Anyway, what's done is done, I don't see Michael heading back to Europe. With the fat contract he now enjoys, why should he?
After his move to TFC I remember Rudi Garcia saying that it was a shame and that he wanted Bradley to stay. But did Bradley really demand to Roma that he be sold? I'm struggling to remember that part of the story.
I have to say that I'm always intrigued by your declarations as a career counselor. As someone who has such vision and clarity for others, might you care to share your own career path?
Why thank you. It is just an opinion. Does it matter what I do or do not do? Politically I am a socialist so if that helps...
After an Italian Cup win over Sampdoria on Thursday, Garcia says, "Bradley wanted to go, we couldn't keep the player. He did very well with me in these months but I understand he wants to play more." http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/01/09/roma-coach-rudi-garcia-sa_n_4570869.html
He could mean he's unhappy about the whole situation, where he had to leave given that Roma didn't see him as anything more than a bargain bench player. Obviously Roma would've been keen to keep him given that he wasn't really making "big club" money, but from Bradley's perspective that situation might not have really felt like was particularly wanted there.
He was one of the cheapest players there but was good quality for cheap. Besides wasnt Roma trying to increase their fanbase in the US? They had him as the prime figure to help that
Why can't we have an opinion on where we think is the best career path for our players? Obviously we can only debate the soccer side of the aspect, but I think we're entitled to at least that. And MB said publicly MANY TIMES this move was solely about the soccer. "I want to be a big player, on a big team, making big plays". - MB He's NONE of those things right now. Lawyer, IR counselor.
Consider briefly the straw man you have created from my inquiry to another poster. Entitlement, I got it. Your assertion, while perhaps true, would appear a bit more scholarly, if you provided a link. If you look hard enough at your opening sentence, you might see that, from my perspective, you have already attempted to put some words in my mouth. That is certainly a noble goal. He has most recently stated, in the most recent statement said that he is up for building something in Toronto. You seem quite attached to your own opinion of this. What are your thoughts about a man considering what might have been best for his family? He spent 8 years in Europe, right. Enjoyed some success and some heartbreak, correct? What is your take on the coaching carousel that is Roma? Some folks might not enjoy moving a young family around Europe, every year or two. Forgoing a chance to educate your children in specific schools. 10-12 hour flights with a young family with multiple connections across the globe? But, It would seem that Bradley does not have command of the variables in his own life that you repeatedly assert that you do. Isn't that your assertion or am I missing something? He needs to follow your dream for him, even if his own might change, even if it involves compromising to consider a wife and children. That's great, what if folks had regularly suggested that's not what you should be doing? Criticized you for not getting into the right school(s)? Judged you for making tough choices, that you thought were the best at the time? Weren't you one of the posters who used to refer to him as Mikey? What's your take on Italian Americans being referred to as Guido? Years ago, I coached a kid who asked me to write a reference letter for him to go to the US Military Academy at West Point. I did and was pleased when he was accepted and had been recruited to play soccer. He dropped out after basic training and transferred to Auburn and never kicked a ball again. I had coached this young man for 5 years, but had to give up any attachment to any outcome for him I envisioned, of course. Who would a man be for bashing someone for making a choice in their life. But it seems like a sport, here. Things change, the people are what is important.