When Donkeys Fly: Michael Bradley at Chievo, pt 1 [R]

Hopefully he starts with Rinaldo Cruzado.

 

I'm curious .... If Serie A is a slow tactical league, why do folks think Bradley will fit in well there. Playing slowly and with tactical sophistication isn't really his strength is it?

Mind you, I am excited to see him play there and what he can learn, and I certainly think this will help his development, but I think he has some seasoning to do before he makes his mark. Do others here think he will contribute immediately?

 

Serie A is a good fit for MB.

Good luck to him.

 

I thought his latest song release was excellent, he had great rhythm....oh wait thought this was the Prince thread.

 

MB can slow down but his thought process is the problem. It is too slow. Even in a slow paced league you still have to be thinking quickly. Thus he does not get the ball of his feet fast enough for me.

If he can somehow fix this; he should be fine he can make every pass in the book.

IMO he has relied too much on hustle in his career. It is one of his strengths and has been encouraged by some of his coaches...but for somebody who has been a pro for years he should be reading the game much quicker.

 

Fans can't be all that bad. One MB well-wisher in their comments section has a Sonic Youth Dirty puppet avatar.

 

Its all subjective, I dont think Serie A is slower than the other leagues. I mean there are some teams that play slower defensive games like Inter, and Milan and the minnows who have to play 8 in the box. But there are also teams that play the fast smash and grab style like Juve, Roma and Fiorentina.

 

i always knew getting random scarves would work...

i'm breaking out my chievo scarf tonight

 

I'm not, but the dumbing down of Serie A because of the player that went to it. It would be interesting to see the contrast if Dempsey went to Roma what the reaction would be.

Two years ago we would kill to have any nat player in Italy. Heck they had one of their teams beat a Bunda team in Champions League less than two seasons ago.

He just transferred to the Fulham of Italy. It is a good move.

 

i hope he doesn't forget

 

A lot of players with Mikey's skill set have made decent careers playing in Serie A. While not exactly the same player, Kevin Prince-Boateng is not exactly known for his tactical skills but Milan would not have won the Scudetto without him.

And while not his strength, Mikey isn't tactically challenged either. Each midfielder in a Serie A midfield has a role. He'll probably be the Box 2 Box midfielder, or I could see Chievo trying him at a Trequartista like Milan did with KPB.

 

"Doves Cry" vs. "Donkeys Fly" - I can see where the confusion can set in!

 

I'll be looking forward to watching him this season. Cheivo is a low-mid table squad whose general goal is to avoid relegation. That said they always seem to give my Juve fits, although we always struggle with teams like that the last few seasons.

Overall, I think it is a good fit for Bradley.

 

necessary move

he'll get plenty of playing time, and get better in terms of tactical discipline

 

In looking for more info on the Flying Donkeys and MB's prospects for playing time I ran across this season preview for the club, which wether or not it is accurate, was certainly amusing:

Preview

If anyone else has info on the club I would appreciate it.

 

Clubs like Udinese, Napoli and Palermo don't play slow at all.

And, yes, Italy is very tactical and you'll see a lot of "odd" formations there. Palermo and Napoli played 3-4-3/3-6-1 last season. Even without Steve Sampson coaching there.

BTW, Berlusconi took the "solidarity tax" off the table last night. Fini.

The agreement should be reachable then. The only major stumbling block remains the "Adu treatment".

 

It's definitely being exaggerated. From the way some posters are describing it here you'd think it was the Colombian league.

Anyway, from the few Chievo games I've caught over the past several years they tend to play pretty defensively. Usually with 5 midfielders and a lone forward: Sergio Pellissier - he's pretty much been the entire Chievo attack for the past 10 years.

 

So he moved from the Foals to the Donkeys ... really cool. After all, Chievo is one of those Seria A clubs I like more than others (even though they are a small club with pretty low attendance compared to BMG standard)...

I'm still sad that his actually good time in Mönchengladbach ended this way in winter. Good luck in Verona and thanx a lot for the unforgotten goals against Bayern & Cologne!


Arrivederci ed ogni bene per il futuro, Michael.

 

Class.

 

How can you just leave me standing
Alone when the world is so cold [1]
Maybe I'm just too demanding
Maybe I'm just like my father too bold [2]
Maybe you're just like my mother
She's never satisfied
Why do we scream at each other? [3]
This is what it sounds like
When donkeys fly

Obviously this song is about 1. being left out at BMG and 2. nepotism and 3. fights on BigSoccer... perfect.

*snort*

 

Go Mikey go! Hope this works out for him and I now have an Italian team to follow. Because what my life really needs is another excuse to drink beer and watch soccer.

 

"Kill Yr Idols" would be an appropriate title for many Mike Bradley threads on BigSoccer.

 

I would be wary of any team that has fans who like Sonic Youth post SST years. Maybe this isn't such a good move!

 

Soon as he practices his diving.....

 

I think with playing time Michael's game will quicken up as he regains confidence. The area I'm most concerned with is his defense. He lays off and offers loads of space recently, almost never getting stuck in. Is it a lack of having a defined role? Is it a lack of play time? I don't recall this being one of his weaknesses in the past. If I had to guess, It almost seems like the young aggression he once had has been tempered by the realization that he lacks the speed to recover. If there is any truth to my postulation, then Michael having a more clearly defined role and better tactical understanding of when to get stuck in would help him greatly.

I could be completely wrong on all this. Maybe my memory has failed me and he has always been weak in this area. It's just not how I remember him playing.

Anyway, good luck Mikey! Keep busy, play with intensity and the Italians will warm to you quickly.