[Archived] Is Brad The Solution To Arsenals

[USABlue]

Look folks, let me try to set a thing or two straight here. Too many of you are reading between the lines and embellishing what I am trying to say.

I am NOT scapegoating Friedal, I an NOT saying he is a liability. IN fact I have ALWAYS rated Brad as a decent keeper, even back before we signed him when almost every last one on here was pulling the "can't be any good he's an American" theory.

Well that theory stuffed completely up your arses it's perhaps time some of you got off your high horses and realized your pompous arses don't know everything. Espescially those of you who think it quaint to just respond with little one liners and/or derogatory remarks that have ZERO input into the actual discussion and do nothing to indicate your view. There is one individual on here who has over 2000 posts and I struggle to think of one that actually had any form of substance, just wise ass remarks.

Do your kind do that because you think you are humourous? or is it because you are not capable of a thought out response? Are you afraid to actually put your opinion in black and white? do you fear ridicule? are you insecure?

The only thing I have tried to say, one last time lads and lasses, Brad's fundamentals need to be improved, they are his weakness, he is an excellent shot stopper who relies on reflexes, reflexes which are slowing a bit perhaps.

All you who think he had the near perfect all round game a few years back are merely blinded by some of his fantastic stops or you just don't understand the goalkeeping basics and think that pulling of spectacular saves is all it is about. He was no better back then than he is now, but on the bright side he is a whole lot better than any of you thought before we got him.

[tcj_jones]

Look folks, let me try to set a thing or two straight here. Too many of you are reading between the lines and embellishing what I am trying to say.

I am NOT scapegoating Friedal, I an NOT saying he is a liability. IN fact I have ALWAYS rated Brad as a decent keeper, even back before we signed him when almost every last one on here was pulling the "can't be any good he's an American" theory.

it's perhaps time some of you got off your high horses and realized your pompous arses don't know everything.

The only thing I have tried to say, one last time lads and lasses, Brad's fundamentals need to be improved, they are his weakness, he is an excellent shot stopper who relies on reflexes, reflexes which are slowing a bit perhaps.

All you who think he had the near perfect all round game a few years back are merely blinded by some of his fantastic stops or you just don't understand the goalkeeping basics and think that pulling of spectacular saves is all it is about. He was no better back then than he is now, but on the bright side he is a whole lot better than any of you thought before we got him.

Very well summed up there.

[Scotty]

Wow, this thread is fun. Arguments going on all over the place!

Shaddy: I seem to remember you be a lot more supportive of Souness than you make out, and having a go at people who were slagging him off. If that's not true then I apologise but that's what I remember.

USABlue: No-one is denying that Brad has weaknesses - every goalkeeper has. It's just that you seem to make them out to be glaring weaknesses when they aren't. I'll give you the not closing down thing, he should have closed both goals against Liverpool down earlier than he did, but I can't recall many other errors.

The bottom line is that despite his weaknesses he's still one of the best keepers in the league and we'd struggle to replace him with someone of similar quality.

[Blue blood]

when arsenal were after him in the summer we sold dunn and duff i'm sure the fee mentioned was £8 million

Yep, apparently we wanted 8 million they'd only offer 4 million. To be honest this season I can think of the odd mistake Brad has made, but to say he was only great for one season is harsh. The promotion season, and the first two seasons in the Premiership he was fantastic for us the most consistent and reliable keeper around. Even last season I can't remember Brad doing anything wrong, just not being Mr Fantastic.

How much of his loss in form is to do with the fact he's had a terrible defense in front of him? I'm fairly confident that any keeper would not look that great if they had the shambles that our defence has been this past season or so. Remember the Utd game - Brad showed he was class.

Personally I'd much rather see the overrated Ferguson leave for 8 to 10 million and the money spent on a couple of top quality signings including most definately a striker.

[FourLaneBlue]

. Jim didn't have the guts to put forward a viable successor and left any questions relating to this unanswered. So' date=' no, they didn't get it right. [/quote']

Interesting view of history from a so-called "historian". Of course I was right.

I was one of only a few to have the "guts" to call for Souness to be removed. I was one of the few to see the damage he was doing to the club when most people he thought he could do no wrong.

As I said at the time, it didn't matter who replaced Souness. The imperative was for Souness to leave the club. Fortunately Newcastle did the job for our weak-minded board.

And as I also said, I welcomed the appointment of Hughes though I was not against Strachan or Dowie either. Any of the three would have been an improvement on the previous incumbent.

If you going to be a self-appointed "historian", I would suggest that you check your facts before you start pontificating. Leave that to the professionals.

Balderdash, as always. You were calling for the head of Souness for so long that eventually, just like a broken clock, you had to be right eventually. Well done Nostradamus...who'd have thought that eventually a football manager may have run his course at a club? Must be a first. When did you first start calling for the head of Souness? Before our sixth place? Before the Worthington Cup win? You never stopped...like a broken record for years even when he was doing a good job. How gracious to name some possible successors this summer when most of the board were also thinking of life under a different manager.

Interesting view from the self-appointed troll of the board whose only wish is to gain attention by instigating arguments...I'm just glad I managed to rile you! Maybe you can carry on by posting another of your... ahem...'hilarious' "been on the sauce again?" replies to Tris or stating that anybody with a differing view to your own in the 'Greatest XI' thread is a moron. Good to see your so-called journalistic skills being put to good use...

Now I'll kindly let you get back to your own professional pontificating and allow you peace in which to compose yet another one of your tedious diatribes...do you never get bored of trying to wind people up Jim?

Edited December 14, 2004 by FourLaneBlue

[thenodrog]

Wenger will buy Cudicini from Chelsea.

Somebody needs to, that guy is far too good to be rotting in the reserves.

[chris]

wow, allot people really don't rate Ferguson much, i truely wonder what posts would have been on this thread has that shot that hit the side netting, actually gone in.

fine line between being a success and be a failure

[USABlue]

. Jim didn't have the guts to put forward a viable successor and left any questions relating to this unanswered. So' date=' no, they didn't get it right. [/quote']

Interesting view of history from a so-called "historian". Of course I was right.

I was one of only a few to have the "guts" to call for Souness to be removed. I was one of the few to see the damage he was doing to the club when most people he thought he could do no wrong.

As I said at the time, it didn't matter who replaced Souness. The imperative was for Souness to leave the club. Fortunately Newcastle did the job for our weak-minded board.

And as I also said, I welcomed the appointment of Hughes though I was not against Strachan or Dowie either. Any of the three would have been an improvement on the previous incumbent.

If you going to be a self-appointed "historian", I would suggest that you check your facts before you start pontificating. Leave that to the professionals.

Here's some facts jim, actually one fact. Your "thing" against Souness had buggar all to do with football. Yes, I am going to call you on the mat on this one and expose you for the crock you are.

Your sole and only reason for your dislike of Souness had to do with him NOT SAYING HELLO TO YOUR KID WHEN HE WAS MASCOT. Right aren't I jim? So don't come with your oh so frigging smart attitude, also you were asked to name a succesor umpteen times during your 2 year long personal campaign against Souness and you put forward squat. Bloody hell jim you are still stalking him, trying to find reasons to continue ridiculing him.

You came in with names for his replacement only during the time when the shortlist had been pretty much sussed out.

Those my friend are the facts, I am not an historian but I do remember. As does FLB

Edited December 14, 2004 by USABlue

[chris]

I should have remembered that, don't think anyone ask Jim to name a successor more then me

[thenodrog]

I think I asked him once or twice too Chris.

Anyway c'mon guys. Dont gang up, and dont be so harsh. Everybody knows that Jim hasn't got a piggin clue about football stuff. Leave him be in his favoured role as our Motoring correspondent.

[den]

Interesting. A thread descending into all kinds of abuse and bickering. A thread that has no substance whatsoever.

Nice one Waggy.

[Alan75]

Is this a private arguement, or can anyione join in.

We should never have sold Roger Jones to Newcastle.

[USABlue]

Interesting. A thread descending into all kinds of abuse and bickering. A thread that has no substance whatsoever.

Nice one Waggy.

No more bickering from me. With the exception of the Roger Jones thing

[1864roverite]

or Paul bradshaw to Wolves

[American]

It's all moot. Since he's from MLS, and we know all MLS players are crap, he must be crap.

As for the serious part, he had one of the greatest 12-month stretches you'll ever see from a keeper. I think all of our expectations became a bit high. Is he a bad keeper, no. Is he one of the top 2 or 3 in the Prem right now, no. Are we in good shape in that position now with him as the starter and Encks as his backup/understudy, I think so.

[waggy]

when i started this thread i thought bradley may be the answer to arsenal goalie problems,now he may be the solution for the bar codes if given was to leave.

what would be intresting if both wanted him,how far would souness raise the stakes.i have read most off the post's and took particular intrest in the one's highlighting brad's weaknesses.

hopefully we will not have to raise funds in jan,but if we have to i reckon brad will be the sacrificial lamb

[brfcshabba]

Didn't Brad say he was sort of glad when Souness left surely he wouldn't want to go and join him again

[oblivion]

Didn't Brad say he was sort of glad when Souness left surely he wouldn't want to go and join him again

yea i remember that too. i think it was the day souness left and brad was pulling out in his before the sky sports team stopped to chat to him. he didn't seem too fussed about souness and just wanted to focus on rovers' future. i also remember him criticising souness for something else but i can't remember.

[USABlue]

If my wages were high enough even I could but up with a Boss I did not like.

[rover6]

As for the serious part, he had one of the greatest 12-month stretches you'll ever see from a keeper. I think all of our expectations became a bit high. Is he a bad keeper, no. Is he one of the top 2 or 3 in the Prem right now, no. Are we in good shape in that position now with him as the starter and Encks as his backup/understudy, I think so.

I think you've summed it up nicely there.

Brad had a outstanding purple patch and was a major factor in propelling the club into 6th (along with Duff's goal scoring heroics at the end of the season).

However, he's not at that standard anymore but that doesn't mean he's not a blimin good shot stopper. Age does appear to be catching up and we have to think about promoting Enkelman - who is relatively young for a goalkeeper.

If Arsenal or someone else came in with a substantial bid in the summer, I'd be tempted to let him go. The only problem with doing that is that we don't know if Enks is ready for first team action. We won't know that until he has a run in the team.

[92er]

I just think he's not good enough-was poor last season.

[Manchester Blue]

He wasn't poor last season by normal standards just by his high ones. He is still one of the top 6 keepers in the league, just look at his performance against Man U this season. It will be very bad for us if he leaves, simple as that.

[tcj_jones]

II think him moving would be bad for the club because he has been here some time now and is one of few that could not be considered a journeyman. He obviously has the respect of the team and him leaving would certainly affect morale.

Saying that, I still don't consider him anywhere near the top 5 keepers in the premiership due to his all round game - his routine or fundamental goalkeeping roles are badly flawed but because these are not so spectacular, they go un-noticed, unlike his superb shot-stopping. Although, this admittedly wins and keeps us in matches.

Edited December 16, 2004 by tcj_jones

[Exiled in Toronto]

I wasn't there today and didn't see the goals, but would be interested to hear the views of those who did. 2 shots - 2 goals, one of which being a 30 yard free kick, sounds a lot like the Brad of last season rather than the season before.

[Eddie]

Both shots were said to be unstoppable, but I wasn't there either, so don't know first hand.