[Archived] Friedel Deal For Love, Not Money

[S15]

Surprised nobody has come up with one yet. I'll go first then:

Save from Viduka at home to Leeds. Ball crossed to the far post, returned back across goal and Viduka heads the ball from about 6 yards. Brad, who is going the wrong way to cover the ball coming across, somehow manages to change direction and tip it low round the post. Absolutely bloody unbelievable.

I agree with that...

Though that Arsenal game (When we had one shot on target yet won 2-1) would be his best ever game IMO.

[Beta Ray Bill]

To date, Brad has played in 302 matches for Rovers - 244 league, 27 FA Cup, 17 league cup and 14 UEFA Cup matches. (figs from official site - so blame Lee if they are wrong!) By my reckoning, he's missed just 12 games since joining the club.

With 7 (or 8) matches left this season, and an average of 46 games a season (believe it or not, that's what we've done since getting back to the Premiership!) Brad could end up with over 400 appearances!

Quick look at Brad's stats against the clubs records (again from the official site so if they are wrong, blame Grooby).

Sunday vs Brum will be Brad's 152nd consecutive league match - equalling Reg Elvey's record for consecutive goalkeeping appearances.

It will also be his 288th league appearance, just one behind Terry Gennoe goalkeeping record of 289.

In total it will be Brad's 356th game. He is already Rover's no 1 for Premiership appearances.

With two years on his contract remaining Brad should end up with well over 400 appearances. If he plays 83 games over the next two seasons he will become 5th on Rovers all time list and if he plays through consecutively in the league until the 19th match of the 2009/10 season he will have set a new consecutive appearance record for the club - something that is almost certainly never going to be ever beaten.

I know I've probably put the mockers on everything now with those projections, but it really is an astonishing career in the modern era of mercenary players riddled with injuries and fickle managers rotating squads.

[waggy]

the love did not last long

Friedel, who has been at Ewood Park since 2000, insisted the extra year was for love, not money.

Friedel wants to finish his career at Ewood following globetrotting spells with Brondby in Denmark, Galatasaray in Turkey, and Liverpool.

The former United States goalkeeper has a soccer school in his home state Ohio, but said: "I love this club. My agent is Paul Stretford, but I did the deal myself. I had a nice chat over a cup of coffee with chairman John Williams. There was no need to go in and have a big battle."

[Jan]

And then Ince arrived..............

[tonyoz]

And then Ince arrived..............

Correction...............Then Lerner's money arrived.

[RevidgeBlue]

We couldn't afford to match the terms Friedel was being offered at Villa.

I suppose technically we could have held Brad to his contract here, but I presume we would then have been left with a pretty unhappy player.

So he wanted to leave for the money

and:

1) His form might have started deserted him as early as season.

2) Even if it didn't, we wouldn't get anywhere near as much for him in 12/24 months time.

3) In 12/24 months time there might not have been any suitable replacements available, let alone suitable replacements anywhere near our budget.

Edit:

[ace]

Perhaps this thread should be retitled....delete "not", insert "of".

[waggy]

And then Ince arrived..............

so brads a bigot

[BRFC95]

We couldn't afford to match the terms Friedel was being offered at Villa.

I'm with you Rev but we could afford to match Villa but didn't think he was worth it.

He wasn't.

It wouldn't matter even if Brad came out and said it was just for the money, some folk still wouldn't have it.

[Mr. E]

Perhaps this thread should be retitled....delete "not", insert "of".

yep.

Don't know when I'm going to get over this to be honest. At lest now we know we can never buy a word anyone says, no matter if it's Friedel or anyone else. They're all here with only one thing in mind and that is themselves.

[rog of the rovers]

After just hearing Brad's comments on SSN I have got to say I am a little disappointed.

Friedel was loved by all the fans, we helped get his career back on track and always put a competitive team in front of him.

Yet instead of thanking the club and fans he has to have a little pop at the size of the club!

Will I boo Brad when he comes back? Of course not, he will always be remembered as a great keeper

Am I disappointed by his seemingly un-necessary comments? Absolutely.

[Ronin]

Contrast that with comments from Paul Robinson, who seems very pleased to be joining a club like Rovers.

[JAL]

After just hearing Brad's comments on SSN I have got to say I am a little disappointed.

Friedel was loved by all the fans, we helped get his career back on track and always put a competitive team in front of him.

Yet instead of thanking the club and fans he has to have a little pop at the size of the club!

Will I boo Brad when he comes back? Of course not, he will always be remembered as a great keeper

Am I disappointed by his seemingly un-necessary comments? Absolutely.

Agree, his comments werent that that equated to a guy who'd more less reach legendary status at our club to come out with some downright negative comments.

Reading between the lines he seemd to be making out that it was the Walkers trustees who were to blame as they seemed to be wanting out thus semingly creating the wrong environment for the club to be successful.

Still havent read anyone backing the story that Brad threw in a transfer request straight after the last game at Brum.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Agree, his comments werent that that equated to a guy who'd more less reach legendary status at our club to come out with some downright negative comments.

Reading between the lines he seemd to be making out that it was the Walkers trustees who were to blame as they seemed to be wanting out thus semingly creating the wrong environment for the club to be successful.

Still havent read anyone backing the story that Brad threw in a transfer request straight after the last game at Brum.

I agree, the comments were not what i was expecting. I know he has to praise his new club and talk them up but was there any need for the negative comments about our club?

Disapointed in Brad

[old darwen blue]

We couldn't afford to match the terms Friedel was being offered at Villa.

I suppose technically we could have held Brad to his contract here, but I presume we would then have been left with a pretty unhappy player.

So he wanted to leave for the money

and:

1) His form might have started deserted him as early as season.

2) Even if it didn't, we wouldn't get anywhere near as much for him in 12/24 months time.

3) In 12/24 months time there might not have been any suitable replacements available, let alone suitable replacements anywhere near our budget.

Edit:

Sounds pretty accurate to me

[my_name_is_Earl]

Bleedin' Yanks! You know what they're like with their 'friendly fire'. I suppose because he is a Yank we can take his words to mean 'I have left such a huge club, by going up for sale, they will get a gazzillionaire in and bankroll the new team to championship glory. I don't feel as though i'm good enough for that at my age'.

Seriously though, who would want to play for Villa. The roads in that whole surrounding area are a nightmare! Brad could have had hills but instead chose pollution (from vehicle exhausts), once again typical Yank

[Exiled in Toronto]

I thought even before his leaving speech that terms such as 'legend', Mr. Blackburn Rovers' etc were being bewstowed a bit too cheaply. Being disparaging to the club that picked him up from the scrapheap and made him a millionaire isn't the stuff of legends.

The real Rovers legends, such as Duggie and Ronnie, support the club and watch every home game even though they are into their 70's.

[RevidgeBlue]

Didn't hear what Brad said in the press call but I'm not going to hold that against him too much.

He can't say "I'm only here for the money" and as he's not at West 'aaaam he can't use the "always wanted to play for the Hammers, we won the world cup for England in '66, blah Bobby Moore, Blah Geoff Hurst, blah Martin Peters" etc adopted by Lucash.

[neekoy]

Can anyone provide some detail as to whay he exactly said?

[des]

i must say that i was not too impressed by his thoughts about rovers

[vintageadidas]

Not impressed at all with his comments. I will not clap him on his return, or boo him now. Before everyone goes off on one, i OWE HIM NOTHING! I pay my hard earned cash to watch these greedy players play for OUR club, so i have every right to have my own opinion.

[imy9]

Compare Brad's comments with Robinson who has said that he signed a 5 year deal but wants to spend the REST of his career at Rovers. He wants to build something here at Rovers.

Brad got legendary status but ultimately money talks...

[CAPT KAYOS]

Didn't hear what Brad said in the press call but I'm not going to hold that against him too much.

Not too sure which press call you are referring to Rev and I'm not sure if the one I heard on Radio Lancashire last night was the one that others have mentioned on Sky but the Radio Lancs one I didn't find his comments to condemning of Rovers.

However, don't know if there is anything in this but he did mention that he had heard rumours Villa where interested in him in February ... so where could they have come from ? Possible his mind was already made up before the end of the season and given the reasons that have been posted on here.

[DeadlyDirk]

Can anyone provide some detail as to whay he exactly said?

Well this isn't exactly what he said but the jist of it was....

"Villa are paying me a lot more money to be on here which is brilliant, I'm excited to be here at Villa and start challenging for Europe and moving forward, its no secret Blackburn are going nowhere and are a negative club, I'd much rather be here, I've pretty much forgotten I ever played for Blackburn already.)

Okay so what he really said was hardly anything about the positives of Blackburn, don't remember him mentioning that he had nearly 10 great years there or that the fans were brilliant. He said that its no secret were trying to sell the club and looking to sell players to try and put us in a better financial situation in the future, meanwhile Aston Villa are already ahead of them and have done that, (It's handy getting a billionaire owner in) and are looking to push forward and challenge for Europe which he is really excited about.

[Tris]

I thought Friedel's comments on Sky Sports News were very disappointing.

The dig about lack of ambition is bad enough, but to cite that as his reason for preferring a move away is a poor do. He was happy enough with Rovers ambition when he upped his wages and signed a new deal just a matter of weeks ago.

I'd rather he was honest and said "Villa have doubled my wages and that's why I've moved here".