Why European Clubs Love Michael Bradley

A cursory examination of the World Cup reveals that Michael Bradley could have been one of the best young midfielders at the tournament.

But why?

This is a question that many who are relatively new to the beautiful game might be asking.

Did he score a ton? Well, no. But his one goal in the tournament was one of the Yanks’ most critical strikes.

But what makes Michael Bradley such an enticing midfielder is two-pronged. He is able to hold the ball very well, and his work rate is near unmatched.

Let’s examine the ball-holding prong first. Bradley is a central midfielder, considered to be of the “box to box” variety—he’s a player who will run the length of the pitch and generally serves as the link between the ball being cleared by the defense and the attack being created by the offense.

To serve as this link, Bradley has to have a little patience. Because he gets back on defense so often, he winds up with the ball at his feet starting the counterattack.

A counterattack works best (though certainly not exclusively) when the attacking team is in the final third with numbers on their side. In order to give the offense time to organize and get to an appropriate position on the pitch, Bradley has to control the ball and fend off usually several defenders in what amounts to a delay tactic.

Bradley is seen as an orchestrator in the final third for his ability to give his other attackers time to arrive in the final third, allowing a cogent attack to form.

This translates very, very well to the European game, especially the brand played in the English Premier League. Physical defenders will often hassle a midfielder or attacker mercilessly, trying to simply knock the ball off an attacker’s feet before the attack can be formed, rather than aiming to actually possess the ball.

Bradley’s second major quality is his high work rate. Too many stories have come out about the egos that exist in the locker rooms of many major club teams. Wages paid in hundreds of thousands of Euros, pounds, etc. per week are common now, and players expect in some cases to almost be pampered. Some even make specific demands on the training ground.

Those descriptions do not apply to Bradley. Having inherited a superb work rate from his father, the current (though perhaps not for long) coach of the MNT, Bob Bradley, Michael has cut his teeth in the Dutch league as well as the German Bundesliga already, having impressed his managers with just how hard he works both in training and during match play.

This work rate makes him different. He doesn’t tire easily and is a physical player himself. One has to be in order to survive in the Bundesliga, a league well-known for hard tackles. 

Because Bradley is willing to work, he will undoubtedly improve. He has shown an ability to do that rapidly over the last several seasons already—this is not the same Michael Bradley that sparked (entirely ridiculous) calls of nepotism from some MNT followers. Because Bradley will only continue to improve, he has become a very hot property across the pond.

Bradley’s ability to protect the ball and his work rate would be welcomed by many Premier League teams. This accounts for the numerous rumors that have popped up concerning the 22-year-old. He has been linked with newly-promoted EPL outfit Blackpool, as well as Everton and Arsenal.

If I were Bradley, I would be aiming to sign for an upper-middle-of-the-table Premier League squad. This would allow him to experience a very rigorous training regimen while also allowing him to play against the top teams in a true match atmosphere, giving him experience in a pressure-packed situation at the highest level. 

Clubs that would fit the bill are Everton, Fulham, and now Aston Villa after having sold one of their starting central mids.

As an admitted Arsenal fan, I’d love to see him starting at the Grove, but that seems an outside chance considering the glut of central midfielders that the Gunners have at their disposal.