Bridders coming home?

[Discodoktor]

He helped Sunderland get a reduced transfer fee for him and he went on paid strike. As fans we all have to pay for that in ticket prices, reduced transfer budget, Tony Bloom hand outs poor dressing room mentality and poor results.

Sorry Bridcutt you were a fans favourite and to say we looked after you is not doing our club justice. Unless you are going to repay that and I cannot see how you could, you should apologise and go away.

 

[trueblue]

Not sure about Bridcutt as a straight replacement for an injured Kayal or Stephens. But there's next to no doubt that, at his best, he'd be a huge asset in the holding role to protect a lead. Saturday was exactly the type of game we'd have closed out successfully under Poyet (even though I wouldn't swap that for what we have now!). I think Ince lacks the composure and comfort on the ball to do that job successfully and rarely seems to get a saving tackle in around the edge of the box. I'd even prefer Kayal or Stephens to drop in there in future and bring on JFC - higher quality midfield overall even if it breaks up that crucial pairing. The only real question mark about Bridcutt is whether it's worth bringing in someone for a role we only need occasionally (though if BK/DS were out we'd surely need to change shape?) and how damaged is he from his Sunderland flop? The whole prima donna thing is a red herring. He handled his departure badly from the fans' perspective but never gave the impression of being anything other than a top team player. I can't see other professionals having a problem with that so affecting spirit wouldn't come into it. He had the chance to play in the Premier League and wanted to pursue it - simple as that. If Bloom is prepared to have him back then that would say all we really need to know about the situation. It's just modern football.

 

[LIKE]

He handled his departure badly from the fans' perspective but never gave the impression of being anything other than a top team player.

LIKE

 

[Creaky]

Ah, the kind of top team player that refuses to play for the team.

Priceless.

If he comes in and helps us up then fair enough, but he'll remain a dickhead to many.

You've got to love the rewriting of history - it's been pointed out so many times - it wasn't LB who said he wasn't in the right frame of mind to play and I haven't seen where the club claims he refused to play.

 

[trueblue]

Ah, the kind of top team player that refuses to play for the team.

Priceless.

If he comes in and helps us up then fair enough, but he'll remain a dickhead to many.

I see what you're saying. However, I still don't think players would have an issue with something that was between him and a club which he may have felt - rightly or wrongly - was going to scupper his chance of playing at the highest level. Quite often too there's more to these situations than meets the eye and the it's usually the player that comes out of it in a bad light. I don't remember the club being particularly outraged by his stance but may be wrong. If Albion actually wanted the money, it would have made sense to keep him out of the team.

I'm sure a lot of people wouldn't like him to come back very much but it's nothing a few committed performances wouldn't overcome.

 

[Bombadier Botty]

31 pages and no substance to the story whatsoever. Welcome to NSC.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

You've got to love the rewriting of history - it's been pointed out so many times - it wasn't LB who said he wasn't in the right frame of mind to play and I haven't seen where the club claims he refused to play.

"The former Chelsea trainee has made over 130 league appearances for the Seagulls since joining the Sussex club in August 2010 and has won the club's player of the season award in each of the last two years.
However, he asked not to be considered for Albion's trip to Derby County last Saturday after telling assistant coach Nathan Jones he would not be focused to play."

Taken from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25879641

 

[Iggle Piggle]

Not sure about Bridcutt as a straight replacement for an injured Kayal or Stephens. But there's next to no doubt that, at his best, he'd be a huge asset in the holding role to protect a lead. Saturday was exactly the type of game we'd have closed out successfully under Poyet (even though I wouldn't swap that for what we have now!).

There are countless game under Poyet where we didn't see it out. Off the top of my head, Bolton at Home, Wolves away against 10 men and Leeds at home for the 3-3 were last 5 minute equaliser examples. Whilst we were excellent at keeping the ball, we always used to drop deeper and deeper in the last 10 minutes of games and invite pressure which frustrates me now just thinking about it.

As for Saturday, Ince for Hemed was exactly what was required at the time - Hemed was dead on his feet. Just a shame, Ince played so abjectly when he came on. Crofts is the obvious answer if/when he is fit again. Ince is probably 4th or even 5th choice now we've signed Trowell.

 

[trueblue]

True about those games under Poyet - but I think we have more threat going forward now to make it more balanced. Not sure dropping deep could be attributed to Bridcutt. Stephens seemed to play the holding role at Reading when Crofts was in the team.

 

[sydney]

i'm warming to this idea as long as he is played as he was back in the days....pinging the ball about in front of the back 4......3k a week...

 

[Iggle Piggle]

True about those games under Poyet - but I think we have more threat going forward now to make it more balanced. Not sure dropping deep could be attributed to Bridcutt. Stephens seemed to play the holding role at Reading when Crofts was in the team.

No - not Bridcutts fault we dropped deep just an observation on the team as a whole. Crofts or Stephens will suffice in the role - I can't see it being Ince anymore barring injury and I certainly can't see us getting Bridcutt back to perform very specific role in very specific circumstances.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

One of my all-time favourite Albion players, I hope comes back

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

You've got to love the rewriting of history - it's been pointed out so many times - it wasn't LB who said he wasn't in the right frame of mind to play and I haven't seen where the club claims he refused to play.

This.

We really don't know what went on at all do we? Judging by the chaos that was BHA at that time (behind the scenes) I'm not inclined to point any fingers at anyone unless someone can explain exactly why Liam Bridcutt was at fault.

 

[perseus]

No - not Bridcutts fault we dropped deep just an observation on the team as a whole. Crofts or Stephens will suffice in the role - I can't see it being Ince anymore barring injury and I certainly can't see us getting Bridcutt back to perform very specific role in very specific circumstances.

Stephens can drop back but that wastes his talents.

Conventional wisdom says that when holding on to the lead, you take a knackered forward player off and put on an extra midfielder.

It can go wrong , of course, if the midfielder is out of match practice and not instantly up to the pace of the game or makes a silly back pass. If the winger gets taken off the full back (e,g Christie) may overlap and poses a bigger threat (might take a chance an overlap anyway).

Allardyce would know Bridders from when he was opposing Manager at West Ham and Nolan robbed Bridders standing in in the back four as the central defenders ventured forward. He can probably still do this at Championship level but not so hot in the PL.

When defending a lead we want to keep hold of the ball. Possession football in % football is regarded as a defensive tactic. Derby got dispossessed 18 times compared to the Albion only nine times, which as they had 59% of the ball seems about right. But losing the ball in midifeld was the starting point for both Albion goals.

 

[Scunner]

The way I see it is this, Bridcutt was our PoS for two seasons running and it would be mad not to pursue an opportunity to reclaim someone that achieved that distinction for a knock down price.

There is absolutely no way, on this planet, or any other similar planets in the entire galaxy that Rohan Ince is the player we need to either replace DS/BK in a 442 or sit in a 4231/433 if we want to flood the midfield for any particular reason.

Bridcutt will be able to do that.

For some reason JFC and Hughton have seemingly no future together and Crofts is perenially crocked and ageing. And Holla must be wondering just how crap he must be when he is watching Ince attempt to play football.

Ince looked ok last year because it was backs against the wall, fighting football in a season that we got perilously close to being relegated. This season when coming on for a fast paced, flowing team that is top of the table he looks like a parking cone in the middle of a Grand Prix race.

Bridcutt would: be able to head the ball, tackle, pass and help close out games in a way that no one else in our team would be able to and is quicker than Holla.

Anyone who wouldn't want that option in the squad in our push to be promoted needs a reality check. No one here knows why the club didn't sell as soon as that January window opened or why Bridcutt started to appear to be manoeuvring his exit to force the issue. All we should be concerned about is his absolute commitment to put his body on the line every time he went out to play for us before Poyet got sacked.

Comment from the LUFC forum yesterday:


Re: Liam Bridcutt
Postby dlw10 » Yesterday, 14:38

Interesting comment from Evans the other day that in the event Bridcutt did leave to go elsewhere then he "knows where he can get another Bridcutt". That suggests it is the type of player he knows we need in there rather than a specific person. Wonder who the other "Bridcutt" might be. IMO Bridcutt has transformed the whole team with his combative style and he was once again involved all over the pitch yesterday and got my MOTM vote. Not sure about Silvestri running away with that - one great save but the rest of the game he was doing what he is supposed to! Not sure that deserves MOTM but credit to him for being steady in recent games.
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dlw10
Gordon Strachan's chauffeur

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Joined: 13 Sep 2011, 23:56
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[The Antikythera Mechanism]

I have Liam's, NSC sponsorship, signed shirt from the 2011/12 season, so for that reason, I'm in

 

[perseus]

he looks like a parking cone in the middle of a Grand Prix race.


[/I]

Unfortunately he also looked the same in the Albion Unders 21s.

It would be better to get a left footer.

 

[perseus]

Bridders 7.5 fulcrum in midfield for Leeds: http://www.whoscored.com/Matches/959399/Live/England-Championship-2015-2016-Leeds-Preston

 

[Icy Gull]

We could have done with him yesterday

 

[lizard]

We could have done with him yesterday

Were there queue's for refreshments or some boots that needed cleaning?
Don't want that sulky little **** anywhere near our glorious club.