Freddie Adu to Southampton?!?!

[TX Bill]

For example?

He was second in the Greek playoffs for crossing accuracy, they didn't track short passes, but I'm pretty sure he did well with that too.

Also you can watch all of his touches in full matches for Aris. Nick3f has them on youtube. I get the feeling I'm the only person in this thread who's watched him play in the past 10 months. Perhaps I'm wrong about that though.

We'll just have to wait and see what happens in the matches after the world cup. No point arguing over the unknown past or the future.

Also, it'll be interesting to see what happens to Michael Bradley's consecutive streak once his dad is no longer the coach. Especially with Jermaine Jones coming into the picture.

If anyone is still saying that Michael Bradley plays because is father is the coach, then they haven't thought things through.

His father wasn't the coach at Heerenveen nor is the the current coach at Gladbach. The guy can play and has shown it. Some still refuse to see that.

 

[Nordecke]

If anyone is still saying that Michael Bradley plays because is father is the coach, then they haven't thought things through.

His father wasn't the coach at Heerenveen nor is the the current coach at Gladbach. The guy can play and has shown it. Some still refuse to see that.

Not me bill... he is 22 and a great prospect for a bigger club

 

[pfim]

If anyone is still saying that Michael Bradley plays because is father is the coach, then they haven't thought things through.

His father wasn't the coach at Heerenveen nor is the the current coach at Gladbach. The guy can play and has shown it. Some still refuse to see that.

There aren't many US players who have accomplished what Bradley has by this age. Jones won't be taking his spot, if he ever does make his appearance on the team, it will be with Bradley.

Adu hasn't been on the national team radar for the entire club season. I'm not going to get into who is more talented or not, but he needs to play consistently for a club before we can start debating...he isn't much of an athlete, so he needs to work much harder, something he hasn't shown the willingness to do anywhere.

 

[ijjysmith]

Stenhousemuir turned him down recently i heard.

Again. Perfect for saints then!!!

 

[Rook]

For example?

He was second in the Greek playoffs for crossing accuracy, they didn't track short passes, but I'm pretty sure he did well with that too.

Also you can watch all of his touches in full matches for Aris. Nick3f has them on youtube. I get the feeling I'm the only person in this thread who's watched him play in the past 10 months. Perhaps I'm wrong about that though.

We'll just have to wait and see what happens in the matches after the world cup. No point arguing over the unknown past or the future.

Also, it'll be interesting to see what happens to Michael Bradley's consecutive streak once his dad is no longer the coach. Especially with Jermaine Jones coming into the picture.

Bradley is quality, unfortunately because everybody hates his dad he gets stick. Though I will admit the way he plays his dad leaves him on the pitch too long and has caused him to rack up a collection of yellows and reds late in a match.

Cant' say I've seen any of Adu in the greek league. I've seen in the U-19s and the USMNT quite a bit. Hopefully he's getting it then. At this point in his career his should be at the very least SWP or Ji Sung Park if only either of the two had Downing's crossing ability. His problem has always been the fact he thinks his game is Kaka's (he said it himself recently) and constantly turns inside. The problem is that he's easliy dispossessed by bigger CBs and DMs and just that like there is a counterattack going the other way and is through ball in the center of the pitch is poor.

You get film of U-19 worlds you'll see what I'm talking about. All of his goals/assists are created on the wing. But in the Austria knockout match (in which we were clearly better) after scoring the 1st goal created by a Freddy cross from the wing he decided barging down the wing was beneath him. He kept going inside again and again. The Austians dispossessed him time after time easily and created the winning goal on the counterattack from a Freddy turnover.

Also when he's recently come in for the USMNT you'd think that he'd learn his lesson but no. Again and again instead of barging down the wing (in which very few players in the world can handle him one on one on the wing) he cuts inside loses the ball and well there's a nice big fat space for teams to counterattack.

I still hope he can mature. If the US gets the world cup in 2018 and he becomes the player he should we would be a real threat to win it. Its a team sport though and if he doesn't get it then he has only himself to blame.

I actually wouldn't mind if we signed him. He needs a manager to kick him in the ass like Moyes would and we'd know for sure if he would ever have it.

 

[ToxtethBlue]

It's probably something Adu does naturally though, if he's not a winger he's not a winger, you can't really blame him for playing how he's played for a number of years. And the higher level you play at the more difficult it is to beat fullbacks consistently. Just like at Bilyaletdinov in Russia, there is lots of evidence of him tearing fullbacks apart left, right and centre. He comes here and he barely looks like he could beat an egg.

So whilst Adu might be able to tear 18-19 year olds apart in the under 20 World cup it's a different matter all together when you are coming up against experienced men who have been playing at a high level for a number of years. And it isn't just the quality of the fullback, the positioning of better teams can corner you into positions where your less likely to cause damage.

And being mentality of the player comes into it, players like SWP just keep coming back despite there deficiencies. Some players can't take a tough tackle and go missing.

 

[Basil Fawlty]

Yeah, I agree. I seem to rate players depending on how good they are at FM, without hardly ever watching them play

I agree also, we have an exclusive deal with them you know and apparently we only bought Bakayoko 'cos he was good on there so there's legs in this one.

 

[ijjysmith]

Adu being linked with Plymouth now aswell!!

 

[mezzrow]

Adu can be magical on the ball, but he winds up like the dog chasing the car too often. Once he has caught it, he has no idea what to do next. It's hard to catch as much hype as he did as young as he was. Hope he gets a clue, cause the boy's got some skills. A manager like Moyes would do him a world of good, to be sure. Not many of those out there, though.

 

[Rook]

It's probably something Adu does naturally though, if he's not a winger he's not a winger, you can't really blame him for playing how he's played for a number of years. And the higher level you play at the more difficult it is to beat fullbacks consistently. Just like at Bilyaletdinov in Russia, there is lots of evidence of him tearing fullbacks apart left, right and centre. He comes here and he barely looks like he could beat an egg.

So whilst Adu might be able to tear 18-19 year olds apart in the under 20 World cup it's a different matter all together when you are coming up against experienced men who have been playing at a high level for a number of years. And it isn't just the quality of the fullback, the positioning of better teams can corner you into positions where your less likely to cause damage.

And being mentality of the player comes into it, players like SWP just keep coming back despite there deficiencies. Some players can't take a tough tackle and go missing.

You know I'm sure he thinks he's not a winger and had mucho success when he was a 13 year old Maradona. That being said players have gotten bigger in the middle he's still Gary Coleman sized. Genetics plays a big part. Arteta is great but if he woke up one day and decided he was the next Peter Crouch its not going to happen there.

 

[NHRevs]

He has skill.. maybe to much for his own good... Mindset is not right, no where near it..

I dunno about mindset, but for damn sure the football intelligence was not developed properly to go with his skills. In the U.S., the combination of hype and skill allowed him to skate by without growing the discipline and football intelligence he needs. He made some dumb choices, but not the kind that end your career, not at 20. He may be in the right place now.

 

[sotnas]

In all honesty, Adu is cr@p.

Questions about his age have been made, when he was at Benfica squad.

Started the season at Belenenses (who were relegated) and he still could not be picked.

New Pele my royal back bottom.

 

[Maverick]

hard to believe he's still just 20 though

here's to seeing him in 2014 back with the USMNT