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Latest Rumours Jack Bridge to Return

Bridge was quite raw when he was with us. He's had a couple of years' experience in a tough league now, hopefully he's grown up a bit.

To be honest I'd prefer it if we kept Osadebe on, but it looks like that ship has sailed.
 
Bridge was quite raw when he was with us. He's had a couple of years' experience in a tough league now, hopefully he's grown up a bit.

To be honest I'd prefer it if we kept Osadebe on, but it looks like that ship has sailed.

I think it is high time the Chairman made a public statement concerning Osadebe and Vassell. They left Macclesfield and signed for Southend in good faith. They did not know Southend had been embargoed. The club has a professional commitment to them, and it up to the Chairman to demonstrate loyality is a two-way street. He wants players to run through brick walls for the club and he, in turn, should stick by players that have demonstrated their commitment to the club he runs.
 
He will just end up like the Macclesfield two waiting for Ron to table a offer, instead this time a club will beat us to it:Cry:
 
I wouldn't mind seeing Jack Bridge back at Roots Hall.

People/players mature and develop a great deal from the age of 20 to 25 so there is reason to believe that the returning Jack Bridge may be significantly different from the one that left - even then Jack showed promise but now has experience as well.

Simple (but in reality highly complex) things such as playing the right midfield combination and wise words from the right manager could easily make the difference in terms of performance.
 
Not doubting your opinion of his time at Chelmsford as you know your stuff but Bridge was certainly not ready for L1 under PB.....Way out of his depth at CM and even anonymous at LM in the cheackafraud v Reading under 21's.
kept signalling to Maher to come off at Ricay and from my observation, the laziest as well as hardly touching the ball in training on the day I watched.

Will be more than happy to be proved wrong if he has learnt the hard way via Carlisle. Big statements from your agent about how far you can run before you even walk....Should be taken with a pinch of sea salt.
I'd probably be of the same opinion if I hadn't seen some very special performances at Chelmsford. People are only ever gonna judge from what they see, I'm the same. I'm guessing Maher and Duncan both think there is a player in there. I very much doubt we'll have anything to get excited about when it comes to signings this summer so I'm gonna peg my hopes on Jack finally realising that potential. Chances are this will come back to haunt me but if he does come good I will be unbearable with "I told you so" haha
 
I'd probably be of the same opinion if I hadn't seen some very special performances at Chelmsford. People are only ever gonna judge from what they see, I'm the same. I'm guessing Maher and Duncan both think there is a player in there. I very much doubt we'll have anything to get excited about when it comes to signings this summer so I'm gonna peg my hopes on Jack finally realising that potential. Chances are this will come back to haunt me but if he does come good I will be unbearable with "I told you so" haha

Like I say i'm not doubting you and its fair to say I usually point out the good in a player even after one look as I did with Kelman, Dru, Hutchinson and the lad who went to Swindon......Never had that feeling with Bridge. Not in anyway saying he is a poor player but wheres the one thing that sets you out form 100's of other neat and tidy academy players.

There are lots of players who have promise but don't make that final step. Others like Pigott or Woodyard just take longer and perhaps need a does of reality in the real world to make them up their game.

The one thing that has been disappointing with both Barratt and Goodship is their work rate.....Having been given the chance you would hope someone from non league would at least be a worker.....Lets hope Bridge has learned his lesson and I will be the first to say Ricky told me so.
 
Like I say i'm not doubting you and its fair to say I usually point out the good in a player even after one look as I did with Kelman, Dru, Hutchinson and the lad who went to Swindon......Never had that feeling with Bridge. Not in anyway saying he is a poor player but wheres the one thing that sets you out form 100's of other neat and tidy academy players.

There are lots of players who have promise but don't make that final step. Others like Pigott or Woodyard just take longer and perhaps need a does of reality in the real world to make them up their game.

The one thing that has been disappointing with both Barratt and Goodship is their work rate.....Having been given the chance you would hope someone from non league would at least be a worker.....Lets hope Bridge has learned his lesson and I will be the first to say Ricky told me so.

Yep, loads of talented players about who just don't have the mindset to make it. James Stevens who we had here and sturrock gave a debut to ended up in Sunday league playing for my club priory sports. Unbelievable talent, would put every dead ball in the top bins. Was overweight, couldn't run much but had an abundance of natural talent and never lost the ball. I often wonder what he could have done if he had the mental strength to keep his weight down and apply himself.

You don't get many chances in football so you have to take them. It's tough that at a young carefree age a lack of application could cost you massively. I think if I had the talent I could well have been one of the many that blew their chance, I just wasn't mature enough in my early 20s. Luckily that wasn't a problem as I never had the talent ?
 
True. They also hold a record as the only team in history to go:

4th division
3rd division
2nd division
1st division
2nd division
3rd division
4th division

in successive seasons.

Sorry to spoil both the story and the symmetry but they didn't !!

Their three promotions up took five years as did the three relegations down again.
 
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Yep, loads of talented players about who just don't have the mindset to make it. James Stevens who we had here and sturrock gave a debut to ended up in Sunday league playing for my club priory sports. Unbelievable talent, would put every dead ball in the top bins. Was overweight, couldn't run much but had an abundance of natural talent and never lost the ball. I often wonder what he could have done if he had the mental strength to keep his weight down and apply himself.

You don't get many chances in football so you have to take them. It's tough that at a young carefree age a lack of application could cost you massively. I think if I had the talent I could well have been one of the many that blew their chance, I just wasn't mature enough in my early 20s. Luckily that wasn't a problem as I never had the talent ?
I remember thinking he was the bollocks in the youth team, as I did several of that group. Is mad the levels you have to be at physically and mentally to make it
 
I remember thinking he was the bollocks in the youth team, as I did several of that group. Is mad the levels you have to be at physically and mentally to make it

Absolutely. And it’s very underestimated by us fans too often.

I joke not, in terms of dedication, resilience, Single-mindedness, work rate and thick skins, footballers knock spots off most other professions.

All for 10 years of first team football - if they’re really good!
 
Absolutely. And it’s very underestimated by us fans too often.

I joke not, in terms of dedication, resilience, Single-mindedness, work rate and thick skins, footballers knock spots off most other professions.

All for 10 years of first team football - if they’re really good!

Pffft, that won’t stop me from hurling abuse and insults at each and every one of them when they misplace a pass, or miss an open goal from 6-yards.
 
I remember thinking he was the bollocks in the youth team, as I did several of that group. Is mad the levels you have to be at physically and mentally to make it
It one of the most important attributes, the correct mentality. The league is full of hardworking pros with limited ability and non league is full of players with talent and sob stories. When you get the full package you end up with someone like Cristiano Ronaldo, amazing talent and a work ethic and mentality that I think is unmatched.
 
Sorry to spoil both the story and the symmetry but they didn't !!

Their three promotions up took five years as did the three promotions down again.

You are indeed almost correct. It seems division 3 was the sticking point on the way up and the way down and division 2 was a sticking point on the way up, so it took 5 years up and 4 years down.
 
It one of the most important attributes, the correct mentality. The league is full of hardworking pros with limited ability and non league is full of players with talent and sob stories. When you get the full package you end up with someone like Cristiano Ronaldo, amazing talent and a work ethic and mentality that I think is unmatched.

Its often those that have to work a bit harder that become more successful. There have been dozens of gifted players who never pushed it enough to make much of their England career....Tony Currie, Frank Worthington, Matt Le Tissier and even Stan.....Yet Keegan, Platt, Lineker and Shearer worked harder too get to the very top.

As you say every local club in the land has a 'He could have made" it story....The truth is they were 10 levels away and for a 1000 different reasons.
 
It one of the most important attributes, the correct mentality. The league is full of hardworking pros with limited ability and non league is full of players with talent and sob stories. When you get the full package you end up with someone like Cristiano Ronaldo, amazing talent and a work ethic and mentality that I think is unmatched.
Being a professional footballer is a lot harder than people think, look at Ridgewell last season and how shockingly off the pace he was in his one appearance.It was embarrassing. He was by no means alone. Contrast with the likes of Bishop and Kelman who were very disciplined and self motivated hence why higher division clubs were/are interested.
Many a player at our level will look the part and has as we’ve seen .. but never make it. The personality of a player is more important than the ability in many ways.
 
It one of the most important attributes, the correct mentality. The league is full of hardworking pros with limited ability and non league is full of players with talent and sob stories. When you get the full package you end up with someone like Cristiano Ronaldo, amazing talent and a work ethic and mentality that I think is unmatched.

The first thought that jumped to my head once I finished reading your post was a certain Lee Sawyer.

I see posts still to this day on twitter from Non-league managers/players/media that say Lee is just far too good for non-league football. Funnily enough I actually think it was former youth player Jason Williams who said one of the best players he played with was Sawyer, (played together while Jason was on loan at Chelmsford)
 
Being a professional footballer is a lot harder than people think, look at Ridgewell last season and how shockingly off the pace he was in his one appearance.It was embarrassing. He was by no means alone. Contrast with the likes of Bishop and Kelman who were very disciplined and self motivated hence why higher division clubs were/are interested.
Many a player at our level will look the part and has as we’ve seen .. but never make it. The personality of a player is more important than the ability in many ways.

I agree with this ... and the truly great players often have exceptional mentalitys verging on the obssesive or an edge of madness ... think of Gazza, Maradonna etc etc .. or Clough

and often it takes a really unusual personality to get to the top table at pro football in the Uk cos all the best players in the world are here ... even at our level we have loads of overseas players ..

and top managers - they are a bit touched .. a bit odd ... Klopp etc

which is why it was so deeply terribly hurtful and very very upsetting that we lost Sol
 
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