Bridgey

[farawaysaint]

What the heck happened to him? He was an incredibly exciting player, and I and most others were rightly gutted when he left. His career post Saints has just stagnated though; in fact, stagnated would be an improvement, he seems to have worsened considerably or is this just my rose tinted view?

[CWD]

He was never the same player after the 2002 World Cup in my opinion. Such a shame, my favourite player as a kid, I've got a shirt with his name on somewhere!

[Window Cleaner]

What the heck happened to him? He was an incredibly exciting player, and I and most others were rightly gutted when he left. His career post Saints has just stagnated though; in fact, stagnated would be an improvement, he seems to have worsened considerably or is this just my rose tinted view?

 

Perhaps time is starting to catch up with him or perhaps he just wasn't as good as many thought he was. Had a few good years at Chelsea but was probably never ever really a top notch player.Seems to lack any sort of basic defensive skills nowadays, prehaps he's just had enough of football it happens, Cantona jacked it in at 30,so have many other great players,probably because they just don't want to go downhill and that they'll be remembered at the height of their game.

Edited 16 June, 2011 by Window Cleaner

[SO16_Saint]

What the heck happened to him? He was an incredibly exciting player, and I and most others were rightly gutted when he left. His career post Saints has just stagnated though; in fact, stagnated would be an improvement, he seems to have worsened considerably or is this just my rose tinted view?

 

I'm still here ffs!

[SnailOB]

What the heck happened to him? He was an incredibly exciting player, and I and most others were rightly gutted when he left. His career post Saints has just stagnated though; in fact, stagnated would be an improvement, he seems to have worsened considerably or is this just my rose tinted view?

 

As soon as he signed his new contract at Chelsea, (in the knowledge he was second behing Ashley Cole for both Chelsea and England) is when he lost it. I would say he chose money over football. How could he compete for an England spot when the man he was fighting with kept him from playing football week in / week out.

 

He was linked with various clubs and only left Chelsea for Man City as they were splashing the cash.

 

Would say he turned into a bit of a footballing mercenary - don't think football really matters to him anymore.

 

All IMHO of course.

[Glasgow_Saint]

I'm still here ffs!

 

hahahaha brilliant humour

[Dibden Purlieu Saint]

For anyone that has met him, you could have guaranteed his career would go like this. Arrogant, and all about the money. People have a go at Michael Owen, but what Wayne Bridge and (to a lesser extent) Carlo Cudicini have done is sell there football careers.

[sammysaint]

He went on loan to west ham still a city player on serious money have a friend who knows him well, he's a lucky man earning all that money and going out with that frankie from the saturdays she is fit.

[LGTL]

He is absolutely loaded, but has acheived nothing. Personal choice I suppose, can't say I blame him.

[theyin]

The Chelsea effect, Duff, Parker, the Blackburn fella that went there and then to Scotland

[sambosa75]

He went on loan to west ham still a city player on serious money have a friend who knows him well, he's a lucky man earning all that money and going out with that frankie from the saturdays she is fit.

 

I'm not sure I could do her, knowing full well I was having a go on an S Club Junior.

[sambosa75]

The Chelsea effect, Duff, Parker, the Blackburn fella that went there and then to Scotland

 

Chris Sutton? He was $hite anyway.

[VectisSaint]

He is absolutely loaded, but has acheived nothing. Personal choice I suppose, can't say I blame him.

Sort of know where you are coming from, but "achieved nothing" is a slight exaggeration. There are thousands of players who do not have a Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup Winners medal, not to mention an FA Cup (and League Cup) Runners-up as well. Also capped 36 times for England.

[sammysaint]

I'm not sure I could do her, knowing full well I was having a go on an S Club Junior.

 

 

I use to think that until i saw her as keith lemon would say i would ruin that..

[SaintNeil90]

As soon as he signed his new contract at Chelsea, (in the knowledge he was second behing Ashley Cole for both Chelsea and England) is when he lost it. I would say he chose money over football. How could he compete for an England spot when the man he was fighting with kept him from playing football week in / week out.

 

Not true at all. Bridge signed for Chelsea in 2003, Cole signed for Chelsea in 2006. He signed for Chelsea when Abramovich first took over at Chelsea and Ranieri was manager. I think considering bridge was about 23 at the time and one of the best left backs in the country, signing for Chelsea + the rise in his wages was the right decision. He then got injured towards the end of the 2004/05 season which meant he lost his place in the team to Del Horno. It was then in 2006 that Cole signed and was preferred by Mouriniho. He then played a bit part for Chelsea but did captain the side in 2008/09 for a game when Lampard and Terry were injured. He maybe should have left Chelsea sooner but was anyone willing to pay the money Chelsea wanted for him? probably not.

[Gordon Mockles]

As soon as he signed his new contract at Chelsea, (in the knowledge he was second behing Ashley Cole for both Chelsea and England) is when he lost it. I would say he chose money over football.

 

Would say he turned into a bit of a footballing mercenary - don't think football really matters to him anymore.

 

 

Makes me laugh all these self-proclaimed people of principle and feckless fans that berate footballers for wanting to make as much money as they can during their short careers.

 

Yes, they are over-paid, many struggle with monogamy and have arrogance in abundance twinned with egos almost as large as a certain ex chairmen but can you blame ANYONE for trying to earn as much money as possible in their lifetime? More so, those with children. It makes me laugh at the sheer double standards. Absolutely laughable.

 

I mean, you may have worked your way up the ladder for XXX.limited in Winchester on £36,000.000/P.A. (Having been an apprentice since school). Working hard you vastly enhance the production output of the company.

Then, some Blue Chip London company head hunts you and trebles your salary, making you a partner and head of production. Brilliant! Downside being, you won’t be doing what you loved most, managing the masses and working with the people. They prefer to use your skills acquired at boardroom and management level. Mind you, they are paying you 3x what you did earn. Would you be a sell out t*sser taking the position and would you turn it down on your staunch principles? You’d be thick if you did, sticking to some obscure belief that you must keep it real, keep in touch with the people and earning too much money is bad, evil and plain wrong? I doubt it although you may well hear further bizarre words of misguidance from people who deplore success and, of course, aren’t at all jealous. You may even be lucky enough to meet the smug hindsight gang – unashamed men of the highest intellect that could resolve all the world’s problems after observing many failed attempts by the highest authorities.

 

Not all aimed at you Snail but it does make me laugh when people berate a player for being a squad player and moving to one of the best paying football clubs in the world. I’m sure they are noble to a fault and principled beyond belief and would remain on £9,000/week rather than accept a 4 year contract on £65,000/week (pure guess work) for just training and the occasional appearance. Much better for our future to earn 10k/week more at another club BUT you’re playing football. Forget the 9.5 million extra you could have earned at Filthy Rich FC! Unbelievable opinion. Absolutely ludicrous. No offence. Just the funniest case of double standards I have ever read. Must be trolling.

[scott_saints]

Hcdajfu

[SnailOB]

Not true at all. Bridge signed for Chelsea in 2003, Cole signed for Chelsea in 2006. He signed for Chelsea when Abramovich first took over at Chelsea and Ranieri was manager. I think considering bridge was about 23 at the time and one of the best left backs in the country, signing for Chelsea + the rise in his wages was the right decision. He then got injured towards the end of the 2004/05 season which meant he lost his place in the team to Del Horno. It was then in 2006 that Cole signed and was preferred by Mouriniho. He then played a bit part for Chelsea but did captain the side in 2008/09 for a game when Lampard and Terry were injured. He maybe should have left Chelsea sooner but was anyone willing to pay the money Chelsea wanted for him? probably not.

 

To clarify - once Cole signed for Chelsea as preferred first choice, Bridge had opportunity to move but was offered a 'new' contract at Chelsea and decided to stay well in knowledge he would be second choice for chelsea meaning that he could never realistically compete with Cole to be Englands first choice.

[SnailOB]

Makes me laugh all these self-proclaimed people of principle and feckless fans that berate footballers for wanting to make as much money as they can during their short careers.

 

Yes, they are over-paid, many struggle with monogamy and have arrogance in abundance twinned with egos almost as large as a certain ex chairmen but can you blame ANYONE for trying to earn as much money as possible in their lifetime? More so, those with children. It makes me laugh at the sheer double standards. Absolutely laughable.

 

I mean, you may have worked your way up the ladder for XXX.limited in Winchester on £36,000.000/P.A. (Having been an apprentice since school). Working hard you vastly enhance the production output of the company.

Then, some Blue Chip London company head hunts you and trebles your salary, making you a partner and head of production. Brilliant! Downside being, you won’t be doing what you loved most, managing the masses and working with the people. They prefer to use your skills acquired at boardroom and management level. Mind you, they are paying you 3x what you did earn. Would you be a sell out t*sser taking the position and would you turn it down on your staunch principles? You’d be thick if you did, sticking to some obscure belief that you must keep it real, keep in touch with the people and earning too much money is bad, evil and plain wrong? I doubt it although you may well hear further bizarre words of misguidance from people who deplore success and, of course, aren’t at all jealous. You may even be lucky enough to meet the smug hindsight gang – unashamed men of the highest intellect that could resolve all the world’s problems after observing many failed attempts by the highest authorities.

 

Not all aimed at you Snail but it does make me laugh when people berate a player for being a squad player and moving to one of the best paying football clubs in the world. I’m sure they are noble to a fault and principled beyond belief and would remain on £9,000/week rather than accept a 4 year contract on £65,000/week (pure guess work) for just training and the occasional appearance. Much better for our future to earn 10k/week more at another club BUT you’re playing football. Forget the 9.5 million extra you could have earned at Filthy Rich FC! Unbelievable opinion. Absolutely ludicrous. No offence. Just the funniest case of double standards I have ever read. Must be trolling.

 

No offence taken.

 

I remember watching Bridgey for Saints and at the time I believed he was good enough to be an England regular and was good enough to play for a team such as Chelsea. Do not wish to appear self-proclaiming etc.., I'm sure Bridge has very few regrets with the way his career has gone but purely from a playing point of view, i thought he could have been a VERY good player BUT it 'seems' that lure of money stopped that.

 

The poster was asking if Bridges career had stagnated and why - i offered an opinion, thats all.

Edited 16 June, 2011 by SnailOB
.

[the stain]

Makes me laugh all these self-proclaimed people of principle and feckless fans that berate footballers for wanting to make as much money as they can during their short careers.

 

Not sure it was a point of principle, more a point of fact. He chose the big money contract that would keep him on the bench, therefore his career has stagnated in footballing terms. That's not a moral judgement, it's just what happened. He chose money over football.

[CanadaSaint]

Bridgey is just one of many who have signed for the big clubs, full of justified hope, only to discover that they were never more than one bad game away from being replaced with an even more expensive signing.

 

The stakes are so high at that level that some of these players were signed not because the big club really wanted or needed them, but because they wanted to keep them away from their biggest rivals.

 

That's sick and it has cost a lot of good players the careers they deserved.

[Jonnyboy]

Makes me laugh all these self-proclaimed people of principle and feckless fans that berate footballers for wanting to make as much money as they can during their short careers.

 

Yes, they are over-paid, many struggle with monogamy and have arrogance in abundance twinned with egos almost as large as a certain ex chairmen but can you blame ANYONE for trying to earn as much money as possible in their lifetime? More so, those with children. It makes me laugh at the sheer double standards. Absolutely laughable.

 

I mean, you may have worked your way up the ladder for XXX.limited in Winchester on £36,000.000/P.A. (Having been an apprentice since school). Working hard you vastly enhance the production output of the company.

Then, some Blue Chip London company head hunts you and trebles your salary, making you a partner and head of production. Brilliant! Downside being, you won’t be doing what you loved most, managing the masses and working with the people. They prefer to use your skills acquired at boardroom and management level. Mind you, they are paying you 3x what you did earn. Would you be a sell out t*sser taking the position and would you turn it down on your staunch principles? You’d be thick if you did, sticking to some obscure belief that you must keep it real, keep in touch with the people and earning too much money is bad, evil and plain wrong? I doubt it although you may well hear further bizarre words of misguidance from people who deplore success and, of course, aren’t at all jealous. You may even be lucky enough to meet the smug hindsight gang – unashamed men of the highest intellect that could resolve all the world’s problems after observing many failed attempts by the highest authorities.

 

Not all aimed at you Snail but it does make me laugh when people berate a player for being a squad player and moving to one of the best paying football clubs in the world. I’m sure they are noble to a fault and principled beyond belief and would remain on £9,000/week rather than accept a 4 year contract on £65,000/week (pure guess work) for just training and the occasional appearance. Much better for our future to earn 10k/week more at another club BUT you’re playing football. Forget the 9.5 million extra you could have earned at Filthy Rich FC! Unbelievable opinion. Absolutely ludicrous. No offence. Just the funniest case of double standards I have ever read. Must be trolling.

 

You must hate Matthew Le Tissier

[hughieslastminutegoal]

Perhaps time is starting to catch up with him or perhaps he just wasn't as good as many thought he was. Had a few good years at Chelsea but was probably never ever really a top notch player.Seems to lack any sort of basic defensive skills nowadays, prehaps he's just had enough of football it happens, Cantona jacked it in at 30,so have many other great players,probably because they just don't want to go downhill and that they'll be remembered at the height of their game.

 

There's no perhaps about it. When he went to Chelsea anyone with half a brain knew he'd spend most of the time on the bench, and then not even on the bench. He was embarrasingly bad when he played for England, his pass completions were below 30% I read when he had a go in midfield. Mind you, that was under that total phoney, Sven G E.

 

He's an ordinary player who had a good season and a half, who has been very, very lucky to earn what he has. And that he has continued to earn so well says volumes about the idiots who run a lot of football clubs in this country.

 

Mind you it's nothing new. Tony Hately in the 60s/70s went from club to club at (then) huge transfer fees doing very little at any of them. Some people just continue to get signed on their name.

Edited 16 June, 2011 by hughieslastminutegoal

[OldNick]

id still like him to come back to SMS and sign

[Crab Lungs]

id still like him to come back to SMS and sign

 

I would much rather have Dickson and Harding, thanks. Not just because of wages but because, IMO, they're actually better players at this very moment. Bridge is sh1te now, really sh1te. And expensive.

[Crazy Diamond]

Not sure about this money grabber theory. Have met him and can't say that occurred to me. He even wanted to rejoin us in 2005 when we were struggling in the Championship under Redknapp, believe it or not. In the end Fulham made him a promise of first team football so he went on loan there.

[Seaford Saint]

You internet warriors make me laugh.....Chelsea signed him because he was rubbish and so did Man City....oh dear oh dear.

 

Would he have been better if he had played regular footy of course he would. He was England's second choice for much of his career, he was that bad.

 

The sooner the new footy season starts the better

[scotty]

Somebody already mentioned his injury, but wasnt it a really bad one, not long after he left us? I seem to recall it was a badly broken leg that kept him out for ages. Could be wrong, dont quote me.

[Super_Uwe]

Somebody already mentioned his injury, but wasnt it a really bad one, not long after he left us? I seem to recall it was a badly broken leg that kept him out for ages. Could be wrong, dont quote me.

 

Indeed you are right. Have a look at the description here, ouch!

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/4382912.stm

 

His game was all about pace and bursting down the line, but I'd be amazed if his ankle is anyway near 70-80% of the strength it used to be.

 

I think he's had a good career, the timing of the injury and the subsequent signing of Ashley Cole at Chelsea probably didn't help him personally, but good on him.

 

Let's not forget he burst onto the scene with Saints and pretty much disappeared for a year before being reverted to left-back. I reckon if you'd told him back in '99 he'd play for Chelsea, win the Premier League and get 36 England caps, he'd have been happy!

[Trumush]

Multi millionaire and sh**ging a pop star - where did it all go wrong Wayne !!!!!!

[Crab Lungs]

Seriously? Two decent league 1 players versus someone whose had a rubbish season in the premiership but ultimately proven class?

 

On current form and form of the last two years, I'd have our left backs every time. Bridge has completely lost most of his best attributes so he'd probably struggle whatever level

[scotty]

On current form and form of the last two years, I'd have our left backs every time. Bridge has completely lost most of his best attributes so he'd probably struggle whatever level

 

...including his bird Vanessa.....[badabing, rimshot]

[Seany S]

He then played a bit part for Chelsea but did captain the side in 2008/09 for a game when Lampard and Terry were injured.

 

They weren't injured, the pair of them were probably roasting Bridgey's missus.

[sammysaint]

Some people cant be serious about bridgey being ****, he would walk into our team and any team in this league and i would say at least 5/6 prem teams would have him as a 1st team regular.

[Colinjb]

Multi millionaire and sh**ging a pop star - where did it all go wrong Wayne !!!!!!

 

This. The boy done good.

 

As for most footballers at that level, his playing career is almost secondary.

[Scoobysaint]

Chris Marsden had a big impact on Bridgey. He allowed him to bomb on without having to worry too much about charging back. It was simple, Marsden tucked in a bit, got a ball from Bridgey and then fed it down the line to give him a one on one against their retreating full back. All the clubs he has been at since he has played behind orthodox wingers so he has been trying to push on into their target space. Good player but I think he should have moved up field like Gareth Bale as his defending was always a little suspect.

[westofshannonsaint]

Love to see bridge back at Saints... I wonder does he have his coaching badges, no better place to earn them other than one of the best academy's in the country.

 

the only problem i see is that city want to sell him, I don't think we'll see him here unless it's a loan.

[ant]

Not sure about this money grabber theory. Have met him and can't say that occurred to me. He even wanted to rejoin us in 2005 when we were struggling in the Championship under Redknapp, believe it or not. In the end Fulham made him a promise of first team football so he went on loan there.

 

I think there's certainly some truth in that. When a colleague and fellow Saints fan met Bridge at an event late last year Wayne told him that he his heart wasn't in the move to Chelsea and that Lowe was pulling the strings on the deal. I'll let you lot extrapolate the potential worthiness of that statement from the bull**** (because of course I'm sure the salary had nothing to do with it!)

[Golden Balls]

I'm sorry. But to chose Dan hArding and Ryan Dickson over Bridge is madness! Take of the rose tinted glasses. He is good enough for a lower prem team. Would welcome him back with open arms, and I think he'd be very happy here which would improve his game.

 

Imagine him and Lallana on the left. Jesus!

[Crab Lungs]

I'm sorry. But to chose Dan hArding and Ryan Dickson over Bridge is madness! Take of the rose tinted glasses. He is good enough for a lower prem team. Would welcome him back with open arms, and I think he'd be very happy here which would improve his game.

 

Imagine him and Lallana on the left. Jesus!

 

It's nothing to do with having rose tinted glasses at all for me, personally. Just because he has somehow managed to mug a living in the PL for the past 3-4 years doesn't make him any good any more. He's be woeful and has lost almost all of his attributes. If you put him up against someone like Nathan Dyer, he would be skinned, almost every time.... 5 years ago, he was the best left-back in England and had everything.

 

These days he's a shadow of a shadow of a shadow of his former self. IMO.

[Saint Garrett]

Ridiculous. He's still a very good player. May have lost a few key attributes, but to state that he wouldn't get in our team ahead of Dickson or Harding is absolute madness.

[saintedwill]

It's nothing to do with having rose tinted glasses at all for me, personally. Just because he has somehow managed to mug a living in the PL for the past 3-4 years doesn't make him any good any more. He's be woeful and has lost almost all of his attributes. If you put him up against someone like Nathan Dyer, he would be skinned, almost every time.... 5 years ago, he was the best left-back in England and had everything.

 

These days he's a shadow of a shadow of a shadow of his former self. IMO.

 

but if you put dickson or harding against Dyer they would be skinned every time. Bridge could still do a job at somewhere like Swansea/QPR/Norwich - Harding and Dickson wouldn't get a look in

[belgrave]

He was in The Otter the other week

[SO5 4BW]

For a couple of seasons he was the best left back we've ever had - and I loved him for this:

 

Think there's some truth in the idea that is career stalled after Chelsea bought Cole. He'd still get into our team though

[david in sweden]

What the heck happened to him? He was an incredibly exciting player, and I and most others were rightly gutted when he left. His career post Saints has just stagnated though; in fact, stagnated would be an improvement, he seems to have worsened considerably or is this just my rose tinted view?

 

Don't make the mistake of thinking that players retain their fantastic form ..forever

With age and personal / injury problems... things change. Wayne did quite well in the period after he left us.

But for the fact that Chelsea then signed Ashley Cole meant that he was always going to be second choice, both for Chelsea and England.

In any other Prem. club he would have been first choice LB for 6-8 seasons.

 

He did have an England career (of sorts) and got in when Cole was injured, and later had a very bad injury that kept him out for most of one season. Trying to regain get 110% fit and regain form was also an issue and Cole was still playing VERY well.

 

I'm sure the " girlfriend issue " didn't help his attitude towards JT and the Chelsea clubs response.

Of course he wants to play, but he has to have a chance in a club who are willing to play him and give him a role.

 

As for the money ...it was the clubs who agreed to pay him enormous wages ..and then not play him . Can't blame him for that.

 

Careers short enough and Wayne will be 31 when the season starts. I'm sure there are some Saints fans who'd like to see him back - even for old time's sake - he is still a hero to some, and providing he was willing to be more realistic about wage demands.

Edited 20 June, 2011 by david in sweden

[angelman]

Makes me laugh all these self-proclaimed people of principle and feckless fans that berate footballers for wanting to make as much money as they can during their short careers.

 

I find it amusing this argument about having a short playing career. Can't they get another job after they finish playing? In the olden days, they seemed to, but now, they like to think that they can retire after football. A lot of the PL players can, and good luck to them.

 

But I agree that there is nothing wrong in trying to maximise your earnings, and if Chelsea were offering £10-20k (or possibly more) than the next club, then it would be hard to turn that down. To a certain extent I think clubs like Chelsea don't mind taking these type players and keeping them as back-up because it also stops their competitors playing them.

 

As for Bridgey, I always thought that his main problem was that he could only use one foot. In our team that didn't matter so much, as that was more than adequate. I always thought that he was one of our best players, but I guess that is the difference between us and Chelsea. They can afford the best, and when you but WB up against someone who could use both feet and be more defensively minded, he looked a little out of place. That shouldn't have mattered at WHU, but I wonder how his form was affected by having not played that often.

 

Years Team Apps† (Gls)†

1998–2003 Southampton 151 (2)

2003–2009 Chelsea 87 (1)

2006 → Fulham (loan) 12 (0)

2009– Manchester City 42 (0)

2011 → West Ham United (loan) 15 (0)

 

Will be interesting to see what he does now that he is approaching 31. If he could play to his best ability, I guess he has 4 maybe 5 years at the top. He could do worse in respect of his playing career to drop down a division (probably on loan) but that might not suit his financial plans.

[rolosfc]

He was never the same player after the 2002 World Cup in my opinion. Such a shame, my favourite player as a kid, I've got a shirt with his name on somewhere!

 

Me too, yellow shirt with Bridge 18 on the back and an England shirt with Bridge 3 on the back. Always remember his debut against Liverpool at the Dell when he came on for Beresford and loved him ever since. Real shame his career has faded away.

[Victor]

Chris Sutton? He was $hite anyway.

 

You might just as well have said "I know ****all about football".

[MrMojoRisin]

I would much rather have Dickson and Harding, thanks. Not just because of wages but because, IMO, they're actually better players at this very moment. Bridge is sh1te now, really sh1te. And expensive.

 

Yeah thats right crabs lets not get bridgey back and keep possibly two of the worst left backs I have seen play for the SS,

 

BONKERS

[funkymojo44]

Eh? Harding is one of the best players we've acquired for many a season and definitely one of the best defenders.