Bradley reckons he's as good as Pep and Klopp... now he's got the chance to prove he's right
- Bob Bradley has replaced Francesco Guidolin as manager of Swansea
- He becomes the first American to manage in the Premier League
- Bradley believes he is among the best managers in world football
- The former USA manager takes over a side 17th in the Premier League
Bob Bradley is certainly not a man short on confidence.
Speaking to American radio station SiriusXM back in May, Swansea City’s new manager asserted that he should be considered among the world’s best.
Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, Jurgen Klopp, Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel, Bradley believes he is your equal.
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‘When I have a chance to observe different managers, the ones that do good work, I mention Pochettino, Klopp, Tuchel,’ the American said. ‘We haven’t even talked about the Guardiolas and the Ancelottis.
‘But I’ll tell you what - maybe I’m stupid - but I think I’m a manager in and around that level.’
Well, the 58-year-old from New Jersey now has a very high-profile platform on which to prove it after he replaced Francesco Guidolin at Premier League strugglers Swansea on Monday.
And he’ll have to hit the ground running at a club that currently sits outside the relegation zone on goal difference alone.
BOB BRADLEY'S CV
1981–1983: Ohio Bobcats
1983–1984: Virginia Cavaliers (assistant)
1984–1995: Princeton Tigers
1996: United States U23: (assistant)
1996–1997: D.C. United (assistant)
1998–2002: Chicago Fire
2003–2005: MetroStars
2006: Chivas USA
2006–2007: United States U23
2006–2011: United States
2011–2013: Egypt
2014–2015: Stabaek
2015–2016: Le Havre
2016-: Swansea
Their next four fixtures include contests against Arsenal and Manchester United, not to mention a crunch trip to fellow strugglers Stoke City.
His coaching career has spanned 35 years and four countries though it is his five-year stint as coach of the United States national side between 2006 and 2011 that he is best known for.
England fans may remember him from the 2010 World Cup, when the US recovered from Steven Gerrard’s early goal to draw 1-1 following Robert Green’s howler.
The result led to the famous New York Post headline: ‘USA wins 1-1: Greatest tie against the British since Bunker Hill.’
His American team were most definitely the equal of Fabio Capello’s sorry and sluggish Three Lions side at that tournament.
Having edged them out to take top spot in Group C, Bradley’s men lost in extra time to Ghana in the round of 16, the day before England were thumped by Germany.
But Bradley’s tournament record was very good. They reached the final of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, beating star-studded Spain 2-0 en route, before surrendering a two-goal lead to lose to Brazil.
Three times they reached the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup during his tenure. They beat Mexico in 2007, but suffered chastening defeats to their southern neighbours in 2009 and 2011, the latter leading to Bradley’s departure.
Bradley then had two chaotic years in charge of Egypt, his time there coinciding with the political and social upheaval of the 2011 Revolution.
His cause not helped by the suspension of the domestic league, Bradley’s team lost out to Ghana in qualifying for the 2014 World Cup.
Since then, Bradley has had spells at Stabaek in Norway - becoming the first American to coach in a European first division - and the French second division side Le Havre.
PREMIER LEAGUE MANAGERS BY NATIONALITY
110 - England
34 - Scotland
11 - Italy
7 - France, Holland, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Spain, Wales
2 - Argentina, Croatia, Germany, Norway, Portugal, Sweden
1 - Brazil, Chile, Denmark, Israel, Switzerland, Uruguay, USA
They narrowly missed out on promotion to Ligue 1 last season, trailing Metz only on goals scored.
Bradley’s early career was forged in his homeland, with a string of College teams and MLS sides Chicago Fire, New Jersey Metrostars and Chivas USA.
His son, Michael, is the present captain of the US team and plays for Toronto in Major League Soccer.
As his comments about being among the world’s best coaches proves, Bradley is not a figure lacking in self-belief. Given Swansea’s predicament, that may be no bad thing.
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