Bridges' Availability Record.

[GrahamC]

I know a lot of people have commented on how few games that he has played due to injury.

So with a bit of digging I've managed to track down his full playing record for last season at Sunderland.

He started 5 league games for them and came on as sub in a further 14, scoring once, at Stoke.

For the reserves he started 9 games, scoring 8 times.

If you're interested the reserve goals came against Wolves, Forest, Villa (2), Bolton, Newcastle, Leeds and Bolton again.

This leads me to 2 conclusions, firstly having been on the pitch for 19 first team games and 9 reserve ones and bearing in mind that he was probably an unused sub for the first team more than once, he was actually fit for most of last season.

Secondly, having scored a lot of reserve goals against teams of that quality it concerns me less that he only got one first team goal.

Obviously his track record with injury makes you cautious but knowing this I'm more optimistic about us signing him.

[Cidergal]

Those are some promising stats. If this guy can keep himself fairly free from injury, we are going to be flying - he's a hell of a talent.

I had a book of all the Premiership teams and players when I was quite little, and in the back it had "up an coming players". There were about 6 on the page and they included... Michael Owen, Rio Ferdinand, Emile Heskey and... Michael Bridges!

THAT is how good a player he could have been, and could be!

[jimmyb]

At the end of the day if you'd told me 5 years ago we'd be signing Michael Bridges today I would assume that meant we were by now firmly established in the top 5 of the premiership. That seriously is how good he was, the guy was pure quality on the fringes of the england squad at that time and was going to be the next big thing.

The fact we are signing him as a league 1 club says a lot about whats gone wrong for him (and us for that matter but thats a story for a different thread).

There is no doubt at all that this guy has the quality - i remember him getting a hat trick for leeds at southampton years back and he was outstanding.

If he can stay fit and get a full season in he will score goals for us and will help get us up. The more and plays and scores the more he gets back in the groove the better and better he'll get again and we will have a real gem on the books.

One year contract says no risk to us really if he does break down again so its a win win situation for us really.

Just please god let him stay fit because this is probably the only signing we've ever made I think that I am genuinely uncontrollably excited about - even more than Sir Marcus of Stewart - if this guy gets fit and back on form he could become of the legends of this club.

[Ian M]

I already did this yesterday

Here

However, you appear to have found 2 more Reserve Games that I didn't whilst he also came off the bench in 2 Cup games in addition to the 19 League Appearances.

He was an unused sub on 6 occasions.

Sunderland took part in 39 fixtures after he joined them.

So 21+6+9=36 games available for.

Not too shabby.

[GrahamC]

I already did this yesterday 

Here

However, you appear to have found 2 more Reserve Games that I didn't whilst he also came off the bench in 2 Cup games in addition to the 19 League Appearances.

He was an unused sub on 6 occasions.

Sunderland took part in 39 fixtures after he joined them.

So 21+6+9=36 games available for.

Not too shabby.

←

Apologies.

[Ian M]

Apologies.

←

I wasn't bothered, you managed to supercede my research reserve game wise anyway which makes the Myth look even more false