LONDON -- “Oh boy,” said Bob Bradley, puffing out his cheeks.
It was perhaps the only time the 58-year-old had looked perplexed on Saturday during an otherwise assured first game as Swansea City manager.
He had been asked about the evolution that had taken him from MLS to the Premier League, making him the first American to coach in the English top division. The route was clear: Chicago Fire, New York/New Jersey Metrostars, Chivas USA, US national team, Egypt, Stabaek and Le Havre. But 'the journey’ needed a little more explanation.
“My ideas on football have just continued to grow,” he replied, answering a complex question as succinctly as he could.
“I have worked with real big players and young players. And, when you work with players from different backgrounds in different situations, you take all those experiences then put them together with your ability to handle teams and tough moments. You are always a product of the experiences you have had and you have to just keep trying to make yourself better.”
Bradley knows it will be a challenge to make Swansea better. They dropped into the relegation zone after a 3-2 defeat at Arsenal in his debut on Saturday.
Dressed in all black with his arms firmly crossed, the New Jersey native prowled his technical area in the open 20 minutes as his side struggled to handle the home team’s incessant attack. Theo Walcott scored twice around the half-hour but Arsenal never quite shook off Swansea. Gylfi Sigurdsson got one back and, after Mesut Ozil fired a third for the home side, Borja Baston made it 3-2. A red card for Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka created a frantic finale but, try as they might, Bradley’s side were beaten.
It was a whirlwind welcome to the Premier League, full of pace, passion and incident.
“It was what I expected,” countered Bradley afterwards. “I had not had the chance to be standing in that position for a Premier League game but I have stood close to games like that at the World Cup and Confederation Cup. So you get a taste of what it is like.
“The difference between the top teams, middle teams and bottom teams is tempo. It is about doing things quicker and closing down faster. The speed at which the ball can move.”
With four of his first seven games against sides in the top six, Bradley will need to impose his philosophy at a similar pace. However he was satisfied enough with his first 90 minutes and, perhaps portraying his MLS roots, name-checked the Swansea City supporters group in his press conference.
“In the short time I have been in Swansea I know how special the Jack Army is and their connection between the club and the community,” he said. “I would expect they are not satisfied today but I hope that maybe they saw a few things they liked.”
Bradley had played down the historic part of his appointment in his introductory press conference. “I am not an American manager, I am a football manager,” he declared.
However he allowed himself a little reflection on Saturday. The 1998 MLS Cup and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup winner had noticeably taken the time to survey his surroundings at Emirates Stadium before kick off.
“I like to come out and look around,” he said. “It’s not like a spent all day thinking about it but it was a proud moment to walk out there today for sure."
It was perhaps ironic that Bradley made his bow on the day the manager in the opposite dugout was celebrated in the matchday magazine for surpassing 20 years as Arsenal manager. Arsene Wenger was not the first foreign manager in the Premier League but he has been the longest-serving, the most successful and the most revolutionary.
In his pre-match notes, the Frenchman had written: “I believe Bob Bradley will settle quickly into the Premier League. He’s had enough experience to handle it very well. He is not a beginner. He knows what it is like to adapt to different countries so I don’t think he will have a problem with that.”
