Claudio Bravo

Claudio Bravo
Image from: denverpost.com

Claudio Andres Bravo Munoz





Current Club: Manchester City.

Previous Clubs: Barcelona, Real Sociedad, Colo Colo.

Loan Clubs: N/A.





International: Chile 119 caps.

Trophies Won: UEFA Champions League 2014/15. English Premier League 2017/18. English League Cup 2018. Spanish La Liga Champion 2014/15, 2015/16. Spanish Cup 2014/15. Spanish Super Cup 2016/17. FIFA Club World Cup 2016. Chilean League 2006. Copa America 2014/15, 2015/16. UEFA Supercup 2014/15.





If you had only seen Bravo playing for Man City, you could be forgiven for thinking he was utterly hopeless and amongst the worst ever keepers to play professional football. He was a disaster after his arrival, with a genuine inability to stop even the simplest shot. It was like he had never seen a football before in his life. But that was not the Bravo of previous years, it was a Bravo whose confidence had been completely and utterly shot.



The Bravo that had anchored Chile to two Copa America titles and been extremely effective in Spanish football was a very decent shot stopper, though never top level. His key strengths were his ability to be an extra man on the pitch, to be a part of the build up play and distribute the ball effectively, rather than just booting the ball when it came to his feet. Bravo was perfectly suited to the quick counter attack play that Chile employed, with his ability to distribute quickly and accurately.



His reading of the game is excellent, which had allowed the Barca defence to push up higher and let him cover space in behind. However his legs have begun to go and that made him less able to cover the ground in behind, making him less use to Man City and failing to make up for his loss of confidence when it came to making saves.



A major weakness in Bravo's game has always been when a game gets physical. He is not the kind of keeper that cleans all out before him and just goes and get the ball when it is crossed in. He almost shies away from that kind of physical contact at times. That is something that really counts against him in the English league, where physicality can be key at times.



At the age of 35, there is little chance of any kind of recovery of form and confidence in time to save his Premier League career. Sadly a once very good keeper has become a shadow of his former self.