Right - I'm going to say it...

[TonyGilroy]

On Sunday we'll have 9 players competing for 4 starting positions.

Dempsey, Dembele, Duff, Gera, Davies, Zamora, Johnson, Gudjohnson and Kakuta.

Of those 9 I reckon Dempsey is more certain to start than any of the others apart, perhaps, from Dembele and that would be because Mark Hughes sees what he's worth and that's an opinion worth more than any of ours.

Dempsey offers endeavour and goal threat.

[Ordar]

Ha ha, well how about this! Stat from OptaJoe posted a few minutes ago:

@OptaJoe 37 - Only Didier Drogba (39) has hit more shots on target in the PL this season than Fulham's Clint Dempsey. Offense.

Dempsey does love a 30 yard pea roller though, much like drogba to be fair

[MJG]

ok he does fall over a lot, and lose the ball, and shots from any position, and fails to help his fullback, and seems to not understand how to run into space, oh and he lacks pace.....but he is top goalscorer.

[Ordar]

ok he does fall over a lot, and lose the ball, and shots from any position, and fails to help his fullback, and seems to not understand how to run into space, oh and he lacks pace.....but he is top goalscorer.

Exactly!  :045:

[BalDrick]

With regard to his long shots, you have to assume that if Hughes was unimpressed, he'd have had a word. Doesn't always connect but they're always worth a go the way the ball swerves these days like Botham under leaden skies. Because of that, there's always the chance the keeper won't hold it - a corner or a tap-in for any striker following it up. Bearing in mind how many players teams put between us and the goal, sometimes a dig is the better option.

[jarv]

OK, you generated a lot here but I will add my tuppence worth.  You have got to be joking :58: He is pure class. First touch is excellent. I said when we signed hiom, he reminded me of a young Rodney marsh (he didn't have too much pace either).  Good players without much pace...Adebayor, Shearer,, Gascoigne, Alonso, Darren Bent, Crouch, etc etc.
He falls over a lot because he is in the firing line. Opponents are kicking him, holding him, pulling his shirt, you name it.
He has carried the US team on his own on many occasions. His first world cup, he was the only American to show up. The confed. cup which they got to the final, he was magnificent, he led the way and showed the others what it takes.
My concern is Fulham might cash in on him next summer.

[MikeR]

I don't really rate Dempsey...

No surprise there, since anyone who rates Gera and Kamara highly must do this at the expense of someone who's starting and it might as well be Dempsey. Query: Assuming all 3 had been offered during the transfer window just passed, what fees could we have expected for each? If you answer honestly, then you must at least accept that the rest of the football world rates these 3 players differently than you do.

[BalDrick]

'My concern is Fulham might cash in on him next summer.'

Do you really think anyone's going to make an offer so big we can't turn it down? Who?

FWIW, I fear Pardew is going to be sniffing after Zamora. At the moment I wouldn't describe him as a tapper-upper, à la Ferguson or Whinger, but you never know.

[Tktd]

ok he does fall over a lot, and lose the ball, and shots from any position, and fails to help his fullback, and seems to not understand how to run into space, oh and he lacks pace.....but he is top goalscorer.

Exactly!  :045:

Ha ha - feel a doh! moment coming on!

[The Equalizer]

'trying to think of any shots he's scored this season that werent pens'

First goal against Wigan for a start.

That's one. And considering we've only had 4 penalties this season, one of which was a miss, there must be a few more!

[Tktd]

OK, you generated a lot here but I will add my tuppence worth.  You have got to be joking :58: He is pure class. First touch is excellent. I said when we signed hiom, he reminded me of a young Rodney marsh (he didn't have too much pace either).  Good players without much pace...Adebayor, Shearer,, Gascoigne, Alonso, Darren Bent, Crouch, etc etc.
He falls over a lot because he is in the firing line. Opponents are kicking him, holding him, pulling his shirt, you name it.
He has carried the US team on his own on many occasions. His first world cup, he was the only American to show up. The confed. cup which they got to the final, he was magnificent, he led the way and showed the others what it takes.
My concern is Fulham might cash in on him next summer.

Are you really comparing Dempsey to Adebayor, Shearer, Gascoigne, Alonso, Bent and Crouch?.... It's official - I've won this arguement you're confused - need an injection!...

[Tktd]

I don't really rate Dempsey...

No surprise there, since anyone who rates Gera and Kamara highly must do this at the expense of someone who's starting and it might as well be Dempsey. Query: Assuming all 3 had been offered during the transfer window just passed, what fees could we have expected for each? If you answer honestly, then you must at least accept that the rest of the football world rates these 3 players differently than you do.

That's probably because given their ages amongst other things I wouldn't pay more for Gera and Kamara - despite preferring what they can give to the squad and team dimensionally. Dempsey is younger - I would though be suprised if Dempsey genuinely commanded a fee over £6 million - the price we paid for Kamara.

[jarv]

Sir, you said he has NO PACE. Don't entirely disagree with you on this one but many, many ,many players have no pace. :dead horse:

[ToodlesMcToot]

I don't really rate Dempsey...

Ok. I'll bite. Somehow this strikes me as a well-worked wind up for the Americans in the crowd, but oh well. Here we go.

Don't get me wrong he's improved a lot but he's too flat footed and I can't help but think that the goals he's scored for the time he's been on the pitch if had there been someone else on we would've still got them or perhaps more from other players in the team.

Can't disagree with the improvement bit. He's improved tremendously since coming from The U.S. What do you mean by "flat footed"? I've watched him plenty (admittedly and unfortunately only on televsion) and "flat footed" would never come into my mind as a description of the way he plays.

As for someone who would've scored the goals he's scored for us this year, please name the player(s) whom we've had opportunities to get, who we could also afford, who'd willingly take the beatings he has, who'd keep his mouth shut when he was benched and work his way back into the squad, who'd not cause a single problem off the pitch for the club, and on, and on. Make no mistake. All those things contribute to the success of the club.

TBH I've never really rated him as a player and believe that whatever work he does on the training pitch must be the constant reason he finds himself initially on the bench and the works his way onto being a starter - does that mean it's not just me?

Why does there have to be a criticism of his training habits? Do you have first hand knowledge that he doesn't work hard enough at training? Couldn't the reason that he's had to work his way onto the starting 11 be that he's a "tweener" (not exactly a winger, not exactly a striker) type of player and most managers want players well suited to specific roles? Perhaps four managers in a row have decided that despite the fact that he doesn't suit specific roles he's just to good to afford stitting for 60 or more minutes before putting him to use.

Yes I know he's a big game player in many respects but he's always done best when he's come on (for the most part) as a substitute.

Can only disagree with the use of "always" here. Every player on the team has done best when they've had great games. Everyone has their failings. Everyone has their stellar games. It's the nature of things. Clint does well as both a starter and a sub.

His first touch is poor, he's not the fastest player in the world, he normally ends up slowing the game down and If i'm being honest I rarely see him successfully track back.

His first touch is not poor. It has been on occasion, but that can be said for every player on the team.

You're right about his speed. But the same could be said about every player on Fulham. So the point is moot.

I'd say that he slows the game down most often because the situation requires it - same as any other player on the team. Slowing things down when they shouldn't be ( a mistake ) from my memory and as a description of most of our players would be the exception to their games and not the rule.

Saying he doesn't successfully track back is admitting blindness.

I can see how he gets first team football - anyone who works as hard as I assume he works can find that an endearing quality and he does score but I think he's not good enough to start, especially when you find more explosive players who can give us a more dimensional attack sitting on the bench.

Yet you don't name the more explosive, more dimensional bench players he should be replaced with. Such a curious omission?

I think Dembele is a richer mans Dempsey if i'm being honest and don't think / would be suprised if they can both play on the same pitch... both obviously have skill but I'd put dembele technically ahead of Dempsey and wuld also put him down as thefaster of the two.

How could he not be? We paid more for him. Dembele is a very talented player and a very hard worker. On that I do not disagree. But he has limitations as well. He dribbles straight into trouble often times when, if he picked his head up, he'd be far more dangerous with a pass. He's yet to demonstrate consistent scoring ability. Having said that, I have no doubt that he'll improve with time just as Clint and many other who've come from other leagues ahve done.

I know fans are going to disagree with m here but I just don't see it and often fnd myself annoyed at games (and suprisingly so surrounded by seemingly lik minded fans) regarding his ability to frustrate whilst playing. You'll rarely see him successfully chase down a ball he's lost and you'll rarely see him keep the ball close to his feet constantly whilst dribbling - we hav player who can bring more to the fore.

My guess is that you counted on the disagreement before you started typing. It's Fulham you must remember. We all find ourselves annoyed at games. And I'd wager you could find fans who'd agree with criticisms of every player on the team. You've just focused on the one it seems.

As to your added criticisms and suggestion that there are ready made replacements for him sitting our bench, I'll only say again that it's curious that you don't take the opportunity to name them.

Anyway - now to the dogs....

Woof! Woof! Grrrr!

[ToodlesMcToot]

I just wanted to add, in reply to the criticism that Demps takes the odd 30-35 yard shot - someone has to do that from time to time. If it's never done, then defenses don't have to respect that portion of the field and that makes every thing inside that 30-35 yards much tougher to break down. Shooting from there draws defending teams out and creates more space to operate closer to goal.

Obviously the shot isn't going to come off often. Its the fact that he and others have demonstrated the ability to score from out there from time to time combined with the value of that potential goal given that Fulham are usually so good defensively that forces teams to defend it.

[Sheepskin Junior]

ok Tktd I'll probably get some stick for this but I totally agree with your original comment. Dempsey has only been scoring because no-one else has been as far forward as him and Not Tracking Back to finish someone else's brilliant work. He is a goal poacher that gets lucky when fantastic work from a wide player gives him a chance for an easy tap-in. Juve goal sheer class (had to put it in)

[AlFayedsChequebook]

ok Tktd I'll probably get some stick for this but I totally agree with your original comment. Dempsey has only been scoring because no-one else has been as far forward as him and Not Tracking Back to finish someone else's brilliant work. He is a goal poacher that gets lucky when fantastic work from a wide player gives him a chance for an easy tap-in. Juve goal sheer class (had to put it in)

[threedhomer]

This is a pretty strange thread I think.  Of all people to pick out of the squad to disect, I'm just not sure why anyone would pick out the leading scorer and one of two candidates for Player of the Year.  I guess some folks have to be contrary just for the fun of it.

[mccscratch]

Instead of refuting your obnoxious claims, just enjoy this video in which you will see why Dempsey shoots from distance (in the first 30 secs), how he does in fact have a goal poachers instinct, how he is the best header of the ball we have on this team (including Brede who is 5 inches+  taller) and the ability to score pure determination goals (checkout the Blackburn goal).... and these are not even from this season or much of last...no Juve or Stoke goals to glam it up...

Clint Dempsey Fulham Star

[Burt]

Never known a player to divide opinion so much as Dempsey.

Even during games you have supporters and detractors.

There are things that do frustrate...
- He floats in and out of games.
- He can be inconsistent one game to the next, or even during.
- He goes to ground a bit too easily.
- Please, no more penalties...

On the other side of the coin...
- He is committed to the Fulham cause.
- He scores goals. With his head and his feet.
- He is capable on the ball.
- He tries the unexpected.
- He puts in a decent enough shift.

He is not a top-4 club player. He wouldn't be an automatic first-choice pick for any of them.

In other words, despite his limitations, he is just right for us  :003: