Who's gonna be the first to suggest?

[Fernhurst]

That Dempsey is actually on strike just like Bullard before him.

Manipulating the club to force through a transfer while still contracted to FFC(and still picking up 30k plus a week)
Bullard was absolutely reviled by the fans but Dempsey appears to avoided any criticism to date, is this due to his previous exemplary service? Is Liverpool's sudden cooling of interest just a ploy to force the transfer fee down?
If we employ two burly security guards to deposit Dempsey on the pitch to force him to carry out the terms of his contract or  will we fall foul of the European Court?
Are we powerless to prevent this behaviour or shall we just turn up our toes and let him go for 4 million?
Of course Liverpool suddenly discovering Clint has bad breath and keeping their distance will leave
our American star a tricky negotiation with the boss and the fans to get back in the side even if an extension is not signed.

[Terry Angus]

you're gonna get destroyed for this by the american posters

[bmasar]

Who is going to be first to suggest that, indeed.

[Whiteroom]

Not me.

[Jack Fulham]

didn't Andy Johnson do something similar towards the end of his contract last season? refused to play because we didn't give him a new one?

[LordNelson]

Nobody because it's an absurd suggestion.  064.gif  Perfectly conceivable with that buffoon Bullard.

[ToodlesMcToot]

An authority that I trust, one that I've mentioned here before related to Demps, has been rather emphatic that Clint did not refuse to go to Switzerland.

Now maybe there's a contract related reason that made that decision easy for the club or maybe it was something else. I certainly do not have any information about that.

But the bust up rumors and the Clint refusing to train rumors all appear to be false.

Anyone know if he attended the MK Dons match?

[MJG]

If any other player had been involved in whats happened since he joined the team in Germany for pre season, they would have been crucified.
But its Dempsey, butter would not melt in his mouth and he is above all that contract rebel stuff that other players do, We know that because its Dempsey. No way would he not want to train, or disrupt team spirit.
I'm sure there is some kind of issue between Clint & the club, thats just normal in this type of situation, but we all know he's got a injury and thats why he's not been playing and Jol said he would have Clint back with the squad this week, so I look forward to him starting against Norwich after maybe 1 pre season game.    


Now where are the DDL?

[TonyGilroy]

Simple answer - we don't know.

We will soon enough though. If he plays against Charlton it's not true. If he doesn't it might be true but then again it might not.

If he's still at Fulham on 1st September it won't be true. If he doesn't then sign a new contract we can fear that it might soon be true. If he stops playing at the end of December we can think it probably is true but it won't be if he then starts playing again.

Meanwhile whatever we read or are told might be true but very well might not.

I hope that's been helpful. It has to me because I've been able to avoid dealing with the mass of crap on my desk.

Until now.

[rhyspabsolom]

Or, y'know, he's injured and will be back next week.

Dempsey isn't remotely close to joining Liverpool. He is not skiving pre-season tours, or pulling out of friendlies, or any more of this nonsense. So stop propagating it.

[licker]

Have Liverpool actually made an official approach, or is it all paper talk, there is also a similar scenario going on with Joe Allen of Swansea.

Some papers are quoting that Swansea want £15 million    So to ask the question, can Liverpool be done for illegal approaches if no official contact has been made. ???

Bill.

[MasterHaynes]

This morning its been reported that Liverpool have triggered the release clause for Joe Allen and have bid £15m. Why then does everybody expect Fulham to sell Dempsey for £3-4M? This is what you pay for a squad player to sit on the bench all season as back up.

Dempsey is a very different player to Joe Allen who most pundits think is an average player, much like Henderson(£17m). On last years stats Dempsey is worth 3 times what Allen is worth to any team. If they want Dempsey they need to stick their hands in their pocket or be honest with Dempsey and tell him they only see him as a 'squad player'  hence why they will only pay £3-4m

The length of his remaining contract is irrelevant, if Liverpool want to sign him for this season the price is the same, FFC have no need to 'fire sale' their best players. If they wait for next summer when he is free agent they will have to compete with better placed clubs happy to sign him for nothing and will probably lose out on getting him for their US marketing PR machine to generate revenue for the US owners in the USA.

ps
I'd love to know how many dollars that little announcement they made on their web site earned in ticket sales and Shirt sales for Liverpool in the USA.  Anyone seen a Liverpool shirt with Dempsey on yet in the US?

[TonyGilroy]

The idea that Bosmans are free is a fallacy. The reason a player will let his contract run down is that on a Bosman he can get much better terms in effect getting some or all of the money that would otherwise go to the selling club.

Next summer we get nothing for Dempsey but that's no reason to let him go now for £3M to £5M. His value to us for that one season will be considerable and we are saving the extra money that we would pay him if he signed a new contract or the fee for his replacement.

[Fernhurst]

But will it be a healthy situation if the Dems stay and run down their contracts?

Are we scratching around among the Reo-Cokers and McFaddens because we need one of The Dems cash injections to invest in a quality midfielder.
Having followed Fulham in excess of Fifty years, I've always erred on the side of glass half empty guy.
My reservations radar is bristling despite our preseason success.
Presently we have lost the solid base of the past few seasons and replaced them with promising youngsters, if the Chas and Dave partnership up front doesn't gel immediately we could start struggling. This coupled with the thought of The Dems jumping out of tackles to avoid injury before starting at their new clubs at Christmas does not fill me with glee.
Let's hope all this conjecture fades to nought when I am leaving my seat on the 18th and we have beaten Norwich by the same score as last time I saw them at CC.
6-0
COYW
No

[TonyGilroy]

But will it be a healthy situation if the Dems stay and run down their contracts?

It's not ideal but better than letting them go too cheap.

Once the window shuts there remains the possibility of persuading them to sign an extension. Mark Schwarzer did in the same situation.

[Fernhurst]

OK ... Strong start to season and press call for 1st October with picture of the Dems either side of The Jovial Dutchman having just signed extensions.

Reservations aerial retracted.

[cottage cheese]

a player who refuses to train or play can be docked wages. Every player in their contract has the clause presented to them and I can imagine a club like us will have such a clause.

It wont make sense to just strike and get docked. A few idiots like modrichave already tried but I know for a fact he was docked 2 weeks wages.

[Lighthouse]

Clint said - Hey man get with the beat Daddyoh. I am trucking on to play some sweet sounds on my way to training. So be cool and and forget about Liverpool. Once fit I will will be a hit again by the river. So don't jive me mean and get with the beat.


I think we can all rest assured that the above proves that Clint is very much still a Fulham player. Either that or I am fifty years out with the modern turn of phrase and made it up.

[LordNelson]

If any other player had been involved in whats happened since he joined the team in Germany for pre season, they would have been crucified.
But its Dempsey, butter would not melt in his mouth and he is above all that contract rebel stuff that other players do, We know that because its Dempsey. No way would he not want to train, or disrupt team spirit.
I'm sure there is some kind of issue between Clint & the club, thats just normal in this type of situation, but we all know he's got a injury and thats why he's not been playing and Jol said he would have Clint back with the squad this week, so I look forward to him starting against Norwich after maybe 1 pre season game.    


Now where are the DDL?

Because we all know what a locker room disruption Dempsey has been in the past, right?  How he's such a prima donna, innit?  Hates to train and always half-steppin on the training pitch--a real jerk off.  Ya mate, that's the Demps we know.  How quickly we forget what Danny Murphy had to say about him and how easily we want to believe the worst washer woman bollocks about someone.  :012:

[LBNo11]

...whether he stays or goes, and whoever he starts the season with, wouldn't the main concern be is he 'match fit' in missing so many cob-web blowers?

Still my favourite player and hope he stays, but if he goes good luck. We paid relative peanuts to sign him and he has forced his way into each team under so many different managers with his desire and dedication. If it is a question of losing him next year for nowt, then we have had more than our monies worth out of the man, and I would look at Dempsey as a season long 'loan' player who would still be doing his very best; if for no other reason than to get a better price for himself when he leaves...