Why are some of you on here so snide about the Dempsey situation

[ToodlesMcToot]

Unfortunately for Dempsey, he may have stated the urge all last season to play for a CL team, but no CL team thinks he's good enough.

He's currently been linked with Liverpool, Wet Spam and Sunderland. Not exactly mind blowing options.

We should stick to the £12m valuation. Liverpool will most likely lose all their games until the window closes, and Rodgers will be under pressure to buy him. Bish, Bash Bosh. We have 12m for a 29 year old who doesnt want to be here anymore. They have a player than wont fit into their system. Everyones a winner.

Yes he was an important player for us LAST season. So was Murphy and Pogrebneyak. Not missed any of them so far...

If The Pog was "important" for us last season, he'd still be here.

Murph was important, but we were only ever going to offer him 1 yr deals b/c of his age. He found a better deal with more stability than we felt comfortable with.

And as far as not missing anyone, we've played one match......against Norwich. And they did plenty to help us score against them. Let's not start counting our chickens yet.

Pog was important last season because scored some goals (sound familiar?) when he replaced Zamora. He is not with us because, like Murphy, he found an offer better than we were prepared to give him.

Yes. Scored some goals, granted. But, unlike Zamora, he has a terrible first touch and was a liability to many an offensive movement IMHO.

[LordNelson]

Unfortunately for Dempsey, he may have stated the urge all last season to play for a CL team, but no CL team thinks he's good enough.

He's currently been linked with Liverpool, Wet Spam and Sunderland. Not exactly mind blowing options.

We should stick to the £12m valuation. Liverpool will most likely lose all their games until the window closes, and Rodgers will be under pressure to buy him. Bish, Bash Bosh. We have 12m for a 29 year old who doesnt want to be here anymore. They have a player than wont fit into their system. Everyones a winner.

Yes he was an important player for us LAST season. So was Murphy and Pogrebneyak. Not missed any of them so far...

If The Pog was "important" for us last season, he'd still be here.

Murph was important, but we were only ever going to offer him 1 yr deals b/c of his age. He found a better deal with more stability than we felt comfortable with.

And as far as not missing anyone, we've played one match......against Norwich. And they did plenty to help us score against them. Let's not start counting our chickens yet.

Pog was important last season because scored some goals (sound familiar?) when he replaced Zamora. He is not with us because, like Murphy, he found an offer better than we were prepared to give him.

Yes. Scored some goals, granted. But, unlike Zamora, he has a terrible first touch and was a liability to many an offensive movement IMHO.

With not very good aerial skills as well.  If he was all that, we'd have come up with the ducats and he'd still be wearing a triple over sized white kappa kit with stripes and sexually ambiguous trademark.

[NogoodBoyo]

The definitive end to the debate that is the epitaph on all Makepeace with Dempsey threads - that is until we hear his side of the story or he knocks a stonking plethora of goals for us. 
From Barry "is a great wit with wisdom beyond his years, isit" P

Nogood "I wish I could close with something like Nogood "trying to spit the Sarah Brookes bit out of your mouth is it" Boyo without violating the FOF copyright rules. Just to make the legal disclaimer: The above thoughts are not those of Nogood Boyo and in no way can he be held responsible for my insanity," isit Boyo

[dtowndough]

I can't belive that there is anyone out there that cannot see that in a player v club dispute (any player and any club) the vast majority of the fans will side with the club...

Shouldn't fans support the club?  maybe that's what you're saying and I misread.  This is one American that does not support the way dempsey is handling the situation.  I do however support his choice to further his career if he feels he can do that elsewhere.  but just don't be a d-bag about it.  starting to remind me of the brett favre - green bay fiasco we dealt with here in the NFL for 3+ years.

[Me-ate-Live, innit??]

mccscratch you ask : Why are some you on here so snide about the Dempsey situation  
IMO it is a self defence mechanism, we watched mean things happen with our favourite players, watched  Fulham through and threw men, walk away without a backward glance  
in recent years there was :
The Louis *over-my-dead-body* Saha  
Leggy left out in the cold  
Harry Bales just went ....puff !
Steeeeeeeeeeeed wouldn't sign a contract  
Our boy, No 23  went to a 'bigger club'
And the worst of all,  our dead snake and our captain sold to Spam in the middle of the night like and illegal fighting cock  
..and don't get me started on Alain Goma  

We just have to wait and see how this thing pans out ........................

[BarryP]

I can't belive that there is anyone out there that cannot see that in a player v club dispute (any player and any club) the vast majority of the fans will side with the club...

Shouldn't fans support the club?  maybe that's what you're saying and I misread.  This is one American that does not support the way dempsey is handling the situation.  I do however support his choice to further his career if he feels he can do that elsewhere.  but just don't be a d-bag about it.  starting to remind me of the brett favre - green bay fiasco we dealt with here in the NFL for 3+ years.

Be disgusted with Dempsey if you like of course but I am not sure how this can remind you of the Brett Favre situation other than the media hype.  Favre pulled his stunt year after year and would never make up his mind what he wanted.  I think the one thing most of us can agree on is Dempsey has made it clear he wants to leave.  Open debate seems to be how big a prat Dempsey has been versus has the club played a part in holding him out of training.

KCat's right, we really should wait to see how things pan out.  Of course, as Tom Petty will tell you The Waiting is the Hardest Part.

[Berserker]

Very true words by Tom Petty

[White Noise]

Its been my impression that Clint has been training with the first team and/or the first team staff since he first returned in pre-season. My reading of the situation and what Jol seems to be saying is that Clint has said something "Look guys I really want to move on. I'm not trying to make trouble but I think I've gone as far as I can here and I want a new challenge. I'd like to work with you to get the best price for the club but that probably needs me to stay injury free wouldn't you say? The quicker we can get the deal done the quicker you guys can spend the money and we can all move on. But until then isn't in both our interests that I sit out of first team games to eliminate the risk of me getting crocked?"

http://www.espn.co.uk/espn/sport/video_audio/165833.html?CMP=OTC-RSS;genre=1;sport=3

Jol said in the Fulham Business Club gathering earlier in the year that if Dempsey wouldn't sign a new contract the club would sell him this summer. But they can't sell him if there are no 'sensible' offers and you may only get those in the last days of the window.

Clint is still tweeting reasonably regualrly with fishing pics and comments like 'The truth will come out' etc. Of course the lad is miffed that things aren't going smoothly and that the fans have in parts turned against him. These things happen when you want to move. One things is for sure - no-one knows the truth - not Dempsey, not his brother and not the club. Its all about your personal perception of the situation and how that is coloured by your personality and your priorities.
If I sat down with Bethany Dempsey, Cock Jol or Clint's agent and they were all totally open and honest with me I would still get three very different perspectives on the situation - so there is no real inside info - its all just opinions.

My take on it is that the club have acted too slowly to get Dempsey to the table and that has possibly been perceived as meaning that club do not value him as much as he might like. He has given everything for the club and been the top performer of the last couple of seasons but they have not seemed to respond as many clubs would do contract-wise with a player of such importance.  I think this has inclined Clint to think about other options and the senior figures at Liverpool have been very vocal about their desire to have him play for them and maximise his American marketing potential. There must have been contact between Fenway and Clint's agent and this is where the problems seem to have occurred. It looks like Clint has been very badly advised and this has led to him and Fulham FC being painted into a corner. These things happen. He will be gone soon and everyone will move on.

[justinfromga]

Its been my impression that Clint has been training with the first team and/or the first team staff since he first returned in pre-season. My reading of the situation and what Jol seems to be saying is that Clint has said something "Look guys I really want to move on. I'm not trying to make trouble but I think I've gone as far as I can here and I want a new challenge. I'd like to work with you to get the best price for the club but that probably needs me to stay injury free wouldn't you say? The quicker we can get the deal done the quicker you guys can spend the money and we can all move on. But until then isn't in both our interests that I sit out of first team games to eliminate the risk of me getting crocked?"

http://www.espn.co.uk/espn/sport/video_audio/165833.html?CMP=OTC-RSS;genre=1;sport=3

Jol said in the Fulham Business Club gathering earlier in the year that if Dempsey wouldn't sign a new contract the club would sell him this summer. But they can't sell him if there are no 'sensible' offers and you may only get those in the last days of the window.

Clint is still tweeting reasonably regualrly with fishing pics and comments like 'The truth will come out' etc. Of course the lad is miffed that things aren't going smoothly and that the fans have in parts turned against him. These things happen when you want to move. One things is for sure - no-one knows the truth - not Dempsey, not his brother and not the club. Its all about your personal perception of the situation and how that is coloured by your personality and your priorities.
If I sat down with Bethany Dempsey, Cock Jol or Clint's agent and they were all totally open and honest with me I would still get three very different perspectives on the situation - so there is no real inside info - its all just opinions.

My take on it is that the club have acted too slowly to get Dempsey to the table and that has possibly been perceived as meaning that club do not value him as much as he might like. He has given everything for the club and been the top performer of the last couple of seasons but they have not seemed to respond as many clubs would do contract-wise with a player of such importance.  I think this has inclined Clint to think about other options and the senior figures at Liverpool have been very vocal about their desire to have him play for them and maximise his American marketing potential. There must have been contact between Fenway and Clint's agent and this is where the problems seem to have occurred. It looks like Clint has been very badly advised and this has led to him and Fulham FC being painted into a corner. These things happen. He will be gone soon and everyone will move on.

All of this and I'll further it by saying how are we to know that the "other side of the story" that Clint is talking about means he has a feud with the club? The statments and responses out of both Dempseys camp and the clubs have been measured and calm.  The apparent "feuding" is something that has been drummed up by horrible media reporting in an attempt to discredit the club, discredit Dempsey, discredit Martin Jol, and discredit the fact that a player like Clint Dempsey last year very plainly was the second most valuable player in the league after RVP.  When reading any of these feud stories I always ask where are the recent and relevant quotes?  There aren't any.  They are taken from an ESPN.com feature on Dempsey from August of 2011 or from Jol's press conference last week and strung together to give the appearance that the whole of Fulham football is crumbling at it's very foundations.  The fact remains that Fulham are closer to being a champions league club than ANY of the clubs Dempsey has been linked with and certainly over the last ten years has been a more prestigious club than all but Liverpool.

We are on our way up in the league and part of the reason for that has been the play of Clint Dempsey in his time at Fulham.  Guys like him, Davies, Murphy, Zamora, Hughes, Hangenland, they have set the bar for what the club expects.  You're seeing guys like Dembele, Ruiz, Kaca, and Frei take that next step and become better footballers because of what the aforementioned have accomplished.  So if Dempsey stays great! We may challenge Chelsea and Tottenheim for a top five spot this year (and it's time some of you stop mopping around about how horrible our fortunes are when it's obvious to those of us not obsessed by the names on the front of the jersey but the value the names on the back of the jerseys that this club is very close).  If Dempsey chooses to be a part of the future of this club and the next step it is on the brink of taking then great.  If not then so be it, at the very least maybe freeing up his wages will allow us to give a better deal to a player like Dembele and keep him around.

[dtowndough]

I can't belive that there is anyone out there that cannot see that in a player v club dispute (any player and any club) the vast majority of the fans will side with the club...

Shouldn't fans support the club?  maybe that's what you're saying and I misread.  This is one American that does not support the way dempsey is handling the situation.  I do however support his choice to further his career if he feels he can do that elsewhere.  but just don't be a d-bag about it.  starting to remind me of the brett favre - green bay fiasco we dealt with here in the NFL for 3+ years.

Be disgusted with Dempsey if you like of course but I am not sure how this can remind you of the Brett Favre situation other than the media hype.  Favre pulled his stunt year after year and would never make up his mind what he wanted.  I think the one thing most of us can agree on is Dempsey has made it clear he wants to leave.  Open debate seems to be how big a prat Dempsey has been versus has the club played a part in holding him out of training.

KCat's right, we really should wait to see how things pan out.  Of course, as Tom Petty will tell you The Waiting is the Hardest Part.

Yes Barry, the media part.  But until today, also the way dempsey was handling it.

[HatterDon]

Not sure why he is getting so much flack.  He is just another selfish, greedy footballer that overrates his own ability and worth.  Nothing new there, we have seen a few of them come and go and I dare say we will see a few more...

This is a good working definition of a professional footballer -- ANY professional footballer
AND
any professional musician
any professional actor
any professional medical doctor
any professional politician
any professional lawyer
any professional movie or stage director.

I'm intrigued that people think that anyone can succeed in these fields without having a healthy ego and an exaggerated view of him/herself. I think these are the same folks that bemoan the board making a decision without consulting the fans -- as if any fans anywhere at any time made any large decisions for the club.

[HatterDon]

Unfortunately for Dempsey, he may have stated the urge all last season to play for a CL team, but no CL team thinks he's good enough.

He's currently been linked with Liverpool, Wet Spam and Sunderland. Not exactly mind blowing options.

We should stick to the £12m valuation. Liverpool will most likely lose all their games until the window closes, and Rodgers will be under pressure to buy him. Bish, Bash Bosh. We have 12m for a 29 year old who doesnt want to be here anymore. They have a player than wont fit into their system. Everyones a winner.

Yes he was an important player for us LAST season. So was Murphy and Pogrebneyak. Not missed any of them so far...

Nor should you this deep into the season. Only 37 of 38 matches left to play.

If I sat down with Bethany Dempsey, Cock Jol or Clint's agent and they were all totally open and honest with me I would still get three very different perspectives on the situation - so there is no real inside info - its all just opinions.

and, Mr. Noise, if I sat down with Bethany Dempsey, I'd probably be too gobsmacked to ask her about anything.

[dtowndough]

Not sure why he is getting so much flack.  He is just another selfish, greedy footballer that overrates his own ability and worth.  Nothing new there, we have seen a few of them come and go and I dare say we will see a few more...

This is a good working definition of a professional footballer -- ANY professional footballer
AND
any professional musician
any professional actor
any professional medical doctor
any professional politician
any professional lawyer
any professional movie or stage director.

I'm intrigued that people think that anyone can succeed in these fields without having a healthy ego and an exaggerated view of him/herself. I think these are the same folks that bemoan the board making a decision without consulting the fans -- as if any fans anywhere at any time made any large decisions for the club.

Don, I don't want this to turn into a hijacking, but it's not the ego I have a problem with.  it's the attitude and how one carries themselves.  I think Dempsey could have been more professional, from the little i've read.  I certainly dont pretend to know even 1% of what is/has happened.  But more importantly, I agree, most of the positions you list require an ego to some extent.  however, someone can still display humility and grace while maintaining that ego.  In the end, I would love to have dempsey play out his career with Fulham.  but I'm not naive enough to think that will happen.  I just hope they can get through it in a diplomatic fashion.  i don't want a reason to be angry with either. 

[Terry Angus]

Not sure why he is getting so much flack.  He is just another selfish, greedy footballer that overrates his own ability and worth.  Nothing new there, we have seen a few of them come and go and I dare say we will see a few more...

This is a good working definition of a professional footballer -- ANY professional footballer
AND
any professional musician
any professional actor
any professional medical doctor
any professional politician
any professional lawyer
any professional movie or stage director.

I'm intrigued that people think that anyone can succeed in these fields without having a healthy ego and an exaggerated view of him/herself. I think these are the same folks that bemoan the board making a decision without consulting the fans -- as if any fans anywhere at any time made any large decisions for the club.

i've expressed my strong disagreement with this widely-held view on other threads. it's utter rubbish.

for a start, i either work with or know people in at least half of those categories and can say with some conviction that they're not all selfish, disloyal egotists; those characteristics aren't necessary for success in those professions.

secondly, to the extent that a majority of them are like that--and this is the important bit--it doesn't make it right, and doesn't mean we shouldn't try to stamp it out.

finally, footballers are paid more money than most of these guys could actually spend. if i was getting paid £50k a week to play football in front of 30,000 people singing my name, i wouldn't be thinking of changing jobs!!

[Wimbledon_White]

that you would say something as ridiculous as Dempsey accepting an offer from West Ham? I have seen it from several posters and I keep thinking... surely you are not that ignorant?
If Clint and the club do not get an offer from a top 6 side or another CL caliber team from the Continent... he is not taking the move and will see out his contract...

Clint has been very clear about his desire to play at the highest levels of the game to fulfill his personal goals and never has mentioned anything about his weekly wages... EVER... West Ham could only potentially offer higher wages and nothing more... there is not a chance in HADES that he would go there so please stop with the baiting snotty comments about it...(each of you know who you are)

Hahaha cos it is outright wrong to suggest Clint is in any way in the wrong! Haha Dempsey fanboy Alert!!!!!

[dtowndough]

finally, footballers are paid more money than most of these guys could actually spend. if i was getting paid £50k a week to play football in front of 30,000 people singing my name, i wouldn't be thinking of changing jobs!!
[/quote]

You would be thinking of changing jobs if that 50K turned into 100K and if that 30,000 was 75,000.  well, i know i would.

[Edwatch_Winston_Malone]

In time he will just be "that american bloke that missed the penalty against Chelsea that would have allowed us to beat them in the league, in only the second time in 20 odd years ..."

Pretty much the same as Bullard is now that "ulgy bloke who fished a lot..."

[Terry Angus]

finally, footballers are paid more money than most of these guys could actually spend. if i was getting paid £50k a week to play football in front of 30,000 people singing my name, i wouldn't be thinking of changing jobs!!

You would be thinking of changing jobs if that 50K turned into 100K and if that 30,000 was 75,000.  well, i know i would.
[/quote]

no, i honestly wouldn't mate, and that's the point! have we all become such vacuous, mammon-worshipping scumbags that even if we were multi-millionaires, we'd compromise decency, loyalty and the like for more filthy lucre?!?! i think and hope not, but maybe i'm wrong.

[Terry Angus]

In time he will just be "that american bloke that missed the penalty against Chelsea that would have allowed us to beat them in the league, in only the second time in 20 odd years ..."

Pretty much the same as Bullard is now that "ulgy bloke who fished a lot..."

ha, class! and true

[dtowndough]

finally, footballers are paid more money than most of these guys could actually spend. if i was getting paid £50k a week to play football in front of 30,000 people singing my name, i wouldn't be thinking of changing jobs!!

You would be thinking of changing jobs if that 50K turned into 100K and if that 30,000 was 75,000.  well, i know i would.

no, i honestly wouldn't mate, and that's the point! have we all become such vacuous, mammon-worshipping scumbags that even if we were multi-millionaires, we'd compromise decency, loyalty and the like for more filthy lucre?!?! i think and hope not, but maybe i'm wrong.
[/quote]

sorry for making that assumption.  And I would like to tell myself that i would be in the same boat with you and say "not a chance in hell."  but i honestly don't know.