How much will we miss without Demps, Dembele and Murphy and what will life be like? - Merged

[Forever Fulham]

As I read many of the current discussion panels, I'm struck by posters' hand wringing over the loss of Moussa but not so much over the loss of Clint.  Let's not engage in historical revisionism.  Clint was essential to the team's fortunes to-date.  Moussa--not so much.   Moussa always dribbled too much and ended up putting teammates out of position in doing so, ultimately giving the ball away and failing to score.  Sure, he penetrated up the middle with the ball, impressive for a big man.  But then, the same story kept repeating itself.  With Clint on the pitch, we always felt we could score; it could come at any time; he'd make something happen.  He'd find a way.  I never felt that way about Dembele or Ruiz or Andy (whose work rate and desire you had to admire).  Further, Clint was a vastly underrated passer/distributor. 

I just feel that the club didn't do enough to keep Clint.   I am going out on a limb here, because I wasn't privy to those discussions.  But if you have made an offer that is above reproach, you let it slip out to the public.  You don't engage in vague self-contradicting statements in which you later correct yourself or 'refine' your statement.  Perhaps he wanted the security of a longer term contract with certain guaranteed amounts.  Perhaps they  devalued his perceived future skills set, assuming his age would catch up to those skills before the end of the term.  All I know for sure are the number of goals he scored and assists credited to him.  You don't give up your proven producer without doing everything possible to keep him. 

[Edwatch_Winston_Malone]

We don't want to try and keep somebody who doesn't want to stay. He has gone.

Time to move on....

[MJG]

A lot...now move on.

[alexbishop]

The fact we let him go for £6m proves there was never going to be a way back for him into the team. Bridges were burnt and whilst Jol extended an olive branch Clint seemingly could not see his future At FFC anymore.

He's gone and that's that, nout we can do.

[Forever Fulham]

Can't argue with that, assuming he really didn't want to stay.  But indulge me for a minute.  What if the club had obtained its quality signings before it let negotiations deteriorate with Dempsey?  So that he could have seen a greater likelihood that the team would make higher standings in the near future?  I think Berbatov is an exceptionally good forward, one of the very best.  He's not an open field/runs fast kind of striker.  He's not going to run by anyone.  He does his work with control and guile.  In a two meter circle, I'll take him any day over almost any forward in the league.  What would Clint or Moussa have done had they known the composition of next season's team in advance?  I think Clint would have stayed.  In any event, it's done now.  He's gone, and we are the poorer for it.  

[RidgeRider]

I'll miss him dearly. I think many are glad he is gone regardless of how it played out, or how we think it played out.

I think his departure will have an effect on our squad in the short term but Jol will figure it out and we'll soon forget about it.

I also think his departure will calm the waters between the Dempsey 'camps' on the boards. Course we'll find something else  :dft012:

[cottagecornerreject]

Fact is he's gone and it is time to move on but bringing in players (Ruiz), (berbatov),  and paying them more than Dempsey without ever even laced up the boots for Fulham after all Dempsey has done for the club certainly didn't help Dempsey in wanting to stay that's for sure.

[LordNelson]

I do not think there was ANY way to keep Dempsey. The qualities that made him so valuable to the club on the pitch and a fan favorite are the same qualities that have compelled him to seek a new club.

[Burt]

Agree with Mr EWM - shame he's gone, but time to move on.

No one player is bigger than the team, and whilst he has left a hole, it will get filled somehow.

[Burt]

Agree with Mr EWM - shame he's gone, but time to move on.

No one player is bigger than the team, and whilst he has left a hole, it will get filled somehow.

Sorry - sound like Mr Cliche  :dft011:

[St Eve]

We must find a way to play Kaca and Frei every game. They are the future. We must make sure Sidwell never plays again. He is the past

[McBridefan1]

I was hoping he would show some loyalty as hangerland had done. But the boy thinks he is better than he is so his time was up, mousa has already scored for the twotts and dempsey will follow... sucks to be a feeder to a team that isn't that far better than we. I could see this team growing exponentially every year since I started following the club. I feel we need to make every effort to show our rising stars that we are committed to becoming a top 4 team, if not what is the point of showing up? Keep our stars or we will be a perpetual feeder club... feck that. COYW more effort needs to be made to keep our stars. We found mousa and demps we found smalling etc... lets keep 'em from now on.

[Edwatch_Winston_Malone]

How can you possibly miss Etuhu from your list?

[Berserker]

Etuhu was very enthusiatic though

[Scrumpy]

We must find a way to play Kaca and Frei every game. They are the future. We must make sure Sidwell never plays again. He is the past

So quick to judge the 'g1nger Iniesta'! He has played 1 full Premiership match this season. How many has Kieron Richardson played? Are you prepeared to give him a chance? If so, then why not Sidwell?

[Edwatch_Winston_Malone]

We won't miss his rapping...

[itombomb]

He was never that good, which is why we only got £6mill for him at the last minute from a team that was desperate.

[WestCountryWhite]

It looks to me that now we have lost euthu people are looking at another scapegoat to have a go at.

Sidwell is a quality player who had a very disrupted previous season and is finding his way back in you cannot blame him for our alarming labk of creativity in the middle of the park as he never was that kind of player.

[BillNRoc]

The sad thing is, Dembele and Dempsey are playing European football this year, FFC is not. Based on yesterday's sorry showing, there's no foreseeable prospect of European football for FFC, while Spurs could qualify for CL football next year; they only got squeezed out this year by CFC's unexpected CL win (plus some poor showings at the end of last season).

The club we saw yesterday is much more likely to face relegation that to contend for a top half finish, barring unexpected improvement in midfield play (and defense, alas). The mids currently under contract appear to lack chance-creating quality, and some of them don't provide much cover on defense, either. Without Dempsey and Dembele, where will the goals come from? Has Ruiz ever had a MOTM performance without one of the Dems on the field, much less without both of them? It's nice to have Berbatov, but who will provide the service?

In the BPL scheme of things, FFC will always be a selling club, not a buying one. I get it. But at the end of this transfer period, the trajectory of FFC no longer seems positive.

[Edwatch_Winston_Malone]

The sad thing is, Dembele and Dempsey are playing European football this year, FFC is not. Based on yesterday's sorry showing, there's no foreseeable prospect of European football for FFC, while Spurs could qualify for CL football next year; they only got squeezed out this year by CFC's unexpected CL win (plus some poor showings at the end of last season).

The club we saw yesterday is much more likely to face relegation that to contend for a top half finish, barring unexpected improvement in midfield play (and defense, alas). The mids currently under contract appear to lack chance-creating quality, and some of them don't provide much cover on defense, either. Without Dempsey and Dembele, where will the goals come from? Has Ruiz ever had a MOTM performance without one of the Dems on the field, much less without both of them? It's nice to have Berbatov, but who will provide the service?

In the BPL scheme of things, FFC will always be a selling club, not a buying one. I get it. But at the end of this transfer period, the trajectory of FFC no longer seems positive.

"Without Dempsey and Dembele, where will the goals come from?" We have already scored 6 goals this season without Dempsey and it may have slipped your attention but we signed Berbatov...