Schwarzer has joined chelsea ... o dear

[callumc513]

I knew there was something dodgy about that bloke, never liked him.

[Forever Fulham]

Clint told the truth.  I want to play in the Champions League (before I retire).  He made his dreams, his ambitions, known to all.  He didn't lie or mislead.  He gave his all, black eyes, beat up, he left it all on the pitch.  Schwarzer apparently lied his head off.  Does he get a pass?  If so, why?  

[SKSW6]

That lot have one extra competition they're in, he'll be paid more money, allegedly has a coaching role built into the contract, he's at a bigger club so he'll get a bigger profile than if he was our back up, and he doesn't have to move house. Good luck to him, just disappointing it had to be to them.

[fulhamguy]

Wants to play but Chelsea have a lot of cup games so likely to play 15 odd games. Enough to play for Oz.

It's fair enough, his family are settled and he doesn't have to move his family.

[bill taylors apprentice]

Hope when he gets to play he has a stinker!

[twang]

Clint told the truth.  I want to play in the Champions League (before I retire).  He made his dreams, his ambitions, known to all.  He didn't lie or mislead.  He gave his all, black eyes, beat up, he left it all on the pitch.  Schwarzer apparently lied his head off.  Does he get a pass?  If so, why?  

Eh? We ditched Mark by signing a new first choice keeper, so he can do whatever he wants without guilt. Looking at it from a professional perspective, where would you rather be second choice, Chelsea or Fulham? They will play in more competitions and will go further in them as well, which means more games for him to potentially play in. And he will earn more money there as well.

[cmg]

Announced officially by Chelsea.

They are lucky to have a bloke like him as backup. Must be good money for him, although it does seem to contradict what he has previously said concerning his future. Maybe he'll get some (more) Euro time.

It's always a bit difficult to fathom what an outfit like Chelsea (limitless money and no ethical boundaries) are thinking. They've already got a seemingly top-class replacement for Cech in Courtois, the Belgian bloke who's at Atletico. And this seems a bit of a setback for Blackman, who is one of the best young keepers around and, being English, would help Chelsea's squad make-up. Perhaps Schwarzer has been brought in with the idea of bringing him along.

Good luck to MS. He certainly owes us nothing.

All Fulham fans, of course, will know what the future holds. Cech will miss one game next season - no prizes for guessing which one, nor for guessing what sort of game Schwarzer will have.

[DJinNJ]

Not saying I'm happy about it, but Chelsea will be playing more games than us, which means more chances for the #2 to play. And that cup competition that he gets to play in would be the Champions League, which was supposedly a big reason his head was turned by Arsenal. As for Australia, it sounds like they don't have anyone to really challenge him, but to the extent that is place would be at risk, playing some games in the Champions League for Chelsea is better than playing one game in the League Cup for us. I think he said at some point there were a few possibilities for him, would be interesting if any of the ones he passed up included being the likely #1.

[Supermitch]

Hopefully he'll get the chance to play some more Europa League games for them  :005:

Seriously it's probably a good move for all concerned.  We get the younger keeper we were after now, when we'd have lost the opportunity to get him in a years time and lose probably one of the higher earners of our wage bill.  MS gets enough games during the season to keep in in the Aussies squad as long as he stays fit.  He also doesn't have to move / uproot his family.  Finally they get a good keeper as cover on a "free".

   

[Forever Fulham]

Clint's family didn't have to move either.  So what.  And he gets to play more games via European tournaments too.  So what.  And he, too, is at a bigger club where he supposedly gets a bigger "profile" (though Mark will only be a substitute goalkeeper, whereas Clint has been a regular in the starting lineup at Spurs).  So what.  Yet he gets a hearty "Good luck to him", huh?  OK...Before, I had refused to believe the Clint-bashing was a reflection of any anti-American animus.  This is the team that welcomed McBride and Bocanegra.  But there's a strain here that just has a bug up their #@% about Clint that defies logic.  Mark gets a pass; Clint is a villain.  I just don't get it.  Oh well, this is one of life's mysteries, to me anyway.  No need to reply.    

[God The Mechanic]

Schwarzer decided to move when his contract was up, when a direct replacement had signed and one which was on the cards for the best part of 6 months. Clint seemingly threw a hissy fit while still under contract.

I bear no ill will to either, but the circumstances are different.

[EJL]

sigh

[SouthfieldWhite]

Clint asked for a move, mark was out of contract and a free agent and Fulham had already brought in his replacement,

[F(f)CUK]

I honestly feel - good luck to him. I hope he gets the chance to have a good run in their team and that he performs well. Of course Chelsea lose 1 0.

As for Clint I have made the point several times that I would far rather people behaved like Clint and let us know 1.5 years in advance that he wanted to have a go at a club with a better chance in Europe than Moussa who obviously convinced Jol that he would stay and then left on the penultimate day of the transfer window - leaving us with no replacement.

[Ordar]

I really dont see why theres animosity about him joining Chelsea. Totally makes sense for them and for him. He'll get a few cup games for them and secure his place in the World Cup squad.

As far as we're concerned, we have brought in one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and have fantastic back ups already.

Good luck to him. He's been a great servant for us, but the time was right for both parties to move on

[jmh]

Yanks got a chip on their shoulders much?

Uh, what?

[Holders]

Like it or not, it does make sense. He wants to play games, ok he might not be their first choice for the league but they'll have convinced him that they'll be in enough cups and for long enough to interest him so that he can play for Aus.

I hope he does play for Aus but it's a bit of a sad way to see his career fizzle out.

[DJinNJ]

Clint's family didn't have to move either.  So what.  And he gets to play more games via European tournaments too.  So what.  And he, too, is at a bigger club where he supposedly gets a bigger "profile" (though Mark will only be a substitute goalkeeper, whereas Clint has been a regular in the starting lineup at Spurs).  So what.  Yet he gets a hearty "Good luck to him", huh?  OK...Before, I had refused to believe the Clint-bashing was a reflection of any anti-American animus.  This is the team that welcomed McBride and Bocanegra.  But there's a strain here that just has a bug up their #@% about Clint that defies logic.  Mark gets a pass; Clint is a villain.  I just don't get it.  Oh well, this is one of life's mysteries, to me anyway.  No need to reply.    

Oh come on. I'm American and I don't think nationality plays any part in it. I would think it was obvious, but the reason is that Clint stopped playing for us. The facts behind what happened are a bit muddy, but clearly the club wasn't just freezing him out, he played some role in the whole fiasco, and that's the reason, not because he's American. I also don't think there's a uniform reaction to either Schwarzer or Dempsey... some won't forgive Schwarzer, and as for Dempsey, there were those who were more disappointed in Dembele abandoning us without warning, along with the sense that Liverpool deserved much of blame for tapping him up.

I actually think the closer comparison is Zamora, who, unlike Dempsey, was being frozen out and who, like Schwarzer, we were content to let go. While I admit I'm reveling in the fact that he'll be playing (to the extent that his hip allows) in the Championship next season, I don't think he did anything wrong when it came to the transfer. Jol didn't want him, we got a good deal, and he went to a club where he would play more, didn't have to move (see what I did there?), and got a nice wedge of Tony Fernandes' dwindling fortune. But being English didn't spare him from being turned into a villain, or rather, becoming a bigger villain than he already was. Arguably, some of the reaction toward Dempsey could be attributed to him not being a villain up until then, many were just disappointed that he didn't leave the right way.

[cusackdribble]

"The key is playing week in, week out. That's always the key regardless of what position you play."

Well I guess he will be playing week in, week out... just not for the first team. I guess the future security of his family played a big part in this... and the location. And if Cech bangs his head again he could find himself as No 1...

[MJG]

Ahh Clint hijacked thread..can I join in?