Schwarzer has joined chelsea ... o dear

[RidgeRider]

Fair enough. He's firmly focused on the World Cup and joining a high profile team like Chelsea will keep him in the Australian set-up. The lack of first team football isn't necessarily an insurmountable obstacle - look at Etheridge.

Plus he doesn't have to move house.

I think you make some good points. If I'm going to sit on a bench somewhere it may as well be a bench where I'm playing Champions League football, or at least watching it ;) , remember he wanted to go to Arsenal to play Champions League football two seasons ago. I don't blame him for going there. As you point out he doesn't have to move. It's perfect really.

[grandad]

So what. We had more than a pound of flesh from him. He has moved on & so will we.

[Humbled]

like I said on the 8th June - he went for champions league, as he will get a game in the group and he hasn't ever played in the champs league

[BarryP]

Yanks got a chip on their shoulders much?

No chip.  Mark's left and I hope he gets the games he needs to stay sharp for the World Cup even if it is with Chelsea. 

[Texas White]

So what. We had more than a pound of flesh from him. He has moved on & so will we.

Exactly.

[Forever Fulham]

"The fact is: Clint stopped playing for us."  It's my understanding that Clint never refused to play but rather was not allowed to play.  Further, the "hissy fit" claim is pure speculation by those prone to side with management against the player.  What hissy fit?  What public act of insubordination?   There's no evidence that Clint did anything wrong.  Liverpool, yes.  Clint, no.  But still he's tarred as responsible for 'leaving badly'.  Mark on the other hand insisted he had to be a starter, that he had to have a commitment that he would be the starting goalkeeper.  Then he goes to Chelsea as a certain backup goalkeeper.  All I'm trying to impart is that if everyone is fine with Mark leaving via lying about his need to start, then why beat up on the club's all time goals leader and then-longest active player?  It amazes me how he's vilified based on unfounded assertions/assumptions.  As to Zamora, he wore his indifference on his sleeve, for all to see.  Everything about the man was repulsive to me.  So maybe pot is calling the kettle black.  In any event, done is done, and we may have a better goalkeeper now, but we still don't have a true distributor who can possess his way up the field (Diarra will get reinjured), nor a disruptive finisher with a great work rate up top.  We are still two players away from real improvement.  That's my real issue, not Dempsey.  I'm just ticked off at all of the Mark love. 

[Burt]

Good luck to him.

He had a good 5 years here, one of the best keepers going. He was released by the club so as a free agent he can go where he pleases.

[Lighthouse]

Yeah good luck to him. But I understand and share the feeling that he is another con artist. Refuses to stay unless guaranteed first team football (if this was indeed what happened) and then is happy to play with himself on the bench at Chelsea.

Oh well another hero proves that there are no heroes anymore. What a good idea for a song.

[Count Flapula]

Good luck to him. Chelski will play 60+ games next season so he'll get 10-15 games easy, plus the potential to play in CL for the first - and only - time in his career (he'll get a game or two).

Sit on our bench or sit on theirs at worst getting 10 games? He might even win a cup.

We replaced him, rather than him pushing for a move. He would have been happy to stay another season if we didn't get Stekelenburg so fair play.

While some players deserve fans anger when they leave seeing anyone half decent getting slated after all the graft they've put in for us gets tiresome - especially when the ire directed is unrealistic.

[itombomb]

I expect no one was willing to guarantee him first team football so he is taking the money and maybe even trophies.

Don't really begrudge him, and hopefully we've a pretty big upgrade coming our way.

[chiefo]

Crikey, is that thread where everyone was saying thanks for everything and wishing him well for the future still on the go? These are the times we live in and have done for some time, he's not the first and certainly won't be the last.

[Stefano Okaka Chuka]

This is really disappointing. Now, after this greedy move, I hope he will miss the next world cup...I am glad I didn't buy his shirt this season like I was planning to do...

[Me-ate-Live, innit??]

Big mistake to let him go he was our real Player Of The year  of last season, lets hope Stekelenburg brings his A game  eh ??

[zschwartz]

haha, kcat, the bold edit was a nice touch.

Ya, good luck to mark. Congrats to him and the family. saved an absurd percentage of penalties last season. he's joining a monster of a club, Duff and Sidwell can clue him in on the pros and cons... Not sure this helps his Brazil selection more than starting 35+ games a season even for a low prem or even championship level side. But also it seems he's a lock as long as he just stays fit and sees a reasonable amount of action.

[michaelread]

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. Clint held the club to ransom and refused to play for the club (who was paying him) in order to force a transfer.

Mark wanted a transfer to Arsenal (with the quote "i want to play champions league football before i retire, it is a goal of mine", but Fulham denied it. Did he refuse to play? No, he got on with the job. This is the difference in the two men.

On top of this, the club signed Stekelenburg. Not exactly a nice move on their part, for a side that will likely play somewhere around the 40-42 game mark this season. He wasnt going to get any more than maybe 1 or 2 games, barring an injury to Stek. In my opinion, more than happy to leave.

Clint refused to play, said some terrible things via twitter and with his best bud Dickson Etuhu, the two of them painted the club in a VERY bad light on twitter with their comments. Thats why Mark will get treated better than Clint.

I think I can smell who the biased one is here.

[michaelread]

That's my real issue, not Dempsey.  I'm just ticked off at all of the Mark love. 

Come on now, it's pretty obvious you're a clint fanboy who is pissed and has found something close enough to the clint situation to have a whinge? Well, its not close at all. Mark needed to be "playing regularly", he will get that at Chelsea, who will be playing 2 games a week for a while this year. Thats all he needs.

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. Clint held the club to ransom and refused to play for the club (who was paying him) in order to force a transfer.

Mark wanted a transfer to Arsenal (with the quote "i want to play champions league football before i retire, it is a goal of mine", but Fulham denied it. Did he refuse to play? No, he got on with the job. This is the difference in the two men.

On top of this, the club signed Stekelenburg. Not exactly a nice move on their part, for a side that will likely play somewhere around the 40-42 game mark this season. He wasnt going to get any more than maybe 1 or 2 games, barring an injury to Stek. In my opinion, more than happy to leave.

Clint refused to play, said some terrible things via twitter and with his best bud Dickson Etuhu, the two of them painted the club in a VERY bad light on twitter with their comments. Thats why Mark will get treated better than Clint.

I think I can smell who the biased one is here.

[btings]

Fair play.

[gerrys]

Yeah good luck to him. But I understand and share the feeling that he is another con artist. Refuses to stay unless guaranteed first team football (if this was indeed what happened) and then is happy to play with himself on the bench at Chelsea.

Oh well another hero proves that there are no heroes anymore. What a good idea for a song.

My guess is that he gets Champions League guaranteed games.

[leonffc]

Good luck to him. Of all the footballers (and people for that matter) I've met he is without doubt one the nicest blokes around. He served us well and the only blot on his copybook was when he didn't own up to Healys goal crossing the line. And even that contributed to Sanchez getting the sack so we can excuse him of that.

In his career in England he has been brilliant for Middlesboro and us and what's he got to show for it? A couple if runners up medals!!
He was out if contract with us, if he's been offered guaranteed cup games then I hope Chelsea win a cup as he deserves a winners medal.

Lets not ruin this thread and have it locked by bringing D*****y in to it. It was a completely different situation.

GOOD LUCK MARK!!

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

"The fact is: Clint stopped playing for us."  It's my understanding that Clint never refused to play but rather was not allowed to play.  Further, the "hissy fit" claim is pure speculation by those prone to side with management against the player.  What hissy fit?  What public act of insubordination?   There's no evidence that Clint did anything wrong.  Liverpool, yes.  Clint, no.  But still he's tarred as responsible for 'leaving badly'.  Mark on the other hand insisted he had to be a starter, that he had to have a commitment that he would be the starting goalkeeper.  Then he goes to Chelsea as a certain backup goalkeeper.  All I'm trying to impart is that if everyone is fine with Mark leaving via lying about his need to start, then why beat up on the club's all time goals leader and then-longest active player?  It amazes me how he's vilified based on unfounded assertions/assumptions.  As to Zamora, he wore his indifference on his sleeve, for all to see.  Everything about the man was repulsive to me.  So maybe pot is calling the kettle black.  In any event, done is done, and we may have a better goalkeeper now, but we still don't have a true distributor who can possess his way up the field (Diarra will get reinjured), nor a disruptive finisher with a great work rate up top.  We are still two players away from real improvement.  That's my real issue, not Dempsey.  I'm just ticked off at all of the Mark love.  

Please re-read your posts. They are all about Dempsey.

Dempsey said he wanted to play in the Champions League. He moved to Spurs. He did not play in the Champions League last season. He will not be playing in the Champions League next season.

So, presumably, by your own logic, Dempsey is a liar as well.