And indeed it does appear Fulham were simply resting their top players for today's encounter. Hardly anyone in today's lineup was even available this weekend, except for Stekelenburg and Kacaniklic who did not feature. It looks like Dempsey is pairing up top with Berbatov today.
http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/...-is-barely-even-a-noticable-figure-at-fulham/ I think some of this was fair...up until the Swansea game. He was pretty good in the fisrt half. Really I think it's just about Dempsey getting his fitness back to be a dangerous for 90 minutes. Unfortunately, for Fulham that might not occur until near the end of this loan.
Thing is I think Fulham are looking to win...now. They are looking for Dempsey to score goals, not regain fitness. Sorry to sound so blunt, but as a team that's facing relegation I'm not sure they can fool around too long.
what I'm concerned is all of this talk about him needing "fitness", for the past what? 5 months? Something doesn't sound right.
Yeah...I mean I could understand maybe the first couple weeks with the Sounders (even though he was 'training' on his own meanwhile), but as a professional athlete you'd think he'd be able to get in top shape sometime these past 4/5/6 months
I stopped reading three sentences in: 32 starts and 43 appearances=hardly saw the field. Sounds like this writer is really tuned in.
I mean, I've followed dempsey almost his entire pro-career, even met him at the MLS cup in 2006 and had a nice chat with him about mutual friends we had and I love him as a player but he has really really looked poor since his return to MLS... And sadly I think he is donezo... This was probably always going to be his last WC and Im not holding out much hope he will regain his form between now and then... Hope I'm wrong but I havent seen anything that would lead me to believe he is turning it around
Could a less than spectacular loan and a possible Fulham relegation hurt the legacy he created during his first spell at the club?
There's a difference between physical fitness and game sharpness. @comoesa is referring to the latter, not the former. Everyone needs to take a breather; this loan is 1000% about reps at game speed, sharpness and rhythm. He's improved every game; this is the important thing.
Gosh, the overreaction from people about someone's form 5 months out from the WC is just ridiculous--even by BS standards. Dempsey is looking better each game. Through my grainy stream, there were a couple of moments I was watching and saw a player making great runs and looking very quick on the ball. I was shocked when the replay showed it was Dempsey. The dude has battled some injuries the past 3 or 4 months, but he has plenty of time to round into form. Count me as one who is optimistic after watching him play against Swansea.
Fulham has a couple transfers coming in - one confirmed and one in the final stages. The confirmed one is CM William Kvist from Vfb Stuttgart - he's 28 with 44 caps for Denmark and been described as the "Danish Scott Parker" and hopefully he shores up the midfield defense. He's on loan with a purchase option. The nonconfirmed one is (naturally) the bigger signing - forward Kostas Mitroglou from Olympiakos. He's 25 with 28 caps for the Greek national team (8 goals), with 41 goals in 86 league games for Olympiakos. Fulham is supposedly paying their largest ever transfer for him (12.4m Euro) and he is apparently having a medical today. Also rumors that Berbatov is on his way out to make room for Kostas, and I would be ecstatic if both moves happen. Maybe Clint has some better talent around him for the last month of his loan.
How does anyone post an idiotic article like that? "Barely saw the field?" Seriously, if my kid wrote a paper like that for middle school they'd flunk her. What an idiot. Kyle Stoopid. That NBC would even put their peacock on crap like is just embarrassing for flightless birds. This is the kind of assinine (sic) article that then becomes "fact." Here is the reality: Clint's first appearance for Spurs was matchday 4 where he was a late game sub He then appeared in 13 straight games, getting 3 goals and 3 assists He then had a groin injury and missed 2 games He then appeared in 7 straight games and had 2 goals He then had a calf injury and missed 3 games He then appeared in 8 of the next 10 matches with 2 goals, 2 assists This does not even count his Europe appearances. What a flaming stupid twit. Seriously. Shouldn't people have to actually watch the game to write about it?
I couldn't either, but I think the reason they brought him along was for him to provide support (and goals) in the attack...not for him to use this time to regain fitness even though that should have occurred in his 1000+ mins played between June 2 and this loan
I think the point is that Fulham's patience with Dempsey getting back to form might quickly run out if they just as quickly don't get some points to stay up in the league. Dempsey's playing time with Fulham over the next two months is dependent on Rene's perception of CD being able to help Fulham get those needed points. I didn't get a chance to see the Swansea-Fulham match, but there seems to be consensus among those who did that Clint's form looked to be getting sharper and sharper in the first half, and that he faded in the 2nd half only because the fitness isn't there yet. It sounds encouraging, and hopefully Rene will keep penciling Dempsey in the starting lineup or at least make sure he's a first choice sub off the bench.
Game sharpness is not the same as physical fitness. He's regaining the former. It has nothing to do with the latter.
Eh, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree, I think it's both...CD isn't just having trouble going a full 90
Dont think he's improved in every game...Swansea was better but I thought he looked worse actually vs. Arsenal then he did vs. S'land. He also had a very poor 2nd half vs Swansea 1st half, the one he supposedly showed very well in, he had 1 shot blocked, one shot that went well wide, and another that required a save. He also supposedly "maintained possession well"...this is nothing that special and imo nothing that separates him from other players in our pool that can play the CAM position.
It will only be seen as more traffic and encourage him. Anonymous should hack him. Snowden should leak him.