Fulham Yourself If You Don't Believe It: Dempsey VI

Clubs find it easy to score 30 goals+assists in the off season. Veteran players are either old, flukes, or overpriced, but unproven non-goal scoring starlets are worth every penny.

When AC Milan won the CL in 2007, nearly the entire starting squad was 28 or above. Nesta, Emerson, Pirlo, Inzaghi, Maldini, etc etc. Last year Chelsea was lead by 34 year old striker, 33 year old midfielder, and two 30 year old defenders...

Dempsey is in his championship form for the next 4 years. You will not find him at a better age. Then maybe FC Dallas picks him up. I honestly just dont get it. He is that good. No one at the top of ELP buys to sell or should care because it is terrible business for the most part, they should buy to win.

 

Perhaps that is what you were debating. But I think if you read my posts, you will see clearly that my POV was this is bigger than a PR flap - it's about negotiations and long term situation.

 

How does it seem weird? It seems like you don't have an understanding of the situation. Every club isn't going to go after a player that is on the record as wanting CL play. And the clubs that do fit his criteria are either saving some money, as he'll be half-price in 4 months and free in 10 months, or they are going in a different direction than an almost 30 striker.

No one is going to bite Fulham's hand off for the 12 million pounds they want. Why should they? Ironically LFC might end up selling a couple players and taking Dempsey for that price when the reality is they should just wait Fulham out like anyone/everyone else.

 

By the sources you provided, duh (MAF sock puppets)

 

The Torres you're describing disappeared somewhere over 2 years ago. I think expecting that Torres to return is folly. I don't know what else to tell you other than that. You're living in the past.

Had Villa been healthy, he wouldn't have made Euro 2012. I suspect he'll be on the outside looking in for Brazil barring injury. I think there are at least 15 other players that could do the job as well or better than he at Chelsea...that list includes CD, Bent, Defoe, Berba, Chicharito, and others.

Alan Shearer also has a fantastic goal scoring record in the Prem. I'm not going to hang my hat on him either if I'm looking for goals this season. Good players get old, and lose whatever that razors edge is you need at the top level. Torres lost his. I doubt he gets it back. Now if you want to give me him as a plan B option like he was for the UCL run last season, and for Spain, I think he'd be great there. But not as my main guy.

 

So where's the smoking gun in Fulham's complaint? The Fenway Sports Group site run by a third party posted a comment that suggested LFC added Clint Dempsey for 5 hours?

 

Yeah, they better have more than that.

 

Here is the basis for the complaint
http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/news/premier-league-receives-complaint-from-fulham.html?

 

Jol stated Dempsey went to him when they were in Germany, and told him
he was going to Liverpool. If it turns out that Dempsey only said this because he read
it on that website that one time- that is going to make Dempsey look really foolish.

I can't see how Dempsey avoids having to make an official statement to the FA on this.
Probably already has.

Anyone know if that information is ever made public? (the details on these investigations).
That would be the final word on all this (what really happened).

One would think that Fulham would not pursue this unless they really (thought) they
had a case. Very, very interesting that this has been going for a month now.

I can't see how Werner's comments could be seen as tapping up. He said 'any club would be lucky to have Clint'. What Rodgers said...managers say that all the time. To date, the website
evidence is the strongest piece, but that seems kind of weak. Players have show up on websites before prematurely, and I don't recall a big stink.

One would think there is some other smoking gun. Doesn't seem enough evidence.
I'd think you would need a personal meeting, a direct phone call with Clint- or something like that.

I wonder if Clint attended any of Liverpool's matches in the US? That could have been a meeting place.

 

So all LFC has to do is throw the third party under the bus by arguing they (the third-party) posted the suggestive comment without authorization and they have subsequently been sacked.

 

Here are the rules referenced (kinda long)

"For the purposes of further clarification, the following rules are being taken into consideration.
Premier League Rules T.3 and T.8"
T.3. Any Club which by itself, by any of its Officials, by any of its Players, by its Agent,
by any other Person on its behalf or by any other means whatsoever makes an
approach either directly or indirectly to a Contract Player except as permitted
by either Rule T.1.2 or Rule T.2 shall be in breach of these Rules and may be
dealt with under the provisions of Section W of these Rules (Disciplinary).

T.1. A Club shall be at liberty at any time to make an approach to a Player with a view
to negotiating a contract with such a Player:
T.1.2. in the case of a Contract Player, with the prior written consent of the Club
(or club) to which he is contracted.

T.2 A Club shall be at liberty after the third Saturday in May in any year and before
the 1st July next following to make such an approach to a Contract Player:
T.2.1. who will become an Out of Contract Player on that 1st July; and
T.2.2. who has received no offer from his Club under Rule V.17.1;

V.17. Provided that the following conditions are satisfied, a Compensation Fee shall be
paid to a Transferor Club by a Transferee Club upon effecting the New Registration
of an Out of Contract Player:
V.17.1. the Out of Contract Player in question must be under the age of 24 years;
or
T.2.3. who has received but has declined such offer

T.8. A statement made publicly by or on behalf of a Club expressing interest in
acquiring the registration of a Contract Player or by a Contract Player expressing
interest in transferring his registration to another Club (or club) shall in either
case be treated as an indirect approach for the purposes of Rules T.3 and T.6.

T.6. Subject to Rule T.7, a Contract Player, either by himself or by any Person on his
behalf, shall not either directly or indirectly make any such approach as is referred
to in Rule T.5 without having obtained the prior written consent of his Club.

T.5. An Out of Contract Player, or any Person on his behalf, shall be at liberty at any
time to make an approach to a Club (or club) with a view to negotiating a
contract with such Club (or club).

T.7. After the third Saturday in May in any year and before the 1st July next following
a Contract Player to whom Rule T.2 applies or any Person on his behalf may
make such an approach as is referred to in Rule T.5.

 

If you're at all a fan of American sports, then the concept should be very familiar to you. American leagues have rules against tampering, and they take a pretty hard line on enforcing them---much more so than happens across leagues in Europe, though within leagues things may be policed better.

 

a hard line enforcing them? How many times do you see free agency open and a player signing with a team within 20 minutes? I'm sure there was zero contact before the FA window opened and they were able to hammer out a deal in 20 minutes. I can't remember the last time a team was actually punished for tampering.

 

My rep was ironic.

This whole transfer sage is moronic.

Think it's time for a gin & tonic.

 

Liverpool getting ready to take the field against Hearts in Europa League.

What's a 'Pool loss worth to Deuce?

 

Nothing. The kids are out.

Reina, Kelly, Carragher, Agger, Robinson, Henderson, Adam, Spearing, Shelvey, Borini, Sterling. Subs: Jones, Coates, Downing, Lucas, Allen, Flanagan, Morgan.

 

At this point nothing matters until the lodged complaint is decided.
This is why no offers have come in. No team is going to make an offer for a player in the middle of formal complaint about him.
My guess is this is how it went down:
Clint gives interview saying he wants to play CL
Jol is furious with him
Clint completes USA duty and goes on break
Liverpool issue popped up with website
Jol gets into big row with Dempsey on his return accusing him of backstabbing team - Clint knows nothing about what Liverpool did
Complaint is lodged
Clint is poison...no one will make an offer, Liverpool can't make an offer...my guess is Clint never wanted to go there to begin with
Player and team our now.....potentially screwed
Keep in mind all Clint had to do if he really wanted to leave is file a transfer request. He can't because he's under investigation

 

I don't buy either of those for a second.

 

Hey Mods - have a suggestion for a new thread title -

Is Fulham dropping the Deuce in the 'Pool?

 

Are those actual regulations or things you just made-up? No player can transfer while under investigation for tampering? No transfer request while under investigation for tampering?

It sounds both correct and wrong.

 

The punishment for tapping up is monetary so there is no reason the deal couldn't be concluded whilst the investigation proceeds.

 

In the immortal words of Rafa B..... Borini is no Dempsey, FACT..... my word what a miss

 

Tottenham talk heating up td. Makes sense. Possibly his best option atm imo.

 

except for the fact that AVB is soccer hemlock.

 

AVB is desperate to get Willian. He wanted him at Chelsea and now at Spurs.