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

it was meant to be "love him there" vice here. but if he ended up at DCU eventually would be nice as well.

 

yes please

He got in enough fights with his Revs teammates that I don't think anybody would mind his prior affiliation

 

Anyone that bitch-slapped Joey Franchino is OK in my book! Did he lay one on Jay Heaps, too? If he did, he's doubly welcome!

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/...olds-fulham-contract-talks-usa-striker-030912


Does Fulham actually think they can keep him?

 

Fulham opens talks:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4181716/Clint-Dempsey-offered-a-new-deal-by-Fulham-boss-Jol.html

 

No surprise. They will probably offer a wage increase and multiple years. While developing leverage to negotiate higher transfer fees should a bigger club come calling during the next transfer window. SOP for most clubs.

 

Today is his 29th birthday. Did you remember to get him a present?

 

Yes, they do. Fulham have a number of key players who will have only 1 year left on their contracts come the summer (and one who's recently been scoring a few goals who will be out of contract) and I don't think that Clint is the most likely of these players to be sold. They won't want all of them to leave and I think they'd be most likely to sell the one who they have almost no chance of keeping around when that player is available on a free.

And as noted above there are benefits to an extension for Fulham in the transfer market, not to mention it's never a bad thing for a player to have a long term guaranteed deal as insurance against something bad happening.

 

I would hope that he does not sign an extension as that would increase his transfer fee, and likely decrease the number of suitors that come after him. With one year left on his contract and the negative pressure on the transfer market from the world economy, Fulham's asking price will be dramatically higher if he signs a multi-year extension.

It comes down to how badly he wants to play for a CL team. I know I'm going to get a lot of arguements from this statement, but I think the fact that he is an American is one of the reasons he is still playing for a mid-table team like Fulham as opposed to a bigger side, and not a lot of teams are going to want to stump up 15-20M pounds for him at 29, or they would have already done it. He's worth every penny of that transfer fee, but for some reason bigger teams don't see it that way. One year left on the contract will decrease his fee at least in half, maybe more, and that will be his way out of Fulham, again if he wants it. I bet there is some real security that he feels in London, on a team where he is the big dog, where his family is settled. So, he may be tempted to stay. Quite honestly, you can't say that his career is suffering for being at Fulham. He is flourishing right now, his team is as well, and they might make it into the Europa league on points this year. Would he do better at a bigger team? Possibly. Could he flounder on the bench and become negative, possible but by past experience unlikely. Who knows, but there is a big unknown about a transfer to a bigger team.

My sentiment, probably shared by a lot of folks, is that I hope he goes to a bigger CL side, so we can enjoy and root for Clint in the big time games against the like of Messi and Ronaldo next year. Who knows, if he continues on this tear he could potentially line up with guys like that next year. It is not out of the question IMO.

 

Nice little article on Fulham & Clint from ESPN:

All rise for Fulham - Behold the majesty of the Clint Dempsey-led Cottagers

 

the danger of this for the player is he can price himself out of a move. Donovan essentially did this when he resigned with The Galaxy before his loan to Everton. Then Everton couldn't afford to pay to get a player the galaxy were not going to lose for a long time. Had Donovan, refused the contract he'd could have gone on a free, should he want to move to Everton permanantly (obviously no certainty) but everton would have likely signed him. At worst he'd have had commanded a much smaller fee as Galaxy and MLS would have to sell him then or risk losing him for nothing but they would not have the leverage.

Dempsey may resign, and that may be good for Fulham because now they have him locked up longer term, but Dempsey, should he want to move, he has less leverage. He'd have to make a massive stink and do a Masherano. And hell that didn't work with Tevez. But If i didnt' sign and wanted to leave Fulham would have to either transfer him before his deal at a cheaper fee or lose him and get nothing.

All that stuff aside i'd love to see the day when many american players take the attitude from man of the NBA players where being the best and winning the biggest thing on the planet is really the only measure of success and greatness. Like Lebron isn't happy until he wins the NBA title. I'd love to heard U.S. players be like that. And say my only goal is to win it all. And want them to be unhappy with second, third, forth, Europa, midtable. I love that attitude. I'm not saying they should declare that they are the best just declare that they strive to be the best and won't be satisfied if they aren't.

 

http://www.football-italia.net/node/16515

Roma ready bid for Dempsey..

 

And so the battle begins...

 

Hopefully Milan's strategy isn't to outbid Roma just so Roma can't have him. I'd like to see Dempsey end up with a club where he has a real opportunity to produce, not so sure that would be the case with Milan.

 

Exactly. I wonder if he will take that consideration into it or if he will figure, CL or nothing.

 

I think he'd start for Milan and the good news for US fans, Milan are the best at knowing how long a player has left in his career.

 

Given Demosey's history, I think he has a chance to force his way into the lineup of any team.

 

Was that a play on the word Demo, or was that a typo?

 

Juventus needs a Clint Dempsey...

 

Repped and if I stll had sigs,this would be it.

 

Yeah, I'm just not sure who would lose time to Dempsey.

Ambrosini?
Seedorf?
Van Bommel?
Emanualson?

 

Well two of those guys are ancient and one is a defensive midfielder so not really the competition.

I'd take Dempsey over Nocerino who is 2nd on the team for goals.

 

He'd probably work best in the 3/4-ista role that we have Boateng play, where he's behind the two strikers but not an out and out #10.

Dempsey would have to slot into the midfield, probably in place of the rotating 3rd midfielder (lately its been Nocerino, MvB/Ambrosini, and Muntari/Emanuelson/Aquilani/whoever). Would be interesting to see a midfield of Dempsey-Bradley-Nocerino