reading a story on Darren Huckerby, the Quakes players from England, I came across this quote: "There are a lot of people who have speed and don't use it the way they should," he said. "If I've got a chance to beat somebody, I beat them. I don't mess around with doing tricks or trying to be clever. I just get past them as quick as I can." I want to print it out, tape it to a stick and beat Clint Dempsey with it. I know, I know ... he's scored in four straight games. So what? eddie Johnson can do that.
so you're saying Clint Dempsey should use the speed he doesn't have to blow past people but not the tricks that he does have to get by them? welcome to your world of stupidity.
I know what Clint can do offensively, very clever, decent pace on shot, far from great but when he has the ball, he works hard. The difference with him today was that he worked very hard off the ball both on the offensive side and especially the defensive side of the ball. More than once, did he make LONG recovery runs for the CM's who were forward and helped collectively win the ball back with his teammates. This is one skill that is overlooked and underestimated that our US forwards in general don't possess, tracking to win the ball back quickly. I love watching the Arsenal forwards(except Van Persie) after they lose the ball, they are on a mission to win it back, this was DEmpsey for me today. Except for scoring, I think he made the most of the Johnson suspension and deserves another start for Fulham somewhere on the field.
looks like he is making some strides again, i a like duece, but his form recently has been a bit depressing but hopefully this game changes things!
He hasn't lost his knack for showing up for a few minutes and scoring though... Clint has never been the player up top or out wide that he was as an A-mid in New England. His skills are best suited to him playing there. He just can't cover much ground on the wing, and he doesn't like to cross the ball. His goals usually come from late runs onto the ball at the top of the box or at the back post. He is good at beating one guy and getting a shot off, not beating a guy at midfield and running all the way to the endline... They will catch him for sure. He has average speed but great deceptiveness. Up top he just seems lost.
That's a pretty stupid comment. The other posters already pointed out that Dempsey is not a speedy guy like Lando or Beasley, his game is doing those tricks that you don't want him to do and taking a shot or combining with other players. I got an advice for you, if you want to see how soccer is supposed to be played stop watching the EPL and watch some Serie A and La Liga.
that's a good quote for someone who actually has pace. But Dempsey is not that fast and he struggles to even get by oppositon like Cuba and T&T with those tricks he can't pull off.
When I see Huckerby running at people and I think of the MNT, I think of Landon. If he had Huckerby's aggression, he would be a beast.
I've always thought of Clint as a Tim Cahill type of player. People keep trying to turn Clint into somebody he's not.
It is a tough predicament to be in when you are not quite good enough to start at the position(s) you are best in. People want you to play at a different position and suggest you change your game to do so.
ok, point taken ... but i think it's misunderstood. I know he's not landon-fast ... I guess I read the quote different. How I took it was this 'I don't fool around, I just play direct.' that's my advice for clint. don't slow the ball down to try tricks we all know won't work. Pass and move, play direct, play aggressive. Again, I see your points ... I just didn't explain my position adequately. and I think my position is valid.
That's who I think Clint should try to play like anyway..........if Cahill could ever stay healthy. Clint isn't a striker and he's not a winger. He doesn't have the pace or the technical skill to be a winger in the premiership. So where should he play? Probably in the middle where Cahill plays. I mean, Fulham have tried him everywhere else...............You can't tell me Clint would be worse there than Danny Murphy. ( I know Danny's a little more defensively oriented than Clint.) The truth is Clint is simply a versatile player, who isn't great in any position. So clubs just move him around to where they've got a hole. Andy Johnson is injured? Throw him up top. Davies injured? Throw him on the right side of midfield. Personally, I see Clint as a bench player for the US if our young forward/midfielders develop like we hope they do (Adu, Altidore, Rogers, Kljestan, Davies, etc.). If I was to write our best starting XI right now in Bob's desired 4-2-3-1 formation, Clint miiiiiiight be in it. ----------Altidore---- Beasley--Donovan--Dempsey -------Edu---Bradley-- Pearce--Boca--Gooch--Cherundolo -----------Howard......... But if Adu develops and you put him in there, who do you take out? I'd put Adu in the middle, and move Donovan to the right. (I think Beasley's closer to being replaced than Dempsey. Dempsey at least scores and looks dangerous at times. Beasley's got pace and not much else. He couldn't score in a Thai whorehouse)
I think you missed the irony. You said people keep trying to turn Clint into somebody he's not. Well, he's not Tim Cahill either. And even if you want him to be like Tim Cahill, he will never be Tim Cahill (somebody he's not). At best, he'll be a poor man's Tim Cahill.
