Switch Dempsey and Donovan?

[Hustletown]

Like everyone else, I've been evaluating our position after the World Cup and trying to think of ways the team can improve.

One thing I'd like to see is for Dempsey to move in from the wing to the center of the pitch and play the CAM role. I'd love to see Dempsey play the general role that Steven Gerrard does for Liverpool. No, I'm not comparing Dempsey to Gerrard. I think Gerrard is the best all-around player on the planet. Basically, I think we'd take more advantage of Dempsey's skill set by having him play more centrally and give him more chances to make a run on goal and open things up for the strikers. Ideally, I'd like to see him as a CAM in a diamond 4-4-2 set up. However, as long as he's central and advanced I wouldn't have a problem.

The more I watch Donovan on the international level, the more I think he should be on the wing. I don't think he has the aggressiveness he needs to lead the team in a central role. He's just not consistent enough in the attitude he brings. I think Dempsey has him completely trumped in that area. You always know you are getting 110% from Dempsey, and that's something you need from your point man. However, I do think Donovan could help on the wing.

Basically, I'd like to switch the two because Dempsey is proving to be much more dangerous to defenses and you never have to worry about where his head is at. More importantly, I think we'd be taking better advantage of Dempsey's ability to create dangerous opportunities if we play him in the CAM role.

What do you think?

[swedust]

I'll chime in.

I do believe that a reliance on players who are more in the 2-way mold like Gerrard is going to be better for the USMNT than trying to develop a system that relies on specialists like a true #10, a true winger, a true destroyer, etc. So in general principle, I agree.

Further, I think Donovan will do better without being the focus of the team, even though I do believe that he is our best field position player. So I also agree on principle with the idea of a new role for him. Now, is that role going out wide? I'm not so sure. I'm more inclined to give him a totally free role and get width another way.

As far as Dempsey playing centrally, that's mighty tight space at the international level. I'm not sure I'm ready to take his 1v1 skills off the right side.

[NBlue]

Two things:

1) Dempsey played extremely well in Germany and was, without doubt, one of our best players if not our best player at the Cup.

2) In no way, shape or form is Dempsey capable, at this point, of playing CAM at an international level for us at this point -- perhaps not even at a regional level. While he is a very aggresive attacking player, his vision is not a huge strength and his first touch is not close to Donovan or several others on our team. I suppose you could possibly play him as a two-way central midfielder though I'm not convinced of his success in that position either. Regardless, playing him as a lone CAF is asking for pain.

[sidefootsitter]

If you asked the question after the Czech game, I'd have said yes.

But after the World Cup, Donovan should let other folks get their shot.

[cpwilson80]

Every time I watch Freddie Ljunberg play, I think to myself, "This is what we need from Donovan."

It's OK to have a dangerous player on the outside.

[MLS SupaStr3]

Not that we don't have this problem already but I think Demps would fade in and out during the game.

[SNUSA]

I'm not opposed to the idea of a new #10-style player (though, ideally, LD would just step up and use his talent and we'll be fine). But moving Dempsey centrally seems a bit like trying to fix something that's not broken. He's very dangerous out on the right, he's comfortable, he makes things happen for himself and opens up things for others. While we have that weapoon available, we should keep using it.

[Eleven Bravo]

i'd like to see the box played sometime in the next 4 years because most of our attacking players are more outside-minded anyways. For example:

LAM: Freddy Adu, DaMarcus Beasley, Bobby Convey, Justin Mapp, Mike Magee, Brad Davis etc...

RAM: Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Lee Nguyen, Santino Quaranta, Eddie Gaven, Patrick Noonan, etc...

Destroyer Mid: Ricardo Clark, Pablo Mastroeni, Brian Carroll, Ben Olsen, Jonathan Spector (yes, i realize his primary position is defense), Richard Mulrooney, Clyde Simms, Nathan Sturgis, Frankie Simek (yes, i realize he's a right back), etc...

Anchor, Holding Mid: Michael Bradley, Benny Fielhaber, Danny Szetela, Sacha Kljestan, John O' Brien, Kyle Beckerman, etc...

[sidefootsitter]

You don't play Box with destroyers.... :mad:

BTW, it just dawned on me that there are like three players in MLS who know these moves - http://www.playgreatsoccer.com/landing1.html

[Galaxian]

Dempsey has some amazing skill and talent and he is improving every week . As much as I would like to see him come inside and play CAM for us , he played extremely well for us on the right in Germany , and we arent very deep on the right side .

We have tried playing LD out wide right , and so has Steve Sampson , but all it does is give LD 90 minutes where he can just hang around and not do anything . LD's dissapearing act is even more evident when he is playing wide .

Donovan is still one of our best players centrally , he just needs to be able to step it up against top competition .

[onefineesq]

i'd like to see the box played sometime in the next 4 years because most of our attacking players are more outside-minded anyways. For example:

LAM: Freddy Adu, DaMarcus Beasley, Bobby Convey, Justin Mapp, Mike Magee, Brad Davis etc...

RAM: Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Lee Nguyen, Santino Quaranta, Eddie Gaven, Patrick Noonan, etc...

Destroyer Mid: Ricardo Clark, Pablo Mastroeni, Brian Carroll, Ben Olsen, Jonathan Spector (yes, i realize his primary position is defense), Richard Mulrooney, Clyde Simms, Nathan Sturgis, Frankie Simek (yes, i realize he's a right back), etc...

Anchor, Holding Mid: Michael Bradley, Benny Fielhaber, Danny Szetela, Sacha Kljestan, John O' Brien, Kyle Beckerman, etc... I have to disagree here. The fact that some of these guys are played on the outside by their club teams doesn't mean that they outside minded mids. Some of them play where they are due to necessity. Case in point ........... Freddy Adu. He simply doesn't have the mindset of an outside mid. He plays there because that's where the need is. His skills scream amid or withdrawn striker (i prefer the first). Santino .......... simply not suited to outside mid. Ditto, Eddie Gaven. Not saying that we can't play a box with these players. It actually may be a good idea. However, I wouldn't get caught up in where some of these players play for their teams at the moment (especially when you are talking about the 21 and under crowd of players.

[onefineesq]

Two things:

1) Dempsey played extremely well in Germany and was, without doubt, one of our best players if not our best player at the Cup.

2) In no way, shape or form is Dempsey capable, at this point, of playing CAM at an international level for us at this point -- perhaps not even at a regional level. While he is a very aggresive attacking player, his vision is not a huge strength and his first touch is not close to Donovan or several others on our team. I suppose you could possibly play him as a two-way central midfielder though I'm not convinced of his success in that position either. Regardless, playing him as a lone CAF is asking for pain. I think you have a point on the vision. I don't think that he has quite the vision from the center that we would need. However, I disagree whole-heartedly on the touch. I think he has just as good of a first touch as Donovan. I don't see LD being supernatural in that area.

[appoo]

I think you have a point on the vision. I don't think that he has quite the vision from the center that we would need. However, I disagree whole-heartedly on the touch. I think he has just as good of a first touch as Donovan. I don't see LD being supernatural in that area.


the times I can recall LD messing up a first touch are rather few. He's a very technically gifted player. All his issues are mental.

[casoccerdad47]

I think you have a point on the vision. I don't think that he has quite the vision from the center that we would need. However, I disagree whole-heartedly on the touch. I think he has just as good of a first touch as Donovan. I don't see LD being supernatural in that area.

I haven't seen Dempsey play very often, but I watched the New England/Kansas City game last night with Dempsey playing attacking mid and I was very impressed. His dribbling skills weren't on display, but his passing skills were and I think he may be a better one touch passer than Donovan in the tight spaces in and around the box, i.e. I think he may have better vision than Donovan in those situations. He's also a much more dangerous scoring threat than Donovan in traffic in the box. Donovan's passing skills and scoring are generally on display on the counter attack and he has a nice shot from outside the box, but scoring headed goals is not something you expect out of Donovan. After watching last night's game, I'd make the change in a heart beat.

[Hustletown]

Dempsey seemingly gets better every time he plays, and Donovan seems to have peaked at the moment. Dempsey is improving in the areas sited as weaknesses above (first touch, vision). Of course, Donovan is still young and can still make due on his potential. Whether or not he can do that with the LA Galaxy remains to be seen.

Of course, any potential changes will be dependant on the new leadership.

[appoo]

Dempsey seemingly gets better every time he plays, and Donovan seems to have peaked at the moment. Dempsey is improving in the areas sited as weaknesses above (first touch, vision). Of course, Donovan is still young and can still make due on his potential. Whether or not he can do that with the LA Galaxy remains to be seen.

Of course, any potential changes will be dependant on the new leadership.


Using MLS isn't a good idea for this subject....Landon has been absolutly dominant since coming back from the World Cup.

I'm not saying Dempsey in the middle isn't a bad thin to try, but I'd be wary of citing MLS as a reason why.

[swedust]

I'm not saying Dempsey in the middle isn't a bad thin to try, but I'd be wary of citing MLS as a reason why.

Indeed.

[Hustletown]

I should clarify that statement. Not meant as a knock on the MLS, but rather on Donovan's desire to feel complacent at the moment. That's usually not exactly a kick starter for improvement, but it seems like the light might have gone off after the World Cup.

Of course, the true test will be whether or not he can sustain and build on the momentum he's creating, and also if he can bring that to the USA team in the next meaningful competition.

In Dempsey, you see a player with a true hunger to succeed. In the first half of 2006, Donovan played and carried himself like someone who'd seen his best days.

We'll see what happens in the next year, but I'd be all for mixing and matching when we get the group together again to see what works best.

[appoo]

We'll see what happens in the next year, but I'd be all for mixing and matching when we get the group together again to see what works best.

under "Hind-site is 20/20" we should have been doing this in the first place. Convey should have been given a run out at ACM during the build up - we should of had a plan 'B' in case Landon played poorly.

now? Open that spot up. Let Convey, Freddy, Dempsey, Gaven, and Donovan prove who the best is in that position.

same with EVERY position

[Adam Zebrowski]

i mentioned dempsey in the middle right after the usa was eliminated...

I think it's dempsey's mentality, which we all like...

he might NOT quite be a ready product, BUT give the kid a chance to learn...

sure, he'll make some mistakes, but what's the learning curve gonna be like...

say the next two years we experiment here...

if dempsey proves he can hack it, his competitive mentality can be better utilized