Dempsey up front??

[jefflebowski16]

I would like to see Bradley or whoever may step in as manager try Dempsey up front. I know that he has spent a great deal of his career at right or a-mid and, if we move Dempsey, there aren't very many other options at rigth mid, but consider this...

1. I need not even mention this, but I will anyway. With McBride out of the picture, the spots up top are wide open. Thus far, Johnson, Rolfe, Ching, Jacqua, Twellman etc. have not overly impressed me with the NT and I haven't seen enough of Cooper. I know that there's plenty of time for one of those guys to come around plus there's J. Smith, Kamani Hill, Ferrari, Adu, and a few others who haven't gotten a look yet, but it still couldn't hurt to give deuce a shot.

2. He has the ability to create space for himself with the ball at his feet that very few American players possess.

3. He has an aerial presence to complement his skill on the ground. He's 6'1" and, more importantly, he knows how to use his size.

3. The guy can finish. He's one of those guys who always seems to find himself in the right place at the right time. At New England, he scored 25 in 71games. Not a bad strike rate for an a-mid. I know its MLS, but how many American forwards are there in our active player pool that are lighting up the Premiership or La Liga? Plus, he also has 6 goals in 23 matches for the National Team, including the one in the World Cup against Ghana and the one in the England friendly (I know it wasn't England's first team, but the side they had out there would pound Barbados or Panama). In other words, he's not like Jason Kreis who tore up MLS, but scored 1 goal against Jamaica in 16 appearances for the NT.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAr6m-mD5W8&mode=related&search=

4. The guy has a mean streak that is not necessarily essential to be a great goal-scorer, but certainly seems to help in some cases (i.e. Wynalda and Mathis) and probably would in others (Donovan). I just like that sort of mentality in a forward.

I know that he doesn't have much experience up there and moving him would leave a big hold at right-mid, but I still think it's worth a shot.

Is there anything I missed???

[green94]

We'd have no one to play right wing.

[carpediem175]

Dempsey could probably work up front, but that would mean if had little poor service he would see much less of the ball. I think A-mid is his best position, He gets the ball more often and is still able to attack. He is too good running at players to put him up front. IMO

[Jeddy Rasp]

Is there anything I missed???


apart from the fact that he couldn't play as a striker at the international level you didn't miss a thing.:rolleyes:

[jefflebowski16]

apart from the fact that he couldn't play as a striker at the international level you didn't miss a thing.:rolleyes:

well he hasn't had the chance yet and its not like we have a bunch of guys that can play striker at the international :rolleyes:

[Jeddy Rasp]

well he hasn't had the chance yet and its not like we have a bunch of guys that can play striker at the international :rolleyes:


I'd be inclined to give Cooper a run of games before even thinking about Clint Dempsey.

[eric_appleby]

He played forward for the Revo quite a few times last season, and the results lead me to believe he needs to play in the midfield.

[Eleven Bravo]

Personally, I think playing him as a RF (in a 3 FW set-up) would be his best position.

[USMNT]

This idea is not very bright. If there's anything we should have learned from the last cycle, it is that we should not shoehorn guys into playing other positions to make up for deficiencies elsewhere. We wind up getting mediocre performances all over the field rather than in isolated spots.

Don't try to turn LD into Reyna. Let him attack without the responsibility of setting the place so that he can get into the right frame of mind to play to his strengths. It's the same deal with Dempsey; play him in MF.

Let your best players play to their strengths and fill in around them with role players of whom we have plenty.

[CommonSense]

his best position in FIFA is striker, so he must be a striker!!!!

Seriously, his place on the right side of MF, where he can create and get into the box...

[SamsArmySam]

I don't agree with the idea, but what do I know? Bradley has seen enough to at use him as a forward once already.

Anyone want to take a stab at Bradley's rationale why Clint was moved to forward in the recent friendly late in the game?

[cpwilson80]

I don't agree with the idea, but what do I know? Bradley has seen enough to at use him as a forward once already.

Anyone want to take a stab at Bradley's rationale why Clint was moved to forward in the recent friendly late in the game?

Dempsey lacked fitness against Mexico. When Johnson came on for Rolfe, we were only attacking through the counter.

Hence, Dempsey switched with Donovan: this allowed Dempsey to be a point guy in the attack while Donovan - one of the fittest players around - could track back on defense AND join the attack in the second wave.

Once Bradley subbed Dempsey out, Donovan went back up top.

This idea pops up every couple of months, but I am convinced that Dempsey needs to be in the midfield.

[miked9]

Dempsey at forward was a worse expieriment than Dempsey at AMid.

[Tonerl]

I also have advocated this in the past, and everybody shot it down then, too.

The idea that he's a right wing seems less informed to me than the idea of trying him at striker, but everybody seems to take that as gospel.

I think it'd be worth a shot.

I've said before that an a-mid is responsible for creating chances for himself and his teammates through postioning, running, and passing. That's my definition of creativity. Dempsey doesn't really have that kind of creativity. He has what I've called a kind of charisma or flair which helps him beat people. To me, that would be a skill best utilized by a striker.

I've been thinking lately that I might try playing Dempsey and Donovan together at striker.

[IndividualEleven]

It all depends on the tactics and the personnel surrounding Dempsey. Within BB's tactics the forwards are going to getting the ball and initiating the offense much closer to midfield than in other formations. The premium is on guys who can dribble and distribute and hold the ball. Dempsey would work within such a formation.

In other words Dempsey already plays like a forward in the 'bucket' formation so there's no issue of him being 'shoehorned' into the wrong role.

[Adam Zebrowski]

don't know if dempsey lacked fitness against mexico, or whether it was jet lag or whether his body clock being 3-5 am was the factor...

on the right side, eventually a real forward will emerge from davies, altidore, smith or some one else...

i do wonder if usa retains the target player or evolves into a side who plays, say, altidore with davies..

having dempsey making late runs into the box expolits something he does well too

[Plan B]

It all depends on the tactics and the personnel surrounding Dempsey. Within BB's tactics the forwards are going to getting the ball and initiating the offense much closer to midfield than in other formations. The premium is on guys who can dribble and distribute and hold the ball. Dempsey would work within such a formation.

In other words Dempsey already plays like a forward in the 'bucket' formation so there's no issue of him being 'shoehorned' into the wrong role.

agreed. As an out-and-out striker? No way. But I think Dempsey could (and will) play on the top of the empty bucket formation or could slot into a support role in a 4-4-1-1 a la the way Tim Cahill or Keiron Dyer play for their clubs. (Clint reminds me of Cahill in a lot of ways already.) Problem with the second one is it would require width and while we have it on the left, we don't on the right. It would require Mapp or Convey or Beasley being able to play out there, and it would also leave Donovan with no other spot on the field other than lone striker or right wing. (Mastro and Clark could play as two-way mids behind Dempsey)

So...I think Clint could do it and be effective, but it's not the best lineup for the team as a whole.

[TrueCrew]

I don't think its that bad of an idea. While I don't think Demspey is best suited to an a-mid (at least at this point) because he doesn't create as well for others, I'm not sure I like him with his back to goal much.

Best bet: right outside mid or some sort of attacking right sided player in a 4-3-3, box midfield, or one of two withdrawn attackers in a 4-3-2-1 (kind of like how Milan use Kaka).

[IndividualEleven]

So...I think Clint could do it and be effective, but it's not the best lineup for the team as a whole.

Right now I'd like to see:


----------------Cooper----LD---------------------
--------------------------------------------------
--------Mapp---------------------Deuce----------
--------------------------------------------------
----------------Mastro---Clark--------------------

Cooper's calmness on the ball away from goal will hopefully get him some minutes. I like the fact he unlike Ching, Twellman, and EJ plays without an attacking midfielder at club level.

[illinizissou]

I don't agree with the idea, but what do I know? Bradley has seen enough to at use him as a forward once already.

Anyone want to take a stab at Bradley's rationale why Clint was moved to forward in the recent friendly late in the game?

In my opinion this is an idea that Coach Bradley nailed right on the head. Clint seems to have a history of tiring out as the game goes on. His defense is what truly suffers, while he is still extremely creative on the ball. While I don't think starting Dempsey at forward is the right idea, allowing him to move to forward in the second half is an outstanding idea. Allow him to earn some headers and be creative while eliminating the need to tax him so much on the defensive side.