It's an interesting analysis to Fulham's situation. Although it's very unlikely for Dempsey or Bocanegra to come over, even the possibility of having one of them and McBride back in MLS is exciting to think about http://thecruzpitch.blogspot.com/2007/04/fulham-fc-relegation-good-for-mls.html
Well, if relegation forces Fulham to unload a couple guys, maybe Dempsey will actually see the field. Maybe a year at the Championship level would be good for him, give him a little bit of playing time, some chances to do something positive and get confidence back.
Although the Championship isn't that much of a step-up from MLS. In terms of national team aspirations, it'd be far wiser to try and elevate his game by remaining in the premiership. Perhaps he could get selected by one of the newly promoted teams.
There was a discussion on this and saying how Fulhams USA test failed.. and it was defended, might have been on fox sports world or something similar. Its really unfair to say that 2 guys who performed very well this year are the reason that Fulham is going to be relegated. Bocanegra played exceptionally well and Mcbride led the team in goals. what else can you do. There are 9 other players out there. cant blame them. Dempsy hardly seen any playing time so you sure as hell cant blame him that he didnt get a chance to shine.
I could see Roy Keane taking a chance on Dempsey and turning him into a great player. I can see both Cherundolo and Bocanegra being picked up by Premiership clubs also. If they are relegated, it would certainly look as if McBride would come to MLS.
If they are relegated McBride will be sold to MLS....probably the Fire which means they sell Blanco to someone else?? maybe they keep both??
7-8K people come out to see Blanco say hello and put on a jersey and the next thing they do is trade him? Not going to happen.. Both? Perhaps.. Might even be possible McBride will be just under the DP line..That may be difficult for Chicago with the cap, however. Not sure what he would require at this point in his career even though he is still playing very well.
I'm really really hoping Fulham stays up in the Premiership. I'm not a big Cottagers fan, but am a fan of all 3 Americans playing for them, and I want to see them stay in the Premiership. If Fulham does get relegated (which is very possible given their difficult schedule from here on out), I wouldn't want to see Dempsey or Bocanegra back in MLS. Bocanegra, at 27, is in his prime and needs to be playing at a higher level. Ditto for Dempsey, who had quite frankly grown bored and uninsipred in our league last season. McBride is beyond the age now where I'm really worried about his development, so I could go either way with him. If he wants to stay in the Premiership, that's fine...if he wants to come back to MLS, that's great too.
I think McBride would stay. He signed an extension for next year and he is loved there. I don't think he would mind staying and playing in the Championship.
Or Columbus. From what I hear, Chicago's up close towards the cap limit anyways. (disclaimer: though I haven't followed the situation that closely) They'd have to manage and move some money/contracts around (MLS) in order for this unless he played for peanuts. I too think Radz is a much more obtainable target, either way, though.
I love all 3 but they can stay overseas. They left MLS for a reason, let them stay over there. Especially Dempsey, he wanted to play at a higher level than MLS, then let him make it over there.
I would like to see Eddie Lewis, McBride and Keller come back. I would also like to Radz go to TFC. The younger guys need to stay in Europe and develop. However, bringing Lewis, McBride, Keller and Radz in would greatly improve the quality and professionalism of the league. It might not put a ton of extra fannies in the seats from the onset but real fans of MLS would know the league just elevated itself 2 fold. I mean how much better are these teams with these players? TFC-Radz DC- Lewis C-Bus - McBride RSL- Keller
Unfortunately, the present system makes it difficult to bring some of these players home, although I think for many (McBride, Onyewu, Beasley, Keller) it might be good for them and the league to bring them home Unfortunately, the present system makes that difficult to do. Even the lower paid players will still require a team to use its DP slot. The league calendars mean that players wanting to return to the US will generally not be available until after the MLS season starts, where there are fewer open DP slots to spare (a problem that will grow worse over time, I suspect). Finally, there is the issue of transfer fees, even if modest, that MLS isn’t going to be anxious to pay. Here is my proposal: create a new exemption for “repatriated” players. It would work like this: 1. Each team would have one RP slot (in addition to the DP slots). 2. A “repatriated player” would be any player capped for the U.S. national team (or, in the case of TFC, the Canadian national team) who has been playing abroad for at least the previous two years. 3. Teams signing an RP would be responsible for the player’s entire salary, including any transfer fees, but would retain any transfer fees should the player be sold again at a later date. 4. The DP salary (which again, is not being paid by MLS) would not count against the salary cap. 5. DP slots could be traded, but no team could have more then two. Removing the player from the salary cap will cause some concern, but again, the league isn’t paying any of the cost, nor are there so many players that they would remove all competitive balance from the league. I thought there was more downside to count part of the RP salary against the cap (like a DP), which would force teams to squeeze salaries at the bottom of their rosters even more. Again, the intention isn’t to bring all of these guys back: some will no doubt have better opportunities remaining in Europe. Still, there are a number of players that I think might seriously consider the option given where they are in their careers. As for MLS, might Gooch look good on the DC United back line right now? Would RBNY or RSL find a spot for Beasley? Might McBride’s aerial skills add some punch to Chicago, Columbus or LA? Would Keller be a welcome sight in goal for any number of teams, especially if they didn’t have to use their lone DP slot to do it? I think it would be good for the league, and good for US Soccer.
DC United would benefit tremendously with the addition of someone like Eddie Lewis or even Gooch (Although I highly doubt Gooch would come over, especially since he hasn't really proven himself in the EPL). I definitely agree with the idea of having a seperate slot for Ex-Patriots coming back. It's a nice way to integrate them back in the league, plus recognizing their accomplishments as accomplished players.
Isn't Watford the team that's gonna be relegated? Fulham is 12 points ahead of them with 2 games left, unless I got my info wrong.
If Fulham is relegated that would really hurt the perception of American players in the Premiership. Let's hope they pull it out.