Does anyone else think that Dempsey would be a perfect player for where Buddle was in the 4-1-4-1? Adjust that to having Donovan playing off the striker and I think that would be lethal. Demps is great with positioning and possession and would interplay well with the midfielders while giving a scoring threat. I would like to see that when he plays again.
I wouldn't say "perfect" but I've been thinking the same thing for a while, especially the last 24 hours. Whoever our "best" forward is, at this moment he's nowhere near as good as the best player who'd be left on the bench. I mean, let's say you solve the LB problem with Lichaj, and then put Steve C. at RB. You've got to get Chandler out there, right? And Brek Shea is coming on so strong; I strongly believe he'll be an obvious first XI pick within a year. How do you start Donovan and Dempsey without one of them playing forward? I happen to think Dempsey is more suited to that.
I am of the same opinion and for the same reasons. Obviously it was one game, lots of assumptions, blah blah...but if Shea and Chandler end up being our wingers, we'll need to figure out something. Something like this perhaps: ----------Dempsey------------ -------------LD--------------- Shea------------------Chandler -------Holden------------------ ---------------DM------------- Central MF backups could be Adu for Donovan, Torres/Sacha/Benny for Holden and an assload of people for the DM role. It's either this or one of LD or Donovan has to play wide to accommodate the striker and leaving Shea or Chandler (or other wingers) on the bench.
I think this is where we are headed, given a recovery to Holden. Watching that game last night, with Dempsey absent and Shea rampaging, and suspecting all along that Klinsmann sees LD as a withdrawn forward...
Dempsey at forward is tempting if he can learn to play the counterattack. Dempsey can't play too high when the other team has the ball or he'll get in the way. He's got to be high enough to arrive at the box on counterattacks if faster players choose to hold the ball, but not get in the way or slow things down. He could also mess around with being offside on the initial pass then get in position to finish the play. Really Dempsey at forward makes 4-1-4-1 more like 4-6-0 or 4-1-5-0 (not a bad thing, just the reality of it).
I think it depends on how well Cherundolo holds up. If he declines too much with age over the next few years, then you'd push Chandler back to RB and maybe go with something like this: ----------Dempsey------------ -------------Adu--------------- Shea------------------Donovan -------Holden------------------ ---------------DM-------------- or this: ---------Alti/Agu/Other-------- -----------Dempsey------------ Shea------------------Donovan -------Holden------------------ ---------------DM--------------
Didn't he play that role at Fulham when Bobby Zamora went down injured? Regardless of how well he would perform there at the international level, I'd think Clint would jump at the chance. I'd love to see Agudelo running off him for at least 45 minutes.
I think Dempsey loves playing the forward role because it's a lot less running. Once we have Holden healthy, I think it will be ok to have our two best players up top. The one main issues with playing Dempsey and Donovan up top was that we'd have no one in midfield to feed them but with plays like Adu, Torres, and Holden, I don't think that will be an issue anymore.
There are some interesting ideas in this thread. But I think they need to be considered in terms of how they affect the entire configuration of the team rather than in isolation. Let's consider the two examples in the lineup above. Dempsey to forward. This opens LM for Shea, while taking Altidore or Agudelo out of the lineup. It also removes the possibility of Shea to LB. So do we prefer a lineup with Lichaj or Castillo at LB, Shea at LW and Dempsey at forward. Or would we rather have Lichaj or Castillo at LB, Dempsey at LW and Altitore or Agudelo at forward. Or Shea at LB, Dempsey at LW and Altidore or Agudelo at forward. I have a lot of interest in the last option because it gives us the most dynamic group of players on the field. It may turn out that Shea doesn't work out at LB but given that it is our most high potential arrangement I'd like to see it tried in a few matches. Now consider Donovan to AM. This removes Adu and opens up RW for Chandler, with presumably Cherundolo at RB. An alternative is Adu at AM, Donovan at RW and Cherundolo or Chandler at RB. Now by 2014 Cherundolo might be over the hill, but right now I rate both him and Chandler very highly. I'd like to find a way to get both on the field. I also like Adu but only when he has been getting regular time with his club. When that happens, what do I do. Maybe Donovan to CM as a box-to-box player. But what about Holden when he is ready. Then the choice gets really tough. For now, let's take Adu and Holden out of the picture. One is rusty and the other is injured. To me right now our two best options look like this: 4-4-2, with Altidore and Agudelo at forward, Dempsey and Chandler wide, Donovan at CM paired with a more defensive player, and Shea and Cherundolo at fullback. 4-5-1, essentially we replace Agudelo with Torres. Torres plays CM paired with a more defensive player. Donovan goes to AM/withdrawn forward.
Donovan is needed in midfield. The best moments against Mexico where when Landon was behind the attacking line, not when he was up front with Agudelo and/or Rogers.
i agree with this. Especially with Donovan and Dempsey approaching 30. in a year or 2. Less running for our 2 most skilled attackers