I'm Done Defending Dempsey! Either Move Him to Striker or to the Bench!

Settle down, Beavis. Try getting out more, and MAYBE you'll meet a GIRL

 

His play tonight was awful, expect he did pass the ball to LD who laid it off to Clark for the goal tonight. He turned the ball over so many times tonight it was ugly.

 

There are other problems with the way we use him, but above all Dempsey has a fundamental tendency to play to the level of the opponent: he rises to the occasion..or sinks to it. In games like this, he may need to be given an even more free-roving role to keep him properly involved and effective. Cut the Deuce loose. (In fairness, Bradley seemed to have done something like that at a certain point.)

 

I'm not 100% opposed to starting Stuart Holden in a game over Dempsey, but consistently Dempsey provides something that no other player has and that's anticipation and a different repertoire of passes.

Dempsey makes high risk/high reward passes that need to be weighted properly and timed properly into space. Being unlucky and also lacksidasical in the same game make his play look that much worse. I haven't seen enough of Stuart Holden to see whether he could provide that or not.

On the other side I would love to see Holden making blazing runs down the flank and sending in crosses to big Jozy. We have moved away from this type of attack, but it could bring back a different dimension to the team.

 

Move him where?

IS THAT HOW YOU COACH A PLAYER?

"hey kid you turn the ball over on the right side of midfield every time. You must be bored; why don't you run all over the field, you know where ever you feel like moving. Then we can give the ball away in other places."

 

And too many fooking fancy passes and excessive ball conduction ending on losing the ball...

 

Bench him start Holden vs Honduras

 

New low for Clint Dempsey. My advise to Clint....Don't shoot your nike video until your playing in the world cup that its being aired through.

This was his worst Nat performance to date. Harkes should have said one insult and let in go. Instead he dropped annoying hints like hey this guy looks tired, maybe hes hurt, maybe a sub please. I guess Its hard to appear objective and entertainment oriented when the team you used to captain and bleed for mails it in in a qualifier.


Dempsey should have been pulled at halftime. I would have atleast told him he has 10minutes to clean it up in the second have or your riding pine.

 

there is no way in hell holden takes his spot. holden proved himself in the gold cup and mls, and thats it. the goal tonight would not have happened if a player with the poise and skill on the ball like dempsey didn't start it. stu holden would be lucky to play in the championship. Im not knocking holden, but I am sticking up for dempsey. haters should start watching his play in the EPL. WCQ games are played at a pedestrian pace compared to EPL, at at a much higher technical level. you all should stop watching the MLS.

 

What a great argument.

1. The Premier League is of higher quality than CONCACAF WCQs and MLS.
2. Dempsey plays in the Premier League.
------------
Thus, Dempsey is untouchable and better than everyone else on the team that doesn't play in the Premier League.

Dempsey loses possession consistently and has a questionable work rate sometimes, especially when he's tired, which he seems to be often. Dempsey's play in the Premier League ≠ his play for the national team.

 

What's with your weird little jag tonight about posters meeting girls? What an odd, random tangent to get your brain stuck on.

For that matter, have you ever written anything around here that wasn't just nasty and ugly? How unhappy are you, exactly? A quick scan of your recent posts shows a grand total of one vaguely positive comment by you: a post that says "REPPED," which you wrote to someone else who was being an unhinged jerk.

 

or maybe you should watch a USMNT WCQ.

I don't know what more Clint Dempsey can to do get some time on the bench. Slide tackle M. Bradley in the run of play?

 

Depends on the player, really. Dempsey is a weird, very talented, deeply erratic misfit. It might be the right approach for him.

Hell, when you look at Dempsey and he's always where he's supposed to be, the worse of a game he's usually having. When you look at Dempsey and he's in some weird spot, way out of position, he's often having a good game.

 

I think its played at a more faster pace , la liga is more technical.

 

I'm with you. What's up with all his dumb look away passes. Playing football is all about playing simple one touch football with alot of off the ball movement.

 

what is your argument? should we start holden and bench dempsey for the remaining qualifiers. and then when we qualify for the WC watch holden suck it up against top teams. dempsey's performance in the confed cup speaks for itself, and it was practically the same team around him. I honestly dont think dempsey should be sidelined.

 

I know what your saying and obviously you share my dissapointment in #2's play.
Hobson gets the most out of him because he's not afraid to bench him when he has a bad game.

Dempsey must be taught its not a vacation its your country.

 

Agreed. His smartest/best play of the night was the simple lay off to LD, which was in the build up to the goal.

 

I'm pretty sure that's exactly what he said.

 

Dempsey is an unusual US soccer player who doesnt have a high work rate which most US players have traditionally had to cover for lack of technical ability. Demspey, much like a brazilian, doesnt like to play it back and keep posseion he rather do fancy stuff and go forward rather than go back backward. Dempsey's problem is he plays outside himself sometimes and causes US to loose possession. That being said Dempsey provides a viable scoring threat and creativity that is hard to put on the bench. He will step and score when the US really needs it. He also plays creative balls and is great in the air. Demspey is too valuable to bench even if he had a bad game.

 

I don't think Dempsey should be starting every game, I think he should be rotated out of the starting 11 (although probably not until WCQs are over) or up top on occasion. He's a good player, but there are a games where he contributes little. I don't think Holden should take Dempsey's spot, but giving him significantly more time could be an option when Dempsey is ineffective. Qualifying wouldn't be a good time for a new starting RM, but in friendlies leading up to the WC (assuming the US makes it) I think it'd be interesting to see someone like Holden get some starts. I like what Holden brings to the team more than Dempsey on the right (up top I think Dempsey is one of the US's best options), but of course he lacks experience so starts in qualifying games probably isn't a good idea.

It's too bad Beasley is playing so poorly at the moment, I think a rotation of Donovan and Dempsey/Beasley on the flanks is the best option until Holden gets more time with the national team.

 

The problem is SHAPE. Dempsey was often way out wide all by himself and being the competitor he is tried to do too much. Our entire midfield sucked tonight people! Did you not watch the game?

Dempsey can be accused of a lot of things.
A: not match fit (I'm not sure)
B: his head isn't in it (don't even go here)
B: not fast enough for outside MF work (possible but it depends on...)
C: needs to have a cohesive midfield to work from (we lacked shape tonight)
D: The water gave him the runs.

I'm going to go with a very small dose of A, a mix of B, and a huge portion of C. Although D is a slight possibility I'm sticking with my first choices.

I am a new convert to the thought of moving Dempsey up front for a trio of Deuce, Altidore, Davies. Three players splitting 2 positions will get plenty of playing time in the right situations. We are interestingly deep in the midfield now and some guys deserve a shot.

Holden is the perfect replacement outside. The guy makes good decisions. He has good first touch and passing. He can go box to box full steam. Honestly what's not to like? Can you seriously recall anything you don't like about this kid over the last several games?

Torres deserves a "real" shot in the center. It's almost as if our focus on attacking creativity from the middle has eliminated the importance of actually holding the ball. You know, being able to punch it in and out combined with crosses until that good situation presents itself. Hmm.. forget all that! How about just being able to pass the ball around like in a game of Keep Away for a bit.

I hate to say it but with Holden, Torres, Jones (soon?) and Benny, Bradley must sit a few so we can try some new things out. Bradley may be the answer somewhere in there but until we try everything we will never know if we are getting the best the USA has to offer.

Grogtank