Really good points made in the last half a dozen posts. As said, it is sad state of affairs but, for the Club and Dempsey's sake, it's best if he moves on now. The lack of bids is curious though. In a way his statement about wanting a CL challenge seems to be what's backfired - for him. The top four in the Premiership (apparently) either already have or are not interested in his style of midfielder and the rest (L'pool excepted) seem to believe he wouldn't sign for them so why bother. The asking price and his age may be off-putting for CL clubs abroad. I think he was looking for 2 maybe 3 more years in the Premiership before moving to the MLS. Perhaps that move will now happen sooner than planned and perhaps that will be the loan SuperBri suggested
The lack of interest in Dempsey does puzzle me. As well as his age, is part of the problem the affect he has on the shape of the team. I can't think of another player who plays like Dempsey from left midfield. Ok, he can play up front or as a second striker, but he never seems as effective from there as he does on the left. We saw against Norwich that we can look a better balanced side having a proper left winger filling that role, but when Dempsey's there a lot of our attacking play revolves around him which means any width has to be provided by the left-back. Maybe that's why the bigger clubs have had a look at him but never come in with an offer - he doesn't quite fit into how they want to play. There's still time for things to change, though, and I wouldn't be surprised if something happens on deadline day. We'll learn a bit more on Saturday if there have still been no bids - he's going to start looking a bit silly if it looks like no one wants him and he's still not making himself available for selection. Personally, I'd only have him on the bench if he did want to play again.
Cristiano Ronaldo I know they're not on the same level, but the whole "lines up on the wing but always gets in goalscoring positions" is very reminiscent. I still expect him to go somewhere this window though, he's not left much in the way of a way back, despite what Jol says. Imagine if he did end up at West Ham...
At this point, we are his best hope of starting for a PL team with a chance of CL qualification (ridiculous I know) - but he wouldn't get into the Spurs, Liverpool, United, City, Newcastle, Arsenal teams. The longer it goes the more interesting it might get- he is a very decent player after all, if he is still with us deadline day it's going to be quite fun. I think Celtic could be an interesting option now, originally had suggested an Italian team. Celtic have got some equally good players (Wanyama, Ki, Kayal, Hooper, Stokes, Forrest) who are younger- any of the above would be a reasonable addition, and a great makeweight in a player + cash bid. Celtic would give him european nights in front of 60k+ crowds and plenty of domestic trophies. The other alternative now is that Dempsey becomes ours to offer as part of bids to other teams. It's a shame to write this, if Dempsey had stayed happy I would have too. Now that he's entertained the possibility of going so publicly I'd rather he just left.
I was thinking about this on my way home. If Dempsey is still here when the window shuts and assuming we don't sign anyone else, there is a role I can see him filling: impact sub. It would be harsh in the extreme for any of Saturday's starting eleven to lose their place for the next game, but if Dempsey was on the bench it would give us an option to bring on if we needed extra goal-threat, whether as a left or right midfielder, in the hole or as the main striker. I think being seen as a back-up would really rile Dempsey, but he seems like the type (as DR has commented in the past) who would channel that positively. I remember the cup game against Port Vale under Hughes when Dempsey was a sub. By the time he came on we were comfortably on top, and I've never seen another player so clearly and obviously intent on getting his name on the scoresheet. He was a man with a point to prove to his new manager. If Clint doesn't get his big move this month, he'll be hell bent on proving to Jol that, despite our flying start, he is worth his place in the starting line up. The competition for places would bring the best out of him and the other attacking players. And it would be nice to have someone on the bench who we know is always likely to get a goal or two. Maybe I'm being hopelessly glass-half-full again, but I'm beginning to think that things could be okay if he doesn't get his move. Mind you, we won't get anything like such a good fee if he moves in January, and of course we'd get nothing if things go as far as May. Probably still best for all concerned if something happens in the next week or so.
I'm sure there are offers out there ... Roma is supposed to be interested. But I suspect Dempsey's instructions to his agent was, "... only offers from these teams ... ". I doubt West Ham was on the list. Interestingly the fans were chanting "Are you watching Clint Dempsey?" during the game Saturday, which Jol took offense at. In an interview after the game he came to Dempsey's defense in the matter, reminding fans of the years of consistent service Dempsey brought to the team, and I think he's right to do so. I can't imagine any serious Fulham fan arguing there's been a better offensive player for the team in the last 4 years - loyalty cuts both ways. I guess fans had forgotten that Fulham would have been slogging it out in the Championship in 2008/09 if it weren't for Dempsey's goal against Liverpool in the last game of the season. Captain, you posted just before me. I'll just add I doubt Dempsey would sit long on the bench. I appreciate our new signings (very impressed with Jol on this point), but the cream rises to the top. Zolton Gera started ahead of Dempsey for a half-dozen games under Roy in 2009, but it didn't last long. Jol's defense of Dempsey is probably an olive branch.
We lost 2-0 to Liverpool in both games in 2007/08. I think you're getting your memories mixed up there, DR!
The cream may rise to the top, DR, but everybody was looking pretty creamy on Saturday! Now that Jol has seen the difference playing a proper wide man on the left makes, he may not want to go back to using Clint regularly in that role. Maybe I'm biased - I picked Kacanikic for my Fantasy League team, so I don't want him to get dropped!
I think the answer is 2006/07, where we beat Liverpool in our penultimate game of the season with a Dempsey goal and stayed up by a point.
I think you're being protective of Clint to a fault, DR. You say loyalty cuts both ways, and you're right, but let's not forget that he was our idol for at least a couple of years - and he still would be had he not disrespected the club, the manager and the fans by refusing to play, despite being under contract and having received no genuine offers. He had said he wanted CL football, and we were fine with that. He was interested in moving to Liverpool (who can't offer CL football), and we were fine with that. But refusing to play with your teammates and for your club, manager and fans is a step too far. We all want Clint gone now, and I'm sure we all wish him well wherever he goes and would probably accept him back into the fold in whatever capacity should he not get the move he desperately wants. But he's done himself harm here and he's gone the wrong way about getting his move, regardless of who else has done the same. If Dembele said publicly that he wanted out, he'd probably get his move - but he hasn't, he's stayed professional. Nobody denies Clint's (at this point in time) our best player, but the team have done very well without him so far. The club comes first.
I interpreted Jol's comments after the game as being a bit of a swipe at Dempsey. There wasn't really much need for a public defense, it wasn't the whole ground chanting- had he not drawn attention I suspect it would not have been covered so widely. He's also gone public to say Clint wants out but no-one wants him in, concluding it was " a sad and an almost embarrassing situation". I think at this point Jol is playing down Dempsey as a player, which will probably have a negative impact on his price, but satiates Jol's upset at being snubbed- basically saying "you're not as good as you think"
It was a pity to hear the negative Clint chants on Saturday, especially given the service the guy has given us. But then again it's a pity that the whole situation has brought us to this. The best thing would be for someone to offer $5m and he goes, albeit at a lower valuation that we'd like. If not, maybe he goes off to the MLS. Sad!
Good points C58, lots of which I'd forgotten about or didn't know of. I could argue that not wanting to play in case he got an injury isn't much better, and if he didn't refuse to play then why was he fined? But I do take your point that perhaps I am painting Demps in a worse light than he maybe deserves, given the interviews. I suppose I'll always back the club, (here's the irony) sometimes to a fault.
Also remember that Dempsey wants this move, but won't hand in a transfer request. He is trying to have his cake and to eat it too. Besides, what does Dempsey have to lose by speaking the truth? As it is the club has damaged his reputation and his likelihood of getting a good transfer. He has literally nothing to lose at this point if he is blameless. Clint was a hero to the fans but has not once sought to address them with his thoughts. That is why there were those chants on Saturday; the fans feel hurt by Clint's lack of respect for them (us) rather than anything to do with the club.
Perhaps I am defending Dempsey to a fault, I just don't understand the animosity toward a player who's served Fulham so well. Fans have known for a year at least that he was interested in moving on; Jol told interviewers last week that Dempsey told him so a year ago, giving the manager and team plenty of forewarning of his intentions. He then went out and had the best season of his career for Fulham, scoring more goals then the next three Fulham players combined. So, again, why the animosity? Once there was a Fulham manager named Roy Hodgson. An opportunity came up to go to a bigger team, Liverpool to be exact. Roy dumped Fulham without any warning, leaving Fulham without a manager almost a week into the season, leaving the team in shambles for at least the first three months of the season. Yet, who here doesn't still revere Roy Hodgson? Isn't he cheered when he makes his occasional appearances at The Cottage? One simple question: Who treated Fulham worse, Dempsey or Hodgson? Then after you honestly answer that question, ask yourself where the animosity comes from. As for me, I hope he leaves, not just for him but also for the team. I think in the long run, the team's better off without him. Too much reliance on a single player (Fulham was second only to Arsenal in this regard) is a bad thing, and my loyalties are to Fulham first and foremost. And, over the years, nobody on this board has been a bigger critic of Dempsey, in my case because he's selfish on defense, leaving his left back exposes all too often. His actions this summer aren't excusable, but they are understandable given his age and the difficulty of getting a long-term contract after the magic age of 30.
