Fulham hasn't had a good free kick taker since I can remember - at least not one who often scored goals. Murphy isn't bad, but I don't recall him scoring many free kicks. Actually, I thought JA Riise would be knocking them in for us since he had that role while employed in Liverpool, but that hasn't panned out. So it's good that we have someone taking free kicks who can score - I think that's two in the last month for Dempsey off of free kicks. Strange he has such trouble scoring penalties.
I watched Dempsey as he walked round the pitch with his daughters after yesterdays game to see if I could note any body language of it being his last game for Fulham at the Cottage and I couldn't see it myself. I suppose it is difficult to tell but I just got the feeling we might be seeing him again next season. Hope I'm right !!
I think Bullard was the last prolific free kick taker. I remember Dembele scoring one against Wolves and Zamora scoring one last season but like you I had expected Riise to chip in with a few.
Agreed DR. What I've never understood is why all Riise's free kick attempts are from a tap first by Murphy - by which time the wall has advanced or he's a tad off balance. Why doesn't he just wallop them from the dead ball position? I think Ruiz has had the odd one. Assuming that he will feature more regularly next season, I'd expect him to step up.
With all the lefties on the team (Ruiz, Dembele, Duff, Riise), you'd think one of them would step up once in a while and score on a free kick. Riise's kick is a thunderbolt, from what I remember. For a while last year, Baird was taking right footed free kicks.
