Clint Dempsey

[davisjw]

Then perhaps I should have said going forward?

Also, Donovan was inspirational in the match vs. Mexico to win the Gold Cup last year. I'll admit the other Gold Cup championships were mostly meaningless because we never had to play Mexico to win - but last a full strength USA faced off against a full strength Mexico in a match both sides were absolutely desperate to win (the winner would goto the 09 Confederations Cup), and Donovan was simply brilliant for us in a 2 - 1 victory. Much better than Dempsey.

And I probably shouldn't even list Bradley. Going forward, Donovan and Adu will decide the fate of USA. Everyone else is a role player.

Donovan doesn't do it for me when I watch the U.S. play teams other then the ones in CONCAFA (is that what the mexico, U.S., Canada and other small teams are called?). Against the likes of a solid squad such as Portugal, Spain, the real Sweden, I think he would fall. I've only watched the MLS for two years but he's never really impressed me enough where as a foreign coach I'd go knocking on his door. Altidore and Adu behind him is the future of the U.S. with Szelta right behind them.

Edu seems to be doing alright in the middle, a strong work ethic. Still feel the thing most lacking in the US squad well beside an out and out striker (Alitdore?) is a leader. Donovan as a captain just kind of floats around and disappears when pressure is on. Just my thoughts though, we're entitled to them.

 

[appooOnU]

Donovan doesn't do it for me when I watch the U.S. play teams other then the ones in CONCAFA (is that what the mexico, U.S., Canada and other small teams are called?). Against the likes of a solid squad such as Portugal, Spain, the real Sweden, I think he would fall. I've only watched the MLS for two years but he's never really impressed me enough where as a foreign coach I'd go knocking on his door. Altidore and Adu behind him is the future of the U.S. with Szelta right behind them.

Edu seems to be doing alright in the middle, a strong work ethic. Still feel the thing most lacking in the US squad well beside an out and out striker (Alitdore?) is a leader. Donovan as a captain just kind of floats around and disappears when pressure is on. Just my thoughts though, we're entitled to them.

You might be right - but Landon's only 25. We'll see what happens against Mexico. They are bringing their strongest side, only lacking Nery Castillo.

 

[Adebesi]

One of my favourite non-United players, mainly because he has been an ever present in my fantasy football team for two years and has racked me up a shitload of points.

Thanks Clint.

Please dont sign for Liverpool and turn shit. *(Well, please dont sign for Liverpool. If you do, please do turn shit.)

 

[forevrared]

Altidore and Adu behind him is the future of the U.S. with Szelta right behind them.

Poor fecker fell off the face of the earth.

 

[AlwaysRedwood]

Poor fecker fell off the face of the earth.

Currently 24 years old and without a club.

 

[forevrared]

Last I heard was over a year ago when he got arrested for fighting in a bar. Although he wasn't too bad in Italy, going to Europe definitely ruined his career.

 

[Beachryan]

Not sure he's good enough for us, but really hope he doesn't go to Liverpool. I really like him, and would hate to have to, well, stop supporting him.

 

[charlenefan]

Dempsey is very much the new Tim Cahill imo, good premier league player but not top class. He'd be unwise to move from Fulham unless it was to someone like Everton, his career would nose dive imo if he went to Spurs or Liverpool

 

[kouroux]

Another solid season at Fulham in terms of numbers and a move then would be perfect for him.

 

[Sarni]

Currently 24 years old and without a club.

I think his career is over anyway, he's been without a club for two years already. Weird how a footballer can retire at 23 after being speaken of so highly earlier in his career.

 

[Sarni]

Dempsey is very much the new Tim Cahill imo, good premier league player but not top class. He'd be unwise to move from Fulham unless it was to someone like Everton, his career would nose dive imo if he went to Spurs or Liverpool

Well to be fair you can't really take Liverpool as a top level anymore and he's a much better player than Kuyt and will be as productive as Suarez at least if he moves there.

 

[charlenefan]

Well to be fair you can't really take Liverpool as a top level anymore and he's a much better player than Kuyt and will be as productive as Suarez at least if he moves there.

There's still a certain mentality required to play for Liverpool regardless of where their current standing in the league is. Plenty of good solid PL players have gone there and set their careers back, I wouldn't like to see that happen to someone like Dempsey while he's performing so well for Fulham

 

[davisjw]

I think his career is over anyway, he's been without a club for two years already. Weird how a footballer can retire at 23 after being speaken of so highly earlier in his career.

Danny was a fantastic player and would have been a legend for the US based on his games as a youth and technique. Under Klinsi he would have flourished in the 4-3-3 system.

Unfortunately, when I made my proclamation two years ago, it was without knowing he's a thug. The guy got an injury and came back to the US hotheaded. Played for my DC United and was booted due to piss poor work ethic and thuggish behavior.

I think he was arrested with his brother for bar fighting a year ago. Last I heard of him.

--

As for Dempsey, he has said he will only move to a club playing CL football. He has been linked to the French league but said he doesn't want to go. If he stays with Fulham he'll go down as **** legend like McBride. But he wants to test himself.

I could see Arsenal making a bid for him if they lose Van Persie. He's a very physical attacking player who can play on the wing, as a striker, or sit in behind the striker like he does for the US.

Maybe Spurs. Otherwise I can't see him breaking into the other top teams. Liverpool are not a top team any longer let's face facts.

 

[mboRa ndomHer0723]

There's still a certain mentality required to play for Liverpool regardless of where their current standing in the league is. Plenty of good solid PL players have gone there and set their careers back, I wouldn't like to see that happen to someone like Dempsey while he's performing so well for Fulham

I think Dempsey has that mentality after winning his place back at Fulham under every new manager they have had. Granted, a bigger team with higher expectations is a whole different animal, but I think he could make it at a big club in the right circumstances.

 

[mboRa ndomHer0723]

Danny was a fantastic player and would have been a legend for the US based on his games as a youth and technique. Under Klinsi he would have flourished in the 4-3-3 system.

Unfortunately, when I made my proclamation two years ago, it was without knowing he's a thug. The guy got an injury and came back to the US hotheaded. Played for my DC United and was booted due to piss poor work ethic and thuggish behavior.

I think he was arrested with his brother for bar fighting a year ago. Last I heard of him.

I was never really impressed with Danny whenever I watched him, but I have always heard stories about how he had a huge ego and a horrible work ethic

 

[Shaydee]

bump

 

[Skholesy]

He's a good player no doubt, would be a good signing for a bigger club like everton, liverpool or newcastle.

Doubt he would get into the starting lineup for any of the top four though, despite how good he's been.

 

[Ole's_toe_poke]

Decent player who's having an outstanding season. He's at his level though.

 

[Striker10]

It's difficult to say. I think he's a very effective player. Players have stepped up in the past like Yorke and various other players. I imagine he'd do well, at the right club.

 

[Excal]

This might be my pro-American bias, but I think he could do a job for us or just about any side. Not saying he'd be first choice, even if his best position weren't Rooney's, but I agree with Striker in that he'd be quite effective in the right set-up. Doubt Liverpool is that set-up, though, but I'm not sure who else are likely to come buying.

 

[kouroux]

He should definitely stay at Fulham if for instance only Liverpool are interested in him.

 

[forevrared]

He's definitely thriving as the main man for Fulham. I liked the comparison to Tim Cahill, he's a great player in a side built around him but I'm not too sure he'd have the same effect as a squad player at a top 4 club. He needs to play every week and someone like Arsenal probably wouldn't offer that.

 

[Successful]

He should definitely stay at Fulham if for instance only Liverpool are interested in him.

I have been saying this for a long time, outside the caf, that he's the most obvious liverpool signing ever. They'll get him for 15-18m euro.

 

[bsc]

Heard a stat, I'm not sure if true: only Rooney and RVP have more goals this year than him

 

[kouroux]

They prefer their Downings and Hendersons

 

[Snow]

This might be my pro-American bias, but I think he could do a job for us or just about any side. Not saying he'd be first choice, even if his best position weren't Rooney's, but I agree with Striker in that he'd be quite effective in the right set-up. Doubt Liverpool is that set-up, though, but I'm not sure who else are likely to come buying.

He could play for any team if he was a bench player. That's just a step down imo. See no reason for him to leave England. Americans generally do well there. N-Americans and N-Europeans just fit there. So only where to go for him would be up in the PL and he's said he'd only leave for a team in the CL. Tottenham and Arsenal are not bad places for him to go and they could use him. Plus he wouldn't have to move. He could also play for Chelsea. They're playing Kalou and Meireles, one of them, every match. Dempsey is better.

He could come here as well but he wouldn't be worth the cost of a non starter. He would be expensive and that's probably the main reason he hasn't left.

 

[FlawlessThaw]

I couldn't see him see him succeed at United to be honest. He is going through the best form of his life at the moment and I doubt he will be the same kind of player in a couple of years time. That's why I hope Liverpool do end up spending big bucks on him.

 

[Shaydee]

He should definitely stay at Fulham if for instance only Liverpool are interested in him.

Apparently Milan and Roma are interested. Roma makes sense. Owned by an American who has said he wants to bring Americans to the club.

 

[Ole's_toe_poke]

Apparently Milan and Roma are interested. Roma makes sense. Owned by an American who has said he wants to bring Americans to the club.

He's 29. He's too young for Milan's team.

 

[Sir Matt]

After how well Michael Bradley has done for Chievo, I wouldn't be surprised for other Italian teams to be interested in more American players.

 

[Ekeke]

The only problem is his age, but he'd still do a great job for most of the top sides in the league other than United and City. Scores goals for fun whether he's picked on the left or right and can do it when he's picked as a striker like yesterday as well. He's not just about his goals though, he can pick a pass now and again as well. If he was about 25 he'd be a good replacement for Berbatov but that isnt the case.

 

[Carl]

He's a good player but I'd be surprised to see him find a bigger club (in terms of Premier league status) than Fulham over here.

 

[lysglimt]

Well I would take Sessegnon any day of the week - he is the kind of player who look simply too good to be playing for Sunderland. Dempsey is good - but not breathtaking like Sessegnon can be

 

[Cutch]

Subbed him out of my dream team

 

[Mockney]

This might be my pro-American bias...

I think there's an element of the opposite with Dempsey myself. We're so naturally condescending about American footballers in Europe that we're as likely to underrate him as you are to overrate him. He's been fantastic this year, and has improved every season I've seen him. He's definitely the best American player I've seen. Arteta never got close to 20 goals a season. He's further withdrawn admittedly but most thought the move to bigger club was overdue. I could definitely see him doing well for a Spurs or an Arsenal and I wouldn't be surprised if he could do it for a club like us in some capacity. He's better than Park for example.

If he wasn't in a team no one really gave much of a shit about, he'd be a great shout for team of the year, or a dark horse for the Football Writers award.

 

[Brophs]

He's excellent at what he does (scoring goals from midfield, making late runs etc.) but I don't think he's a good enough all round footballer to play for a top team. He's a bit limited in his use of the ball and I don't think he'd be particularly good for a team that has a massive amount of possession.

 

[Mockney]

It depends what you mean by playing for a big team. Like I said, he's a better player than Park, but that's not a slight on Park, who's been a great signing for us. If he played for Fulham, I doubt anyone would be clamouring for us to sign him. They'd likely say he was at his level.

As the lynchpin, no, he's not a Scholes or a Gerrard. But if he was British he'd be rated very highly. He'd be vastly overrated of course, but he'd deserve it more than a Parker or a Henderson. He's underrated because he's American.


If he was called Dempsenio etc etc.

 

[Ferguson]

The difference between Dempsey and Donovan is this: Dempsey grew up in a trailer park in Texas, Donovan grew up a California golden boy. Dempsey like most Premier League footballers is working class albeit the American version whereas Donovan represents the middle class game of soccer played in the US.

Dempsey is a fighter who stuck it out in Europe. Donovan is a player you dislike more and more with every interview.

I think Dempsey is more important than Donovan as he can create goals when things aren't going well whereas Donovan relies on good team play around him to lift him.

Soccer needs footballers like Dempsey for the US to progress.

 

[Brophs]

It depends what you mean by playing for a big team. As the lynchpin, no, he's not a Scholes or a Gerrard. But if he was British he'd be rated very highly. He'd be vastly overrated of course, but he'd deserve it more than a Parker or a Henderson. He' underrated because he's American.

If he was called Dempsenio etc etc.

Definitely more than Henderson. Parker, though I don't really rate him, is a better all round player, so it's a toss up when you factor in Dempsey's fantastic goalscoring record.

But I wouldn't really agree it's down to him being American. He's just a Tim Cahill-esque player who, while obviously very talented, falls a way short of being brilliant. I think he's better suited to being a big fish in a little pond.

 

[Mockney]

I think he's better than Cahill. His variety of goals is greater. Cahill is very much the kind of player you mentioned (popping up with late runs etc) whereas Dempsey has more about him to create for himself IMO.

I'm not really an expert on either though to be perfectly honest. I'm going more on highlights than intense analysis.

I've seen enough from Parker at England level to thik his "all round game" isn't that amazing. He's somewhere in between very overrated and very underrated.