Dear Clint Dempsey

[SCFulhamFan]

Please realize whatever sh!tty contract we offered you at first was part of an elaborate April Fools Day joke. This new revised contract may be still some of the same I fear. Whatever it is, whatever it is going to take, please let Jol and Al Fayed know. I am sure we can work something out. You have kept the USA torch flying after Brian McBride and your proper place is at the Cottage.

Sincerely,

SCFulhamFan

. . .

Jol said: 'We offered him an improved deal last week. He’s our top goalscorer and that tells you everything."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... z1qvYbE965

[JackCaz]

Anyone think we really have a chance to keep him? He's said a few times that he wants to play in the Champions League. As bad as I want him to stay, that's not something we can offer.

[DCHeather]

Part of me thinks we'll have him another year, but that's wishful thinking on my part. I really don't be seeing him, or Dembele, after the summer. Shame, because I think another year with both of them would help Fulham vie for a position in the top 7.

[HatterDon]

The very second the club thinks he's at his highest rate on the market, he's gone. Fulham are a selling club. As much as they enjoy the fruits of Dempsey and Dembele's labor, they'll enjoy more the money they get from the sale of them.

Signing Dempsey to a new contract means nothing in terms of how long he's staying. An extension is perfect because it gives the illusion of permanency. But the truth is that he'll never be worth more in the market than he will this summer.

I think he's history -- and, I think that even though the decision will be the club's, we'll have to put up with all kinds of crap about how greedy he is and how much they want him to fail. It's the nature of professional sports.

(signed)

Grumpy McGrumpypants

[Clevelandmo]

I think Clint is like the rest of us. He likes Fulham and he will stay. The man is an avid fisherman after all. He knows about patience and finding your own spot where the fish are biting.

[SteveFakeBlood]

My hope is that if he leaves, he'll leave England. I can stomach him plying his trade at Bayern Munich or AC Milan or Ajax- seeing him in a Man City, Arsenal or god forbid, Man U or Chelsea, shirt would depress the hell out of me.

At the same time, I think it will come down to not only how loyal is to the club and how comfortable he is in London (although sadly, this wouldn't rule out Arsenal or Chelsea :/)- but also how important playing time and being taken seriously is to him. Most European clubs seem to chew up and spit out American players- Fulham has given Clint every chance to succeed (even when he unfortunately had to go to some lengths to prove himself to each new manager until this season) and make a name for himself- he's now assured to be on the pitch for every match he's healthy. It's hard to imagine he'd earn that kind of respect for a Champions League club.

The other possibility I've thought of is a 34 or 35-year-old Dempsey in the twilight of his career leaving Fulham for a Champions League club to make a few token late substitute appearances in CL matches to end his career.

Regardless of what happens in the summer- the man is already a Fulham legend, who may well have already done enough in barely over 5 years to earn a statute by the river- let's just keep appreciating him while he's here.

~ Steve

[nevzter]

The very second the club thinks he's at his highest rate on the market, he's gone. Fulham are a selling club. As much as they enjoy the fruits of Dempsey and Dembele's labor, they'll enjoy more the money they get from the sale of them.

Signing Dempsey to a new contract means nothing in terms of how long he's staying. An extension is perfect because it gives the illusion of permanency. But the truth is that he'll never be worth more in the market than he will this summer.

I think he's history -- and, I think that even though the decision will be the club's, we'll have to put up with all kinds of crap about how greedy he is and how much they want him to fail. It's the nature of professional sports.

(signed)

Grumpy McGrumpypants

D'oh. But, my thoughts exactly, Sir McGrumpypants. Signing an extension only adds to his transfer value...he's "Stepping Out." I'd only hope to Italy, Spain or Germany, or Netherlands, as our good Mr. Fakeblood stated.

[VegasJustin]

If we sell him then we'll be right back to where we were after Boa, Steed and Van Der Sar left. We can't continue to sell players and think we can compete at a high level. If this club is ambitious then they need to prove it and start signing players to contracts rather than sell them when their value is high. Mo wanted us to be the Manchester United of the South, well he's never going to have a better opportunity to make that happen than now. We have a bunch of potential world class players coming through the ranks and have legitimate stars on the team. Selling players like Dempsey and Dembele would be a huge mistake.


The biggest reason why this would be a mistake is that Jol has had the opportunity to buy talented attacking players and we have got Kasami and Ruiz as a result. Would he really be the best manager to find replacements for our best players?

[jumpkutz]

If we sell him then we'll be right back to where we were after Boa, Steed and Van Der Sar left. We can't continue to sell players and think we can compete at a high level. If this club is ambitious then they need to prove it and start signing players to contracts rather than sell them when their value is high. Mo wanted us to be the Manchester United of the South, well he's never going to have a better opportunity to make that happen than now. We have a bunch of potential world class players coming through the ranks and have legitimate stars on the team. Selling players like Dempsey and Dembele would be a huge mistake.


The biggest reason why this would be a mistake is that Jol has had the opportunity to buy talented attacking players and we have got Kasami and Ruiz as a result. Would he really be the best manager to find replacements for our best players?

[tim]

Agreed. I definitely have concerns that Jol seems to be re-making the team. New tactics. New formation. And casually throwing out there that he doesn't mind if key players from previous regimes leave. But Dempsey and Dembele in particular are thriving under his new tactics. So why would you sell them? It just doesn't add up.

[DCHeather]

You would sell them because you want to make money off their sales instead of losing them for nothing at the end of their contracts. That's the only reason Fulham would sell these two players, they want/need the money from the sales.

[DaveNearDC]

There are two reasons they might sell him, as much as we hate to think about it:

1) If he wants to go (to a club in the Champions League most likely). The reality in modern football is that if a player wants to go, he goes. Teams do not stop players from leaving. That is not just Fulham, it is football. It's like college basketball or football coaches in that the contract does not effectively hold a person.

2) If the team needs the money. Yes, I'd like to see Fulham challenge the top teams in the Premier League, and we can't do that when we sell players. However, the reality is that the team does not bring in anywhere as much money as the big clubs do, and my guess is that MAF is heavily subsidizing the club. That's great in that it is not my money, but it is not good for the long-term stability of the club (just look at clubs who've tried that--you can see many of them in the Championship or League One). MAF talked about us being the ManU of the south, but that will never happen. That's ok with me in that if I wanted to support a club like ManU, I would, and I don't want that.

[DCHeather]

Good points, Dave.

[SoCalJoe]

One thing that might hinder him moving is where would Clint be willing to move to? He has little ones to consider now, would he move to France, Germany, or Italy to just get CL football? I just don't see one of the CL teams in the Prem vying for his services, unless the Gooners change their minds (You know Clint would play for Arsenal in a second). However, I'm not totally convinced he'd move to another country. Realistic to think he'll be gone (the business), but holding out hope.

[JackCaz]

I think Clint is like the rest of us. He likes Fulham and he will stay. The man is an avid fisherman after all. He knows about patience and finding your own spot where the fish are biting.

You a Browns fan too, Mo? I am. That statement sounds like something that would come from a Browns fan. Haha