Locked: Summer 2007 ins and outs

Fulham needs to forget about challenging for Europe this year. Ain't going to happen. Lawrie Sanchez just needs to keep this team from being relegated.

If he only has a 10million transfer kitty + funds from sells, Fulham isn't competing for the top 10. Fulham simply isn't structured to be a top 10 team, and the team certainly doesn't have top 10 quality players. Even if Bullard was healthy Fulham would have been mid-table at best.

So Fulham needs quality team players who will work hard and who will fit into whatever system Sanchez is planning to use.

I'm also not sure if Clint Dempsey will fit into Sanchez's system. Maybe, maybe not. I think he can cut it in the EPL, but not sure Sanchez will know what to do with him which may leave him coming off the bench.

 

Simek is too short to play CB, and he hasn't been playing it for the Wednesday. Fulham doesn't need him. Maybe the Wednesday will get promoted next season though.

 

If Sanchez chooses to leave Dempsey on the bench it will truly hampered Fulham's ability to attack. Helgusson doesn't have the ability or provide service or even attack defenders as Dempsey does. Helgusson is good in the air and puts a decent shot on goal, but that is what he is limited to.

Fulham could of easily placed 13th in the table, but far too many draws this season and lapses in focus led to the relegation fight. With consistency in defense and a new threat in attack Fulham could be within a shout of the 10th place in the table.

 

Fulham DOES have a scouting system in place and definitely has more than two full time on staff. We have our priorities in place for players which include many who keep an eye on the U-21's and U-18's...someone say Zakuani, Runstrom, etc. They haven't come good yet but lets hope they do.

As for Dempsey being left on the bench by Sanchez. I don't think we have seen enough of Sanchez' tactics to make that assumption. Sanchez obviously has faith in him if we started against both Liverpool and Boro' which makes me believe he has faith in Clint.

 

Lawrie seemed to show a lot more faith in Deuce than Coleman did and Clint definitely responded with some inspired and encouraging play. I think we'll see a lot more of him next season.

Think Lawrie and MOF have read Moneyball?

 

Few clubs in the EPL actually implement youth team players from their own academny into the first team. An even rarer ocassion is when they actually maintain their place in the first team. Most clubs have decided to buy players oppose to build them up in the academy.

The club that comes to mind as being the most successful at developing their youth is Middlesborough. They've brought local kids into the system and their first team is full of former academy players. Great to see when that actually happens.

 

That is good to hear my assumption of the scouting system was wrong. Let's hope the current set up is out there scouting the various leagues from around the world in pursuit of some good signings.

 

Is that a shot at what I posted?

 

Along the scouting lines...it is an established fact that the best Mexican, Central and South American players generally shunned England (weather, language barriers, style of play, etc.) for the other European leagues. However, with the Premiership as the richest league (and only getting richer) on the globe, and the international quality of its players never better or in higher numbers, the influx of money available to spend on these type of players could buck the long standing trend of shunning England. Afterall, the wages that even a mid-table English club can and will be able to pay in the coming years may be too tempting to turn down for these players (especially when contrasted to the wages they are paid by their national club teams, aside from the few exceptions).

Fulham appears to already scout the United States well, now I would like to see it get ahead of the curve and increase it's scouting in Mexico, Central and South America.

 

Barcelona went all the way to Mexico to get Dos Santos...so it shows some of the sizable European powers are already scouting South America heavily.

 

Point duly noted about Borgetti. And Mexican players have regulary played in Europe (such as dos Santos pointed out by TOC), just not in England.

But before giving up on Mexico and Central America, look at the example set by MLB. MLB clubs scour these countries and sign teenagers who have the tools to be big leaguers. The kids are then shipped to a Class A club (i.e. "youth academy") and they begin their development. Borgetti was already in his 30s when he made the switch to Bolton.

I should have been clearer in my post as I didn't intend for Fulham to scout the 30 year old midfielder from Pachuca, but rather the youngsters.

 

Just a point of fact... Dempsey didn't start against Liverpool. He subbed in at the beginning of the second half for Montella. So he only started one game for Sanchez, and for Fulham for that matter.

I don't assume Dempsey won't be in Sanchez's plans. I don't even know if he will implement long ball tactics. However, if he does implement long ball tactics I'm not sure where Dempsey fits in. I think Dempsey can do whatever he's instructed to do, but Dempsey just doesn't fit one particular role really well and I have a feeling Sanchez might not know what to do with him. Or maybe Sanchez will figure out what to do with him, like he figured out how Northern Ireland should play best.

 

No, that was a shot at mine! Tom, as we all do sometimes, gets frustrated with Fulham for vaious reasons. Scouting was a problem before but they haven learned from their mistakes (lets hope!)

 

I knew that! I was there! Must of been my memory lapse again...

 

Can't say I agree with that post about Mexico. Dos Santos will soon be one of the top players in La Liga. He is only 17 now and continually impressing for his national team and barcelona.

Argentina has arguably the best young talent they've had in two decades coming through the ranks, Mexico always seems to have a diamond in the rough somewhere and wouldn't doubt Chile will be improving sooner rather than later.

South America is an untapped resource right now. Wouldn't be a bad idea to at least have a look around.

 

Fulham could use a bit of luck and bring a class player through the ranks like Stewart Downing at Middlesborough or anyone of Arsenal's fantastic bunch of youth and reserve team talent. (could rival most EPL squads now)

 

there are 0 mexican players in the premiership right now. 0. (correct me if I am wrong but I believe Borghetti was the only one playing in England). plus there are work permit issues with players we would "scout" - they can't play unless they have caps or a passport. it's a waste. better off scouting scandanavia.

 

Marquez, Salcido, Dos Santos and Osorio are not worth the extra effort then I take it. Barcelon, PSV and Stuttgart are reaping the benefits of these talented players. Don't think it is a waste of time. The talent is there just have to look for it.