Summer '08: Ins and Outs

Furthermore, this is the total wrong league for him. He should've went to Spain. There, he'd score goals and play with trickery and skill as you don't need to be strong in Spain.

 

No, I'm genuinely confused. You don't seem to like anyone or anything having to do with Fulham or with the USA. You seem to want Fulham to be something it isn't.

And if you think 90% of the clubs in England (including all the ones in the Championship and below and half the clubs in the Premier League) wouldn't take Dempsey in a heartbeat, you're crazy.

 

I think Dempsey tailed off a little around the middle of the season, but early on after McBride got hurt, he was prolly our best player and the most likely to score. He did a pretty good job of winning the ball in the air like McBride. So I have to disagree with saying he was crap since the last World Cup because I think during the first part of the season he was quite good and scored like 6 goals playing out of position. Also, during the end of the season he was playing pretty well. He still has a lot of talent and has only played a season and a half in the Premiership. I think this season should tell us a lot about Clint, but I think he will have a pretty good year.

 

There's some truth in this, but at the same time, he is still very young and made the transition from MLS to the Prem pretty damn seamlessly. I think it's hard to make judgments about him due to the fact that we've essentially played him in every position but goalkeeper. I think once he finds his set position, he will only get better. We have so many talented midfielders right now, but Dempsey definitely deserves to be starting.

I think that if we sign Simunic and Stoor, we are pretty much set. The old adage that "defense wins championships" definitely applies to football. A back line of Konch, Hangman, Simunic, and Stoor is about as solid as it can get for Fulham.

 

Anybody read about the supposed interest we have in bringing Saha back?

http://www.premiershiplatest.com/news/f ... 12260.html


I hope to god it isn't true, not because of the way he left, but because of what's happened to him since then, not to mention the £5 million tag the Man Yoo placed on his head.

 

Saha is still world class. Apparently, when he's not hurt, he's the best player on the Man Utd training pitch... still.

He might play half a season, but he'll definitely score if he plays.

 

You're right to say that I could care less about the USA, but I love Fulham and I think that it could become something that it isn't now. I want this team to succeed and I want to use 2 basic capitalist principles-Take risks and get the best you can get. Right now, we're not doing that. We need to do that in order to succeed and when we do take the risks and get the best we can get, we'll be a top 10 team year in and year out.



I was talking about the people in England, not the clubs. The people in England would agree. hell, most USA(The country, not American Fulham fans) supporters would agree that he hasn't been the same since the 2006 world cup. Also, they'd agree that he's in the wrong league. They'd also agree that he dives. Before he came to this club, most forums were filled with people agreeing that he shouldn't be coming to England and that he might not do very well here. They were right. He's not in the right league and in order for him to fulfill his potential, he needs to be in Spain,France or the Netherlands.

 

So, pretty much, try to be like Leeds?

 

No, try and be like Everton. Build of mixed team of quality players and hard-working players. Also, we could build our youth system with the best available talent from around the world. In other words, do what Arsenal did.

 

Appearently, we want Dindane. He's quality, but it seems like EVERYBODY wants him and he's priced at like 10M so I doubt us getting him.

 

What club isn't trying to do these things?

Second, Fulham won't ever be able to compete for the same youth talent as Arsenal, Man Utd, Liverpool, or Chelseas because it doesn't have the money too and because it isn't a Champions League or even UEFA Cup level club. Most kids are going to choose the big club over Fulham. Just look at Theo Walcott, Gareth Bale, John Bostock, and Aaron Ramsey... they've all moved to bigger clubs.

Lastly, per the Leeds comment... capitalism is Risky!!! If Fulham takes too many unwise risks it'll definitely end up in the Championship and maybe even lower. When you can't ever reach the top, you simply don't risk it all. Why spend more than you can just to finish 9th? You've got to understand that rooting for Fulham is kind of like rooting for the Pittsburgh Pirates or Kansas City Royals in baseball... sucess will only ever come along once in a blue moon.

 

I'd rather be down in the Championship while taking a risk or 2 to improve than to stay here and do fuck all for years on end. Fulham doesn't have to be the next Royals or Pirates. They CAN be a top 10 team every year if they take the right risks and the right steps.




Also, I said youth talent AVAILIABLE to us. That means those that we have a chance at getting. That also mean scouting Africa,the Americas,Asia etc.

 

... and what team doesn't know this and isn't trying? Fulham, based on what it brings in annually, is not and won't ever be a top 10 side. Fulham can definitely get into the top 10, but staying up there can probably only happen for a very short period. At best Fulham could replicate Blackburn or Portsmouth success... at best.

And because Fulham isn't Arsenal and won't ever be Arsenal, it can't ever build a youth setup like Arsenal. What team does Theo Walcott play for? What team does Aaron Ramsey play for? Gareth Bale? John Bostock?

 

Easy to say when it's not YOUR money being risked.

 

With that being said, Fulham's Youth System, from what I can tell, is actually pretty good compared ALL other clubs.

It would be a great blow for us to go back down to the CCC. I would rather Fulham 12th for a few years, fine tune the squad, then go for top of the table and more then hop up and down from the CCC or get stuck there.

 

Great youth setups don't guarantee top-flight success either. West Ham and Southampton have been relegated in recent years, Ipswich has only been in the Premier League once. If you can turn out a great player every so often, great, but it's not something to count on for long-term success in the Premier League.

 

Me either Barry. In this lineup my thinking is allow Paintsil & Konch room to overlap and give freedome to Davies, Bullard & Murph to roam in the middle of the pitch, all 3 players being interchangeable. Andreasen to clean up behind them and Gera playing slightly off Zamora.

 

Don, do you think it's a mistake because:

a) Johnson can't play, or
b) He will cost too much money?

If it's the latter I can live with that. If it's the former, then I am concerned.

Dave