It is the 82nd minute of the match. Clint Dempsey, just off the bench, controls a tough ball at the top of the box. He takes a touch away from goal toward the sideline. Running parallel to the goal, he twists and lofts a shot back across the box into the top far corner of the goal. Craven Cottage erupts as Fulham defeats Italian giant Juventus and advances to the Europa League quarterfinals.
Since he scored his first goal for Fulham in 2007 against Liverpool to help stave off
relegation, Clint Dempsey has had a knack for scoring important goals for Fulham.
Dempsey has scored 25 times in all competitions since his arrival, the most of any
Fulham player during that span. Additionally, he has created chances for others
and is often at the heart of Fulham’s most dangerous attacks. A player with this
resume should be going into this season as a fixture at the club with his starting spot guaranteed. Instead, it appears to me, that Dempsey is starting this season with some big questions concerning his future at Fulham.
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First, anytime there is a managerial change, everything else is subject to change. Until a manager is appointed, we will not know what formation Fulham will play and how Dempsey fits into that formation or style of play. By way of example, I did not think Dempsey fit as well in Lawrie Sanchez’s system as he did in Roy Hodgson’s system. One can debate the relative merits of these two managers -- okay, there is no debate, Sanchez was terrible -- but the fact remains, whoever is appointed manager will have a major effect on Dempsey’s future at Fulham.
Second, it appears Dempsey is going to have a dogfight for a spot in Fulham’s first
eleven. After Dempsey injured his knee last January, Fulham continued to get results
in the Premier League and the Europa League. Simon Davies staked his claim to a
starting role with his performance. If Gera moves back to midfield, Dempsey may see
himself in a battle with Gera, Fulham’s player of the season last year, Davies, Fulham’s player of the season from two years ago, and, perhaps, Damien Duff, a standout since his arrival. Stiff competition, in my opinion.
Third, since the World Cup, the Dempsey transfer rumors have abounded. His agent
was quoted as saying there have been inquiries from teams in Italy, Germany and
France. Despite his long list of contributions to the club, I think it will be very tempting for Fulham to sell Dempsey if they get the right price.
The other American at Fulham, Eddie Johnson, also starts this season with uncertainty
over his future. When Eddie Johnson arrived at Fulham in January 2008, Fulham were
fighting relegation and desperate for help at forward. Unfortunately, EJ did not have the impact Fulham desired and he was eventually loaned out to Championship side Cardiff City for the 2008-2009 season. EJ was productive in Fulham’s 2009-2010 preseason, he made two league appearances, a FA Cup appearance, and a Europa League
appearance, but was loaned out to Aris Thessaloniki for most of the 2009-2010 season.
Nevertheless, it appears the uncertainty EJ faces this season is whether he will finally have his chance to see significant time with Fulham’s first team. An argument can be made that he will.
First, after Bobby Zamora, Fulham’s current roster is very thin at forward. Andy
Johnson’s injuries make him a major question mark. Diomansy Kamara did contribute
at Fulham, but he was inconsistent, he was injured, and he was loaned out to Celtic
last season. David Elm has not shown much since his arrival and was a signing of
former manager Roy Hodgson to provide depth. Zoltan Gera was pressed into service
at forward last season and produced, but he may return to the midfield this season. So far this preseason, EJ has scored and created some chances for others. EJ’s skill level has improved during his time in Europe and he has speed, which is always a plus.
Second, Aris made an effort to obtain Johnson from Fulham after his loan, but ended its efforts reportedly because Fulham’s asking price was too high. According to reports, Aris then signed former MLS forward Carlos Ruiz instead of EJ. I cannot see Ruiz costing Aris that much, so maybe Aris lowballed their offer to Fulham. However, if EJ were not in Fulham’s plans, it would be reasonable to have expected Fulham to have worked something out with Aris.
Third, any new manager appointed at Fulham will have limited time to assess talent and bring in transfers. Perhaps, the new manager’s style might fit with EJ’s skill set. If it is Route One Football, EJ’s speed may be a match. Further, among the many names rumored as potential managers at Fulham are USMNT coach Bob Bradley and Cardiff
City Manager Dave Jones, for whom Johnson made thirty appearances while on loan.
Either of these managers may bode well for Johnson’s future with Fulham.
Fourth, money is tight everywhere and soccer is no different. If Fulham were to let
Johnson go, it would be even thinner at forward. As a result, I think Fulham would want to replace Johnson which could cost them higher wages and, potentially, a transfer fee.
Johnson has the benefit of low wages and, of course, he has no transfer fee.
While I am not sure what more Dempsey could have done for Fulham during his time
so far and I am not sure that Johnson has been given an opportunity to show what he
can do, they both find themselves approaching this season with uncertainty over their
futures with Fulham. Will they both be at Craven Cottage or will it be the end of the
FulhAmerica Era? Either way, I will be watching with interest and rooting them on.
