Posted on Monday, 7th May 2012 by Alex Bunker
Arsenal and the Transfer window. It always seems to be that the Gunners have more rumours surrounding possible signings than any other team in the Premier League.
But it also seems to be that Arsenal sign less players than any other team in the league, especially when we have the funds available to us. When we do splash the cash, in the shape of Andrey Arsharvin and Park Chu-Young, they either don’t get a start for huge amounts of time or they slowly but consistently fade out of the limelight onto the bench, making no impression when given opportunities.
But maybe it’s different now. Providing Arsene Wenger does stay at the end of this season, we may bare witness a change in his policy. Instead of signing unheard of players on frees, who take five years to develop then depart for Man City. We have of course signed Lukas Podolski, for around 10 million, which to me looks a bargain and we are expectant.
But now onto the main issue of this blog – why we should not sign prolific American forward, Clint Dempsey.
The rumours surrounding his possible move to The Emirates over recent months have been regular and many see his form and proven goal-scoring capability in the Premier League as a very good reason to sign him. With 23 goals so far this season, Dempsey is in the best form of his career.
So why shouldn’t we sign him? One reason is that although he has been brilliant this season for Fulham his overall record in the English top flight hasn’t been top class. In fact, he only scores on average 0.29 goals per game for Fulham, compared to Lukas Podolski’s 0.46, for a relegated side, and Emmanuel Adebayor’s 0.36. Surely we don’t want to splash out on a player who scores less than an ex-Arsenal loanee?
Dempsey has only scored 48 goals in 180 appearances for Fulham; this is over six seasons, which is not that great in my opinion
Another reason why Dempsey isn’t the right man for Arsenal is his age. At 29-years-old, he is hardly a player that is going to grow and get better with time. He will have passed his prime by 30 and I cannot see him scoring many. As a striker his fitness will only deteriorate. I’m not Wenger and neither do I agree that we should always sign very young players, but this is pushing it. He certainly won’t be coming in cheap either. I’d rather Wenger invest in Yann M’Vila and get about 10 years of football out of the young Frenchman.
The final reason we shouldn’t sign Dempsey links to my first point. Although this season has seen the American score many goals, he is the only real forward at Fulham with over double the second top scorers and quadruple the third top scorers totalled. He is the channel for all of Fulham’s attacks. Everything at goal goes through him so you can only expect somebody half decent to claim a larger goal tally than a striker for a team who have several options. He also has the third highest amount of appearances at the club after Danny Murphy and Brede Hangeland with 45. Talk about resting players in the easy games.
I rest my case.
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Tags: Andrey Arshavin, Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Clint Dempsey, Park Chu-Young, Yann M'Vila
Posted in View From The Sphere | Comments (26)
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May 7th, 2012 at 5:24 pm
Ok,I had enough of you. First of all,it is pathetic the way you leave out names of players you are writing about in your headlines,just so you would have more hits for your ass-ugly blog.
Second,I happen to catch all of your headlines on Arsenal news and they really annoy me,and I’m guessing a bunch of other Arsenal fans.You don’t have any insights on our club – as a matter of fact – your news come way after some other bloggers publish them.
Third and final – this post is all wrong.Like we have signed “old” Arteta,we can also sign “old” Clint.He would be exceptional for us,being able to play alongside much better players than Murphy,Duff and co.And I really hope we get him.He is not a striker,but a scoring midfielder and even a winger (something Gervinho is not).
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Gwin Reply:
May 7th, 2012 at 5:59 pm
You just beat me to it. Mr blogger’s reason are lame and annoying. Is Demsey a striker?
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AidanGooner Reply:
May 8th, 2012 at 12:33 am
Couldn’t have put it better myself
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May 7th, 2012 at 5:45 pm
I could not agree more with Daxxjoker. Dempsey has only gotten better every year he has played and only gotten better with age. Rosicky at 31 has been great this season ansd will continue to do so i think. Benayoun has been fantastic for Arsenal as well when he plays. Chelsea has a squad that is aging yet6 they are in the Champions league final although i do not believe they will win it simply because of all their suspensions. Dempsey would make our attack that much more diverse. He is a constant aieral threat which is something Arsenal need. Thats why i believe that he would be a great signing although if Arsenal could get Demba Ba at cheaper i would choose him over Dempsey.
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arsenalmaniac Reply:
May 7th, 2012 at 5:53 pm
STEW , you wouldn’t sign a rosicky though,not at his age, we would only have Dempsey for a few years. we should have gone for Shinji Kagawa instead.
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WC Reply:
May 7th, 2012 at 9:01 pm
Kagawa seemed to have made up his mind to join United a long time ago. No matter how much money you offer, when a player wants to play for a particular club money is not the issue – ask Cesc.
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May 7th, 2012 at 5:57 pm
I gotta say its quite a poor article. You say we shouldn’t get him but you manage to point out reasons why we should!!
People say we need experience so surely an established premier league player in his prime would be ideal? He can play in a variety of positions and to get 23 goals when he is NOT an out and out goal scorer is fantastic. Surely we need the depth?!
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May 7th, 2012 at 6:09 pm
He would be perfect if we don’t sign yossi. You just compared his stats to two world class strikers. He has double figures for the past 3 seasons as a midfielder and is in his prime.
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May 7th, 2012 at 6:13 pm
Dempsey’s a striker? Why does everything from FIFA 12 to fantasy leagues have him as a midfielder? I guess they’re all wrong and you;re right?
Clint would be a welcome addidiotn to the running folly that is Aaron Ramsey. Demspey is a player who can provide that creativity that we simply don’t have in abundance in midfield. Ever since Cesc left there’s hardly anyone to channel the game through to feed RVP. Even more is that Dempsey can score form midfield which is something we really don’t have much of either and he can take free kicks – again a virtue which we don’t have much of.
Our midfielde needs strngthening and experience and at 29 Dempsey is in hid prime still – ask Paul Scholes about age, it’s not how old you are that determines how good or not good you are anymore. I’d take a 45 year old Giggs over Aaron Ramsey at this point in time.
for years supporters have bitched about needing experienced players at Arsenal and then when some come along we say they’re old and past it.
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May 7th, 2012 at 6:21 pm
First and foremost Dempsey is not a striker. He is more of a man in the pocket type, an advanced attacking midfielder and for a midfielder he has scored enough to prove his worth. Not to forget he is at the peak of his game and we might be able to get him pretty cheap. Another important thing, if you have watched him play, he is one of the most committed player you will ever see. He gives his everything. He would be a great buy for Arsenal.
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May 7th, 2012 at 6:33 pm
I totally disagree with this piece. If there is anything Arsenal needs, it is variety, creativity and flexibility at the midfield. Our present team lacks all of the above. It is so boring and a lot of anxiety watching Arsenal team play week to week. Non of our midfielders scores these days unlike before when you could not predict where Arsenal goals would come from. We seriously need a player like Dempsey. First, he will come cheap and second, he will add value to the team.Please don’t write articles like this. They make me sick.
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May 7th, 2012 at 6:45 pm
You could use these arguments about van persie. You talk rubbish
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May 7th, 2012 at 6:56 pm
If Wenger will not get Clint then he shud get us someone better. But if Scholes, Giggs, Danny Murphy and even Lampard can give their clubs result age can not hinders the performance of Clint. Rosisky is part of our pride despite his age so Clint will be a plus.
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May 7th, 2012 at 7:14 pm
He is a good player but we need to aim for players who are better than him. If he was only 22/23 than I would say go for him but he’s in his prime hasn’t any champions league experience and isnt a great passer of the ball.
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arsenalfc Reply:
May 7th, 2012 at 7:28 pm
I totally agree, most of the others who have commented had probably never heard of him before this season or seen him play
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wisegunner Reply:
May 7th, 2012 at 7:47 pm
You are pathetic, Man. This guy is good. I am from Canada and watch him always. Dude is loaded with experience, tricks,.skills and goals. We have so many young guys coming up and so need quality experience midfielders that can score….so get your facts right chump!!!
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WC Reply:
May 7th, 2012 at 9:05 pm
Not in his prime at 29? Really? He has europa experience and even got to the final.
Now tell me how many 22-23 year olds even have CL experience that doesn’t cost 20-30M. How many Cl experienced players does Wenger ever even buy on a regular basis. If you want a player with tons of CL experience then expect to spend alot of money, especially if they’re in the 25-30 age bracket when most players are at their best.
Dempsey has been consistent for Fulham and has only gotten better every season I’ve seen him. Sure as hell isn’t worse than Aaron Ramsey.
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May 7th, 2012 at 7:24 pm
What very poor observations and conclusions these are! I’m quite surprised that one can come up with such trash! How many forwards have managed 23 goals in England? Bendtner has only managed 8 goals in 27 this season, and he’s a center forward, while Clint isn’t.
Arsenal is at a stage where they need immediate success and Clint would bring exactly that, other than bringing the “Nasri’s” who would struggle to acclamatise and when they do, they go to Man City.
When you talk of M’vila, yes he would be a good signing, who however can play in the same team as Dempsey. Without doubt, the American would be a great signing for Arsenal.
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May 7th, 2012 at 7:28 pm
I agree that Dempsey isn’t arsenal material, he isn’t actually a striker he play behind the striker, We have just bought podolski who plays in the same positions. We need to get a front man, someone like adebeyor, to be honest wouldn’t mind having ade back in red and white. We also need a playmaker someone like silva or iniesta obviously not those players but in a simular style and at a similar level, my suggestion would be thiago depending on how much we can bargain for him, another player is obviously hazard who in my view is best suited to arsenal. Top signings are possible wenger has always said that he will spend on players that we need and would bring a lot to the team. We will also need a leader at the back, sakho is my choice, I wouldn’t go for vertonghen because Im not sure he will suit arsenal and we already have two defenders who tend to surge forward to help attacks in kocialny and vermalean, I see sakho as the new sol Campbell who’s strong in the tackles and good in the air we don’t have that sort of player and this is why we are failing in defence.
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May 7th, 2012 at 7:33 pm
I think it would be very easy to knock a whole lot of forwards if you want to use some average of their goals per game across their entire career in English football.
Bad stats mate.
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May 7th, 2012 at 8:06 pm
Quick, no double quick, call Wenger and tell him he is about to make a terrible mistake!! With your superior football knowledge he will no doubt very much appreciate your input. And if we don’t sign Dempsey you can tell the world it was your wise words that prevented this. I a, soooo in awa of you
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May 7th, 2012 at 8:59 pm
to me i preffered BA he very gud y he hv nt score is cos he is playin out of position ahead of cisse as of m.vila i don tink we so much nid him,wat we nid is an attckin milfielder someone like jurado, we hv som gud up comin player’s like afobe,bartley,francis. I wnt wenga 2 often use these young guys nxt season nd i believe francis we b our m’vila
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May 8th, 2012 at 3:34 am
You probably should never have written this article… So many things are untrue. He would be a great acquisition for the MIDFIELD )because that is where he plays). And besides being a good footballer, he is also from the USA where football is becoming more and more popular and this would be the perfect time to seize the American market.
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May 8th, 2012 at 6:41 am
So, Fulham channel most of their goals through Dempsey a bit like Arsenal channel most of their goals through van Persie…what`s your point? That`s what they`re there for.
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May 8th, 2012 at 6:57 am
It would help if the author knew what he was talking about before he began writing.
Clint Dempsey would be a perfect acquisition for Arsenal because of his versatility. While he showed this year that he can play as a striker, he isn’t a striker in the classic sense. Although he can play that position if needed. He’s not really a creative midfielder, either–although he is a good enough passer and has enough creativity to play that position, too.
Dempsey plays on the wing in the midfield for the USA national team, where he began his career. That was his primary position before he was moved inside due to injuries at Fulham. He can also play behind a central striker–a position that he also plays for the USA. He has proven to be very dangerous in this position. In the Arsenal set-up, he can very easily play in either the role currently played by Benayoun, Gevinho and Oxlaide-Chamberlain or in the role played by Ramsey and/or Rosicky. He would be an ideal replacement for Benayoun because of his ability to bring more offense to that position, but also because he could be used up-front if needed or replace Ramsey or Rosicky if they are struggling or hurt.
The one thing that Dempsey would bring to Arsenal that is missing and that the author of this article completely missed is his defensive abilities. You can’t see Dempsey’s hustle or abilities on defense now that he’s playing in the striker’s role at Fulham, but anyone who has watched the USA national team knows that Dempsey is one of the hardest working players defensively. He’s a “bulldog” when the opposition gets possession anywhere near him and he hustles back on defense consistently. The same cannot be said of Benayoun, Ramsey, Gervinho or a host of other Arsenal midfielders and wingers.
While he’s a little older and a tad slower than he used to be, Dempsey brings an attitude that is missing at Arsenal. This is a guy who wasn’t always the best player, who had to work his way up the hard way against great odds, this is a guy who was never in a situation where he thought that he and his team would win just by throwing their athletic supporters on the field against inferior opposition (actually, he’s rarely been on a team that could believe it was facing inferior competition). That’s not something that a lot of Arsenal players, who were touted as future stars almost as soon as they got out of diapers and then signed with one of the biggest clubs in the world before they were in their prime, can say. Dempsey has always had the kind of heart that this Arsenal team needs. And, for that reason alone, he would be a great addition to the club…even if he never saw the pitch in a single match.
But, you have to know something about Dempsey and how he got to where he is now to know that. And, obviously, the author of this article didn’t before he started writing. Hopefully, he (and other Arsenal fans) do now.
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May 8th, 2012 at 9:00 am
Your case is terrible. Arsenal fans always comlplain about signing unknown foreign strikers with no prem league experience then rumours say we want one and you say no….? He is 29 amazing prem experience and scores goals. I think he is better than crouch and crouch has scored 15 this season….. He is 31 just goes to show.
We should sell arshavin, chamakh, park, vela and bendtner and bring Dempsey and hoilet in. A reason why Dempsey has a low goal per game average is that he does not have the service that adebayor has, hate to say it but adebayor has great service from modric, bale and van see vaart.
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