OT: Clint Dempsey signs with Spurs
At first I thought I would hate Tottenham for being crazy enough to fire Harry Rednkapp after he was responsible for so much of their team rebuilding and success and replaced him with AVB who was responsible for so much dissention and underperformance at Chelsea. Making things worse to my moral compass of enjoyment was the sale of established veterans and recent acquisitions and surely I tought I would be pleased if they fell flat on their faces this year in North London. Then they go and do something like this.
Fire sale since July:
Out...
Winger/Attacking Midfielder Steven Pienaar -back to Everton
Second Striker/Attacking Midfielder Rafael van der Vaart -back to Hamburger
Attacking Midfielder Nico Kranjcar - to Dynamo Kyiv
Defender Vedran Corluka -to Lokomotiv Moscow
Corlukas best friend Central Midfielder Luka Modric -to Real Madrid after much stalling
Defender Sebastien Bassong -to Norwich City
Giovanni Dos Santos -to Mallorca (I actually don't care much about him)
Then they go and buy the contracts for some of my favorite players:
In...
Versatile Defender Jan Vertonghen -from Ajax
Versatile Midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson -helped Swansea earn EPL promotion on loan
Second Striker/Center Forward Emmanuel Adebayor -from Manchester City
Attacking Midfielder Moussa Dembele -from Fulham
Versatile Forward Clint Dempsey -from Fulham
Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris -from Lyon
With young Lloris ready to replace veteran Friedel when the time comes, Gareth Bale and Jan Vertonghen charging up the left of the field, creative central midfielders Scott Parker, Sandro, Sigurdsson, and Dembele moving the ball, and versatile forwards Adebayor, Defoe, and Dempsey, this could be the most interesting, and maybe entertainging team in the EPL for the 2012-13 season outside of Chelsea with young Oscar and Hazard. Time will tell if this team gels and merits that coveted 4th spot in the Champions League now, or if there are more interesting signings coming at midseason...
August 31st, 2012 at 6:11 PM ^
K...?
August 31st, 2012 at 6:12 PM ^
Well that will certainly ease Fulham fans dislike of Dempsey.
August 31st, 2012 at 6:19 PM ^
I know what you mean, and I usually feel the same way, but sometimes I think the problem is with the upper management too. For instance: Arsenal could be a much better team if they'd pay their players more, but upper management seems happy enough to use Wenger like a cash cow for finding affordable talent in spite of the long trophy drought.
September 1st, 2012 at 12:25 AM ^
I'm a big Arsenal fan and if Wenger quit, I'd follow him wherever he went and be a big fan of that club next.
The abuse that man has taken by ignorant nationalists in the English media and public is maybe the most unfair you will find anywhere in the world of sport. All he does is get to the Champions League EVERY YEAR despite stingy ownership. And yet, somehow, he is blamed for the "lack of ambition" after Man City, Man United and Chelsea have all gone absolutely crazy with irresponsible spending.
August 31st, 2012 at 6:15 PM ^
I love the Adebayor signing from your end but hate it as a City supporter.
Dempsey? Meh.
August 31st, 2012 at 6:16 PM ^
I'm just happy to see Dempsey sign with a major club after years of proving himself at a smaller club like Fulham. His success in the EPL can only bring more credit to American soccer.
August 31st, 2012 at 6:17 PM ^
August 31st, 2012 at 6:19 PM ^
Vertonghen will be a centerback, Essou-Akotto is the starting LB. But with the options available it might be time for the long-awaited move of Bale back to LB.
Other than that, dead on. Spurs did some remarkable things in the last few days. Dempsey for 6 mil is an absolute steal and provides some major cover for what is a thin strike force. If he can just replicate VdV's goals then he was way underpriced.
It will be interesting to see where AVB plays Lennon, who has been extremely influential when healthy. Eventually he wants to play a 4-3-3 so playing Defoe, Adebayor and Dempsey up front makes sense with Bale, Parker (once fit) and Dembele in the middle. This ends up looking like a deep team (except for up top) and Lloris can come in and start right away. Friedel has looked shaky in the first two starts.
And if today was any indicator, Chelsea is going nowhere. They just got destroyed by Atletico Madrid. Their defense looked like a joke and David Luiz suddenly looked like a 35 year old. This could be another interesting EPL season. Hopefully Spurs are in the top 4 when the dust clears.
August 31st, 2012 at 6:22 PM ^
Definitely a Center Back, but he's in the same mould of Thomas Vermaelen/Lucio streaking forward, assisting in attack, and freeing up midfielders by drawing defense in on the dribble. Fun to watch.
August 31st, 2012 at 6:30 PM ^
I'm not sure why your board topic is getting hated on so much right now, the last I checked Michigan doesn't actually play until tomorrow.
Additionally, I appreciate quality of content, not the quantity of threads about predictions. So thank you for your post.
August 31st, 2012 at 7:53 PM ^
would probably be likely if AVB wants to get all the worth out of his players.
August 31st, 2012 at 7:56 PM ^
So.... no goalie?
August 31st, 2012 at 6:21 PM ^
I thought we were done with OT until Michigan football season was over?
August 31st, 2012 at 6:30 PM ^
Does this mean that the What are you drinking threads will also stop?
August 31st, 2012 at 6:37 PM ^
You shut your whore mouth.
August 31st, 2012 at 6:27 PM ^
OT time is over. This is explicitly OT.
August 31st, 2012 at 6:39 PM ^
It's close. In the past, USNT stuff has been treated in the same as local pro sports teams.
August 31st, 2012 at 6:43 PM ^
Hey, I thought twice about it, but nobody seemed to mind the Craig James hooker search thread so I figured I could slip it in under the wire.
August 31st, 2012 at 6:31 PM ^
Definitely better than him going to Liverpool. The Reds are still years away from returning to Champions League form.
I'm really hoping Tottenham managed to sign Moutinho before the deadline as a replacement for Van der Vaart
August 31st, 2012 at 6:32 PM ^
The Spurs need more depth with the Lakers adding Steve Nash and Dwight Howard.
/s
August 31st, 2012 at 6:33 PM ^
Congrats to those fine folks in San Antonio.
/s
/idon'tfollowsoccer
/imnotveryfunny
August 31st, 2012 at 6:52 PM ^
You mean Aston Villa vs. Newcastle? I can't wait for the next chapter in that enthralling saga.
August 31st, 2012 at 7:07 PM ^
Randy Lerner is pretty excited I'm sure. Now that he's sold the Browns he focus solely on his mediocre soccer club.
August 31st, 2012 at 6:35 PM ^
Double post fail
August 31st, 2012 at 6:36 PM ^
On another topic, I wonder if signing Lloris means that Friedel's time as Spurs #1 is done. He's been France's first choice keeper for a while and Friedel is getting old.
August 31st, 2012 at 8:15 PM ^
August 31st, 2012 at 6:58 PM ^
I'm a big Manchester United fan, but a bigger Michigan fan...
So: get this OT sh*t outta here
August 31st, 2012 at 7:12 PM ^
because of their American owner, or were you a devoted follower before that? Seems gauche, seems really, really gauche. Hellz, might even be droit.
August 31st, 2012 at 7:10 PM ^
my roommate in Dublin was a Hotspur fan--a long-suffering one in those very old days--and now I will be one, too.
August 31st, 2012 at 7:32 PM ^
August 31st, 2012 at 8:05 PM ^
Side note: #10 is open, has any American ever worn #10 in Europe or could Deuce be the first?
August 31st, 2012 at 8:20 PM ^
As far as the other moves go, I like them a lot(the one for Lloris is a personal favorite)and will like them much more if they're able to bring in Moutinho and ship out Huddlestone and Kane in loan.
August 31st, 2012 at 8:20 PM ^
Looking forward to St. Totteringham's Day this year, more than others, for making me have mixed feelings about the great Clint Dempsey.
August 31st, 2012 at 8:39 PM ^
Last night talking to chairs in Tampa, in London today signing with Tottenham. Oh wait, wrong Clint, sorry...
August 31st, 2012 at 8:49 PM ^
August 31st, 2012 at 8:53 PM ^
Soccer haters go back to your inet trolling and relax. This is good for 'merica!
August 31st, 2012 at 8:59 PM ^
August 31st, 2012 at 9:09 PM ^
August 31st, 2012 at 9:32 PM ^
I assume you just missed the OT thread about Craig James. It's right below this one so you should hurry up and let your disdain be known to them.
August 31st, 2012 at 10:43 PM ^
Thanks for wasting my time