Rene Meulensteenβs first move of the winter transfer window was to bring a familiar face back to the Premier League. The Fulham boss snapped up former Cottagers favourite Clint Dempsey on a two-month loan deal from MLS side Seattle Sounders as he looks to add some top-flight experience to boost his sideβs battle against the drop.
Speaking to the clubβs official website upon completion of the deal, Dempsey was delighted to be back after leaving under somewhat acrimonious circumstances back in August 2012. With the MLS currently in off-season, he is keen to use the time in London to improve his form ahead of the upcoming World Cup:
“It feels good to be back. This (Fulham) has always seemed like my home in Europe and I am excited to be back and be part of this team and play in this league. I wanted to get back to playing at the highest level and getting back and helping the team in the situation where they are not where they want to be in the table. But going into a World Cup year you want to get into that top form and carry that forward so hopefully I can have a good showing.”
The History
Dempseyβs career kicked off in his native America back in 2004 with New England Revolution. The midfielder spent three seasons at the club, producing 25 goals and 13 assists over 71 appearances β he also helped his side reach the MLS Final twice before being snapped up by Fulham in the January 2007 transfer window.
Over five-and-a-half seasons at Craven Cottage, Dempsey was a slow starter but eventually developed into one of the most consistent midfielders in the Premier League. The first few years produced 21 goals and seven assists from 110 league games before Dempseyβs attacking sensibilities stepped up another level, with 29 strikes and 11 assists from 74 matches. Indeed, his final year at the Cottage saw Dempsey end the season as the top scoring midfielder in the FPL game, with 17 goals, seven assists and 22 bonus points underlining his displays.
Snapped up by Tottenham prior to the end of the 2012 summer transfer window, Dempseyβs Fantasy potential all but dried up. He started just 22 league games under Andre Villas-Boas, scoring seven times and delivering six assists in his only season at White Hart Lane before returning to the US in August last year. Yet to flourish at Seattle, though, heβs produced just one goal and a single assist over 12 matches, including league and play-off games. At international level, Dempsey has served up 36 goals in 101 appearances for the US.
The Prospects
Having failed to gain clearance in time for the New Yearβs Day win over West Ham, Dempsey made his debut during last weekendβs FA Cup draw at Norwich. The two month period will therefore afford him seven league fixtures in which make an impact (SUN, ars, swa, SOU, mun, LIV, wba), with some Fantasy managers even considering him for the armband this Saturday as Sunderland pay visit to the Cottage.
In terms of game time, Dempsey seems a likely starter as Meulensteen looks for his top-flight know-how to make a difference in the opposition box. Given that only one Fulham attacking midfielder β Pajtim Kasami β has scored more than once this season, itβs obvious the Cottagers are in desperate need of firepower in the final third of the pitch.
Meulensteen started with Kieran Richardson, Adel Taarabt and Damien Duff behind Dimitar Berbatov in a 4-2-3-1 against the Hammers and it looks odds on that Dempsey will replace Richardson on the left, with his manager going on to say:
“Clint has spent so many years playing in the Premier League. We know where his strengths lie whether it is coming in from the left or playing as a deeper striker or a number nine depending on who you are playing against. The most important thing is that he will be a good boost for us.”
Given that Kasami β who currently sits in 5% of FPL sides β is the most owned Fulham midfielder (or attacker), Dempseyβs arrival wonβt have a knock-on effect on any popular Fantasy assets. Instead, he offers the option of a short-term flutter for those Fantasy managers who reckon the 30-year old can quickly reach full match fitness and reproduce the form of years gone by.
Despite their 6-0 mauling at Hull in Gameweek 19, the Cottagers have notched twice in three of their last four, suggesting an upturn in attacking displays under Meulensteen. Whilst the upcoming games against Arsenal, United and Liverpool may prove tricky, Dempsey could easily produce the goods in the other four fixtures across his remaining schedule and, at 7.4 in FPL (7.7 in the Sky Sports game and 4.0 in the Sun Dream Team,), his top-flight history suggests that, despite his patchy form since leaving Spurs, weβd be foolish to write him off completely.
