This Soccernet article finds Clint Dempsey pretty content with his season’s work at Fulham.
The American’s fine year – with another excellent goal tally from midfield – is all the more impressive when you consider that he had to bide his time on the bench until Roy Hodgson replaced Zoltan Gera in the starting line-up. Dempsey’s commitment had never been in doubt but he has definitely added more to the defensive side of his game, something he has acknowledged in previous interviews.
I’m happy with the way I played. I think I developed more as a player. I think I’m a more complete player. I’ve tried to build every year, and I think I’ve done that since I’ve been in the Premiership. I had to work hard to get my spot back.
Asked whether he’d like to get into double figures in terms of goals next season, Dempsey conceded that it might be tough.
It’s something you shoot for, but it’s a difficult league. But if I stay healthy and stay in the team, I like to think I can do that.
He attributed Fulham’s record breaking season to a much-improved back line.
We worked on defense as a team, to be compact defensively. It was tough for us to get scored on in games, and we switched from a long ball style to more of a passing style, and I think that opened things up for us in attack, even though we didn’t have the best record in scoring. We played a more attractive type of soccer and got results.
