Tottenham Hotspur: 3 Reasons Clint Dempsey Will Tally Up Goals This Season

A tumultuous transfer window saw American star Clint Dempsey all but on his way to Merseyside to become a Red. He longed for a club with realistic Champion's League aspirations, and he believed Liverpool were the side to give that to him. 

His desire to leave the Cottagers became so great that manager Martin Jol had to leave him off of the team sheets. Dempsey never started a Premier League game for Fulham this season.

His story wouldn't find a resolution until the final day of the transfer window. Liverpool were finally able to offload the likes of Charlie Adam and Jay Spearing. They even sent Andy Carroll out on loan. Everything seemed to be falling into place for Dempsey.

Then Fenway Sports Group happened. In all their infinite wisdom, they apparently decided that Fulham's asking price was too much and they weren't going to meet it. In stepped Andres Villas-Boas, and before the night was through, Dempsey was wearing a Tottenham Jersey.

After making good on the sale of Luka Modric to Real Madrid, AVB made Dempsey one of his final signings in a very active transfer window for Spurs that also saw Dempsey's midfield partner from Fulham, Moussa Dembele, come to White Hart Lane as well. 

Dempsey, or Deuce, as his underground rap name has come to be known, was a revelation for Fulham last season if not an anomaly. The 29-year-old scored 23 times for the Cottagers last season and finished among the leagues top 10, the only midfielder to do so. 

This season, Dempsey has only managed one goal in three league appearances for Spurs, but it will go down as one of the more important goals in Spurs history. It was the Deuce's first goal against Manchester United, and it was the goal that gave Spurs their first win at Old Trafford in more than 20 years. 

Following are a few reasons why Dempsey's scoring this season has only just begun. He has the potential to put in a double-digit performance in an already crowded attacking side this season.

History

Clint Dempsey has never had a problem finding the back of the net. He's been a consistent scorer throughout his career.

From the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer to Fulham in the Premier League to donning the Red, White and Blue, Deuce delivers. Period. 

In three seasons with the Revolution, Dempsey netted 26 times, going for 11—the lone season he had 30 appearances.

In the five seasons with 20 or more starts at Fulham, Dempsey scored 59 times, making him Fulham's top EPL scorer in history, as well as the highest scoring American in the history of the EPL. 

From 2005-2011 on the United States national team, Dempsey's scored 24 times with an additional four goals already this year. 

He's proven time and again that if given the minutes on the pitch, it will accumulate in goals and ultimately wins for his side. 

Right Place, Right Time

Clint Dempsey is almost always in the right place at the right time. 

His critics say a lot of his goals are "lucky" or "too easy," simply because he happens to be where a ball gets parried or he finds himself at the end of easy crosses. Those people are uneducated at best and idiotic at worst. 

The last time I checked, a goal is a goal is a goal. Wayne Rooney's bicycle kick doesn't count any more than Robert Green's howler that let Dempsey's goal in at the 2010 World Cup.

It also has to be noted that in order to get those poachers' chances, one has to put themselves in a position to do so. That is where Deuce excels. He finds his way through a defense in the penalty area with relative ease. 

His ability to find holes in defenses is what gives him so many chances. His vision of the field and of things unfolding before they happen give him that edge. That vision has made him arguably the Premier League's best goal poacher over the past couple of seasons. 

While Luis Suarez or Robin Van Persie might do it with blinding skill or exquisite touch, Dempsey does it simply. That's not to say he isn't an excellent finisher and lacks the ability to produce truly eloquent goals, but more often than not Dempsey chooses his spot in the box and then chooses his spot at the back of the net. 

Andres Villas-Boas System Favors Dempsey for Goals

We've established his ability, his desire to play, his knack for goal and his never-ending motivation. That's all good and well, but if he's in an environment that doesn't favor his type of play, the sledding is that much tougher.

Fortunately for Dempsey, the type of game Andres Villas-Boas employs at White Hart Lane and occasionally at Old Trafford, suits Dempsey's style of play. 

The pace at which Spurs are playing under AVB is a sight to see for Premier League fans. With Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon bombing down the wings, Jermain Defoe constantly chasing the ball up the pitch as the lone striker and the beast that is Moussa Dembele leaving the opposition in his wake, it leaves the door open for Dempsey to just waltz into the box and have a good look around. 

With so much quality and pace at Spurs front, Dempsey goes relatively unnoticed. This is no doubt what AVB saw in him when he pulled the trigger to bring him in. 

There simply aren't enough defenders to account for the likes of Bale, Lennon and Defoe (or Emmanuel Adebayor when he's healthy again). If a defense leaves three defenders for those three attackers, they'll be left wanting at the end of the match.

Dempsey will surely find himself at the end of some easy goals, but he also has the quality to produce magic when the occasion calls. One goal in three league appearances will not slake the thirst of the Deuce by a long shot.