TFC 2022 player in-season roster discussion

[Ultra & Proud]

If we’d played Shaff there all season, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say we’d be at least three points to the better. THat’s what good service will provide, actual scoring chances, of which we create very few.

Nope. If you want to sell one of the two or trade them, trade Nelson. He’s fast and mazy but has zero end product and so far piss-poor judgement.

I agree with this and it might be that Nelsen starts based on a potential sale (or just potential). For all we know though Nelsen is one of those guys who has it all locked down in training when there's zero pressure but in a real match he goes full on deer in the headlights.

During our recent skid of creating next to no chances Schaff could definitely have been useful but in the bigger, wider picture he is basically an Oduro type player. Lots of pace and directness but not a lot of anything else.

[NK Toronto]

Any good defenders playing for Colorado? Seems like Shaff would probably get playing time there.

How about Priso?

[CorrwgBach]

How about Priso?

Thanks, I've just sprayed my screen with coffee.

[NK Toronto]

Thanks, I've just sprayed my screen with coffee.

It's a bloody big deal.

[Canary10]

It's amazing how much this board has shifted in the past 10 days or so. For some reason I found that Chicago game particularly hard to take, even more than Montreal. Patience is running thin.

[NK Toronto]

I honestly don't know what people see in Shaffelburg. He offers speed and nothing else. Has the touch of a lumberjack. He will be turning 23 in the fall, unlike the other youth players who are 19 or 20.

[Bobo]

I honestly don't know what people see in Shaffelburg. He offers speed and nothing else. Has the touch of a lumberjack. He will be turning 23 in the fall, unlike the other youth players who are 19 or 20.

You mean TFC wouldn't win MLS Cup with Shaff and Ashtone Morgan dominating the left side?

[los sonadores]

Or, you know… play him.

I wish Bradley’s way of thinking was a little clearer. IT leaves onlookers with the perspective that he’s doing things based on personality, likes and dislikes rather than hard pragmatism. This may seem pragmatic to us, but he’d already demonstrated that he just doesn’t value someone who has already proven himself valuable.

We have one problem with Jayden and Kerr: they do not know when to pull the trigger on a shot or cross.

Shaff does. He’s never had that problem. Instead, we’re playing the 19-year-old Nelson because of his “upside” even though he has yet to show he has the requisite read of the game to even survive at this level. Is that because he actually thinks Nelson is a better player, or because the team wants to flog him to Anderlecht?

If we’d played Shaff there all season, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say we’d be at least three points to the better. THat’s what good service will provide, actual scoring chances, of which we create very few.

Nope. If you want to sell one of the two or trade them, trade Nelson. He’s fast and mazy but has zero end product and so far piss-poor judgement.

It seems Bradley wants to play with a very clever, fluid front three who cut inside, exchange positions (either briefly or formally) and are also all more or less capable of advancing the ball through the middle. He should have that now (and the subs for now Ayo, Kerr, Nelson - all a (big) step down but all with some potential to play this conception of football).

Leaves not much room for Shaff, or Pozuelo for that matter. Bradley clearly wants his backs high but Shaff has, of course, not looked promising as a RB.

I’m with you in mourning the loss of a player the club has put a lot of time into developing. It’s kind of ironic that Shaff was the only kid Vanney was willing to play when he was desperate for wide wingers - which our management seemed incapable of adequately providing him. And now Bradley has no call for Shaff.

In general, I hate this totally unstable element of contemporary team sport. The “it’s a business”, instant gratification and instant loyalty part.

[Ultra & Proud]

You mean TFC wouldn't win MLS Cup with Shaff and Ashtone Morgan dominating the left side?

If we recalled Auro and used him at DM and brought back Lawrence to be a part timer CB then yes.

[jloome]

I honestly don't know what people see in Shaffelburg. He offers speed and nothing else. Has the touch of a lumberjack. He will be turning 23 in the fall, unlike the other youth players who are 19 or 20.

He had three goals and three assists on a team with no strikers.

His valuation last year on Transfermarkt rose from $275,000 to $2.2M because beats fullbacks regularly and gets in crosses regularly.

He’s a true winger. They’re not in vogue anymore, but it’s not the most multi-dimensional role. His job is to put dangerous crosses into the box. He does that well.

He has a very good touch, a good first touch, a good first move and speed. And he crosses well. Again, what else is a winger supposed to provide? He’s not an inverted winger/wing forward, but many wide players aren’t. They exist to draw defenders wide, then put balls into space.

You know, like we weren’t doing in that debacle against Halifax this year, until Shaff came on and served up a ball that was hard to defend. He’s the reason we even made the semi.

[Smokecell]

Shaff has had his chance and he has not materialized. Plain and simple. I think he's nearing 40 or so MLS games? If he hasn't locked a spot in the starting XI by now that tells you something. No need to make this a debate. If we can get something for him, that's excellent.

The quote BB used on Priso fits Staff like a glove IMO. He needs to leave here.

[jloome]

It seems Bradley wants to play with a very clever front three who cut inside, exchange positions (either briefly or formally) and are also all more or less capable of advancing the ball through the middle. He should have that now (and the subs for now Ayo, Kerr, Nelson - all a (big) step down but all with some potential to play this conception of football).

Leaves not much room for Shaff, or Pozuelo for that matter. Bradley clearly wants his backs high but Shaff has, of course, not looked promising as a RB.

I’m with you in mourning the loss of a player the club has put a lot of time into developing. It’s kind of ironic that Shaff was the only kid Vanney was willing to play when he was desperate for wide wingers - which our management seemed incapable of adequately providing him. And now Bradley has no call for Shaff.

In general, I hate this totally unstable element of contemporary team sport. The “it’s a business”, instant gratification and instant loyalty part.

Yeah, well said. I said basically all this about Raheem Edwards when he got taken in the expansion draft, as he never should have been unprotected. He had six assists in 17 games that season! And now he’s developed into one of the best attacking fullbacks in the league. Sure, he had a few teams in between, but he was never anything but an asset, which is why he kept getting work.

I wondered why we got rid of Dan Lovitz. “Mediocre and one-dimensional” was the general hue and cry. Nope, and four seasons later… one of the best wingbacks in the league for Nashville.

We cut our own throats to make other moves easier to swallow.

Teams need players of all types, not just those who play better inside out or switch places. Also, I’ve watched a whole lot of gegenpress now in the last two years from a bunch of different clubs and you know what? Most teams don’t do it well. Most teams suffer because of it. It’s only when they absolutely click on the personnel that it works.

And then those clubs, ala LAFC, fail when they need depth in the playoffs, because the second and third-tier guys just can’t read the play fast enough to be constantly switching positions and roles.

I think it’s a mistake. I think this whole direction is starting to look like a mistake.

I hope I am proven wrong.

[jloome]

Shaff has had his chance and he has not materialized. Plain and simple. I think he's nearing 40 or so MLS games? If he hasn't locked a spot in the starting XI by now that tells you something. No need to make this a debate. If we can get something for him, that's excellent.

The quote BB used on Priso fits Staff like a glove IMO. He needs to leave here.

This argument would make sense if hadn’t started for most of last season for us, and been our best attacker on a very bad team, with no striker support.

The onyl reason he hasn’t “locked a spot” is because our new manager doesn’t rate him. He HAD locked a spot down. It was taken away and replaced with the complete lack of productivity that is Jayden Nelson.

EDIT: I’m starting to think there is a desire on this board for us to have a team loaded with nothing but top-tier talent. But this is MLS. No team has that. Having Shaff as a backup makes a hell of a lot more sense to me than having Jayden, end of.

But I get that commodities are commodities. I don’t have to like it.

[OgtheDim]

Jayden and Kerr both have speed as well.

Good call on the speed.

Nelson tends to come inside at the top of the box - Kerr goes to the line but cuts in towards the goal once he gets into the box.

Only Shaff does goes wide to the byline.


Kerr is like Richie...with less dribbling capability & less experience & minus the total mastery of the CONCACAF dark arts that is Richie Laryea.

[OgtheDim]

It's amazing how much this board has shifted in the past 10 days or so. For some reason I found that Chicago game particularly hard to take, even more than Montreal. Patience is running thin.

Yup....

[los sonadores]

Yeah, well said. I said basically all this about Raheem Edwards when he got taken in the expansion draft, as he never should have been unprotected. He had six assists in 17 games that season! And now he’s developed into one of the best attacking fullbacks in the league. Sure, he had a few teams in between, but he was never anything but an asset, which is why he kept getting work.

I wondered why we got rid of Dan Lovitz. “Mediocre and one-dimensional” was the general hue and cry. Nope, and four seasons later… one of the best wingbacks in the league for Nashville.

We cut our own throats to make other moves easier to swallow.

Teams need players of all types, not just those who play better inside out or switch places. Also, I’ve watched a whole lot of gegenpress now in the last two years from a bunch of different clubs and you know what? Most teams don’t do it well. Most teams suffer because of it. It’s only when they absolutely click on the personnel that it works.

And then those clubs, ala LAFC, fail when they need depth in the playoffs, because the second and third-tier guys just can’t read the play fast enough to be constantly switching positions and roles.

I think it’s a mistake. I think this whole direction is starting to look like a mistake.

I hope I am proven wrong.

Good points. How we could use Raheem and Lovitz now. Hoping I’ll be able to watch Edwards playing for Canada before long (as Lovitz played for the US).

[Ultra & Proud]

the total mastery of the CONCACAF dark arts that is Richie Laryea.

This is something we should be looking at finding. This is required. Maybe can't score another Richie but at least another Armando Cooper.

[ag futbol]

This is something we should be looking at finding. This is required. Maybe can't score another Richie but at least another Armando Cooper.

Agreed. We are waaay too easy to play against. Needs to be more grit

[Gringo Starr]

This argument would make sense if hadn’t started for most of last season for us, and been our best attacker on a very bad team, with no striker support.

The onyl reason he hasn’t “locked a spot” is because our new manager doesn’t rate him. He HAD locked a spot down. It was taken away and replaced with the complete lack of productivity that is Jayden Nelson.

EDIT: I’m starting to think there is a desire on this board for us to have a team loaded with nothing but top-tier talent. But this is MLS. No team has that. Having Shaff as a backup makes a hell of a lot more sense to me than having Jayden, end of.

But I get that commodities are commodities. I don’t have to like it.

I fully agree with your assessment of Shaff as a player but I think BB plays who he rates, I think it was telling that Okello was getting minutes ahead of Priso. I don’t see where Shaff gets minutes behind Insigne, Petrasso, and Nelson going forward. It is a waste to keep him around and use him like last game as an injury time sub

[ensco]

A good friend in Germany (diehard club and country supporter) thinks the National team, and the whole Bundesliga, have been wrecked by the love for the Gegenpress. He blames this for the troubles of his local team, as well as der Mannschaft from 2018 on.

Basically he has a version of the same complaint: most teams can't do gegenpress, it's too hard, because if teams are ready defensively, it can be broken down by the symmetrical tactic, which is, defenders and midfielders anticipating pressure and moving the ball up the field fast with crisp short passes. (TFC have been victimized this way at least 10 times this year)

Brazil wasn't ready in 2014 when gegenpress was an innovation, but that was a long time ago.

[portu]

This argument would make sense if hadn’t started for most of last season for us, and been our best attacker on a very bad team, with no striker support.

The onyl reason he hasn’t “locked a spot” is because our new manager doesn’t rate him. He HAD locked a spot down. It was taken away and replaced with the complete lack of productivity that is Jayden Nelson.

EDIT: I’m starting to think there is a desire on this board for us to have a team loaded with nothing but top-tier talent. But this is MLS. No team has that. Having Shaff as a backup makes a hell of a lot more sense to me than having Jayden, end of.

But I get that commodities are commodities. I don’t have to like it.

I’d agree that Shaff is better than Nelson and Petrasso as a winger, however he is also 22 and has basically zero defensive utility in a team that is about to play with Insigne at left wing for the next 4-5 years.

He’s prime tradebait. The same way Ayo is because the next DP is likely a forward.

I was surprised Shaff wasn’t included in the MAK deal if I’m honest. He’s clearly not been in the plans for ages and BB rates Nelson’s upside higher.

[portu]

A good friend in Germany (diehard club and country supporter) thinks the National team, and the whole Bundesliga, have been wrecked by the love for the Gegenpress. He blames this for the troubles of his local team, as well as der Mannschaft from 2018 on.

Basically he has a version of the same complaint: most teams can't do gegenpress, it's too hard, because if teams are ready defensively, it can be broken down by the symmetrical tactic, which is, defenders and midfielders anticipating pressure and moving the ball up the field fast with crisp short passes. (TFC have been victimized this way at least 10 times this year)

Brazil wasn't ready in 2014 when gegenpress was an innovation, but that was a long time ago.

MLS has always been a league where the teams that win are the ones that don’t tactically overextend themselves with players that understand their limitations.

If you want to win in this league, you let the players determine you’re shape and tactics.

You always see teams in this league wrecked because managers are far too rigid and players try things they can’t consistently pull off or are put in unreasonable positions.

[Ultra & Proud]

Agreed. We are waaay too easy to play against. Needs to be more grit

Well while waiting for this presser to start (late as usual) I clicked on one of the 'best of' montage vids in the suggested YouTube bar on Bernadeshi and he seems a bit tough. This video had a lot of tracking back and quite hard tackling. Only thing is to my eye each of his tackles would be a card in MLS and some of them red too. But whatever, he seems pretty gritty. Not sure we're aiming for grit with DPs but it is what it is.

[ensco]

I think we just signed 1986 vintage George Michael.

[noxx98]

I like Federico. Has a good personality. I think he’ll be a fan favourite.

[OgtheDim]

My god..that smile...he is enjoying himself.

Somebody get a screen grab of that dance he just did.

[Areathrasher]

Seems like a genuinely nice bloke, which bodes well

[MikeForbes]

Sounds very happy. Not sure he stopped smiling the whole time. But what is that cross on his chest? Is that a tattoo? Something burnt into his chest? A drawing?

[jloome]

Well while waiting for this presser to start (late as usual) I clicked on one of the 'best of' montage vids in the suggested YouTube bar on Bernadeshi and he seems a bit tough. This video had a lot of tracking back and quite hard tackling. Only thing is to my eye each of his tackles would be a card in MLS and some of them red too. But whatever, he seems pretty gritty. Not sure we're aiming for grit with DPs but it is what it is.

He played wingback for Juve last year. Dude can tackle.

[noxx98]

My god..that smile...he is enjoying himself.

Somebody get a screen grab of that dance he just did.

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