Jacob Shaffelburg

[Gian-Luca]

Put a little smile on everyone's face and watch this video:

 

[Corazon]

14 minutes ago, Gian-Luca said:

Put a little smile on everyone's face and watch this video:

 

What a great moment!  So glad that he was cleared to play just in time for this game.  Also great that he was involved on the winning goal for Toronto.

[Lurker]

I'm obviously bias but Shaffleburg's pace and delivery (imo underrated) is excellent, perhaps the best on TFC when he's healthy.  I like him a little bit less because he slayed the Wanderers but I understand this is what God intended haha.

[hodgkiss]

He has steadily improved year after year but I believe he just needs to be a bit more consistent. Probably the guy with the most pace on the team, works hard all the time and naturally wants to take defenders on. He just needs a bit more dribble and his cross which is very good, just needs to be a bit better. But seems like a great guy and a student who wants to keep learning - maybe his best asset. It will be interesting when Insigne comes to TFC - will he push Shaffleburg out of the LM/LW role or will Insigne take more of a central CAM role (this is where I would put him). Anyway, I am looking forward to seeing Shaffleburg getting more minutes at club and country level. He really reminds me of Gareth Bale.

[TOcanadafan]

35 minutes ago, hodgkiss said:

He has steadily improved year after year

This is what’s most impressive.  He’s become an attacking force.  When he first arrived, it seemed like he could just run.  Now he can create and cross effectively, along with burning outside defenders with speed down the line,

[Obinna]

Sent down to the reserves

Toronto FC loan Jacob Shaffelburg to Toronto FC II | Toronto FC

Does anyone else hate how they treat that as a "loan" in MLS?

Anyways, what can I say about this? Disappointing for any WC hopes he had (not that I thought he'd factor in, but he did play a few qualifiers). He's still youngish, but at 23 years old I was hoping he was past this phase of his development. I'd like to think being part of the CanMNT pool in 2022 means you are at least something of a regular in Major League Soccer, not getting "loaned" to the reserve side. 

Hopefully it's a short stay and he can get back to the first team and stick. 

[narduch]

Kind of pissed about this. He was basically the TFC MVP the 2nd half of the season last year. Which led to his CanMNT senior call up.

He's a forward not a back.

Edited July 6, 2022 by narduch

[RS]

If this is a semi-lengthy loan (as opposed to a temporary move to get him minutes), then loaning him to HFX Wanderers should be considered.

He'd be a bonafide star in his home province and face better competition than in MLS Next Pro.

[Dominic94]

He’s been ducked around so much by this club….. he’s a LW/LM, we’ve seen him thrive there. Trade him to another MLS club for fucks sake since obviously he has no TFC future.

[El Hombre]

I thought that loan was a very temporary move to get him some playing time because he didn't get much on Saturday and has been injured in the recent past.  I didn't read into it any more than that.

[TOcanadafan]

OK, maybe TFC asked him to try LB and it didn’t go so well / got injured but it stinks he doesn’t get a shot at his natural position.  His speed and direct play is exactly what’s been missing from TFC in their last 2 games.  Plus he is one of the few who can give a good delivery into the box.  

[rydermike]

That loan is just a one game thing. He's definitely already back with the first team. It's a nearly verbatim press release as all the other "TFC2 loans" TFC has sent players this year on - Ranjtsingh, Perruzza, Chung, Priso. In all those cases, they immediately came right back to the first team after one match. For some reason, they have to write those before they sent a player down for the first time (then they can send them up and down whenever). Perruzza and Chung also played for TFC2 "on loan" on Sunday. It's a non-issue. Just for some extra game time. If anything it's a good thing.

[Obinna]

1 hour ago, rydermike said:

That loan is just a one game thing. He's definitely already back with the first team. It's a nearly verbatim press release as all the other "TFC2 loans" TFC has sent players this year on - Ranjtsingh, Perruzza, Chung, Priso. In all those cases, they immediately came right back to the first team after one match. For some reason, they have to write those before they sent a player down for the first time (then they can send them up and down whenever). Perruzza and Chung also played for TFC2 "on loan" on Sunday. It's a non-issue. Just for some extra game time. If anything it's a good thing.

The fact they technically call it a "loan" is what creates the confusion. It's one of several quirks about MLS I dislike. 

[Shway]

7 hours ago, narduch said:

Kind of pissed about this. He was basically the TFC MVP the 2nd half of the season last year. Which led to his CanMNT senior call up.

He's a forward not a back.

I think he's a midfielder....not a forward. 
He does not have the skillset, and it's been seen how Petrasso has basically overshadowed him.

I like Shaff, but he's plays like a trackstar.

[narduch]

13 minutes ago, Shway said:

I think he's a midfielder....not a forward. 
He does not have the skillset, and it's been seen how Petrasso has basically overshadowed him.

I like Shaff, but he's plays like a trackstar.

His best position is as a wide forward

[TOcanadafan]

9 minutes ago, Shway said:

and it's been seen how Petrasso has basically overshadowed him.

Not sure I agree on this take. Shaff was arguably our best player in many games in 2nd half of last season.  Petrasso seems to be just “a guy” with a limited ceiling, and really hasn’t been great in defense. Shaff has developed to be more than just a track star… if given the opportunity could even improve his finish. 
This debate won’t matter much as Insigne and Criscito will force both to the bench.
 

[Corazon]

It's only going to get harder for Shaf to break through at TFC now with the signing of Insigne and potentially Bernadeschi.  Even Criscito plays along the left side.  BB likes to play 4-4-2 which doesn't suit Shaffelburg as much and Nelson seems to have surpassed Shaffelburg.  So many attackers now and so many left sided players as well.

[Floortom]

He’s been brutal this year - big step back from last season when he started making a strong push. Of course, there are reasonable excuses for that but still unfortunate to see. He’s going to be in a tough spot for playing time. Wonder if he could be loaned out to another MLS squad like Fraser was.

[canuckgbp]

2 hours ago, Corazon said:

It's only going to get harder for Shaf to break through at TFC now with the signing of Insigne and potentially Bernadeschi.  Even Criscito plays along the left side.  BB likes to play 4-4-2 which doesn't suit Shaffelburg as much and Nelson seems to have surpassed Shaffelburg.  So many attackers now and so many left sided players as well.

BB has also slotted in JMR on the left as a sub the last three games for Petrasso instead of going directly with Shaff.  

Edited July 7, 2022 by canuckgbp

[BearcatSA]

15 hours ago, TOcanadafan said:

Not sure I agree on this take. Shaff was arguably our best player in many games in 2nd half of last season.  Petrasso seems to be just “a guy” with a limited ceiling, and really hasn’t been great in defense. Shaff has developed to be more than just a track star… if given the opportunity could even improve his finish. 

I see both of these players as  "just another guy" types, to quote Bob McCown.  However, to me that is still a positive because they are Canadian squad guys, developed by the club, not journeymen Americans who some on here (rightly) loathe.  I look at that roster and see a lot of HG component there, with a number making signicant contributions and the potential for more, either in TO or elsewhere in this league after their original breakthrough at the club, as local guys (Bluenoser Shaff excluded)  That's a great thing for local football.

Contrast that with Vancouver's trans-Canada Academy system.  Sure, the raw numbers aren't the same but when it comes to filling the squad with Cancon "guys," the Caps are a buying club.  I chuckled when I read the comment in another thread about how good Vancouver is at developing players for other clubs. Heck, even TFC has one (Vancouver's Chung)!

[Cicero]

I think BB made a mistake on Shaffelburg, he has now totally devalued their asset. It was a risky move to try and convert him, and now he seems far less desirable on the trade market than he did at the end of last season.

[El Diego]

50 minutes ago, Cicero said:

I think BB made a mistake on Shaffelburg, he has now totally devalued their asset. It was a risky move to try and convert him, and now he seems far less desirable on the trade market than he did at the end of last season.

Agreed, the conversion has been a huge flop. He was at his best last year when Perez asked him to run into space from deep positions. I don't think he has the nous defensively to be a full back or help build from deep.

[ECW]

4 hours ago, El Diego said:

Agreed, the conversion has been a huge flop. He was at his best last year when Perez asked him to run into space from deep positions. I don't think he has the nous defensively to be a full back or help build from deep.

He was slow to grow into MLS as a winger and once he began to show real promise he was played out of position. It’s possible he learns the new position in time but who can give him that time? It’s unlikely to happen in Toronto again. 

[canuckgbp]

 

[TOcanadafan]

1 minute ago, canuckgbp said:

 

Good.  Never given a chance at LW this year (I guess it wouldn’t have mattered with Insigne coming in).  Still young enough that he can develop elsewhere.