Jayden Nelson

[CanadaFan123]

6 minutes ago, RS said:

To be more serious… Nelson showed some of what I’ve wanted to see out of Marshall-Rutty of late. He just takes players on with an almost joyful passion that has been rare in Canadian soccer players until recently. 

Nelson just needs to be able to play within a system and I think he’ll take off. 

(I still think JMR has a higher ceiling, but Nelson has a “wild card” factor that can be very intriguing if harnessed properly.)

Agree completely. I thought JMR was good but Nelson was a bit more “electric” and in line with the players we’ve seen on the national team. He had jump out there and demanded the ball.

 

[RS]

1 minute ago, CanadaFan123 said:

Agree completely. I thought JMR was good but Nelson was a bit more “electric” and in line with the players we’ve seen on the national team. He had jump out there and demanded the ball.

 

I actually think JMR had a better overall game than Nelson did today, especially when it came to combining with teammates and on the other side of the ball, but Nelson tends to play more freely when he gets on the field and always looks to take players on (sometimes to his own detriment).

IMO, one of the main differences between the two is JMR's ability to play a more complete game and elevate/keep up with his teammates — we've seen flashes of it in recent weeks, but today it was extremely evident. Nelson's much more direct, but with flair. More of a DeRo type.

 

[CanadaFan123]

Funny you say that @RShe did remind me of DeRo with that hair bouncing. 

[canuckgbp]

JMR also had defensive responsibilities as a  RWB until Soteldo had to leave and Laryea moved in the RWB role. Not a position we usually see him in I believe. 

[dyslexic nam]

I know he hasn’t consistently impressed management enough to get much playing time but I still think this kid is pretty exciting and I have high hopes for him.  He has an instinct to attack, a skillset, and an energy level that suggests he still has a fairly high ceiling.

Of TFC’s crop of youngsters, I could very much see Nelson, JMR and Priso all becoming quality senior players that have an impact on the CMNT.   

[RS]

1 minute ago, dyslexic nam said:

I know he hasn’t consistently impressed management enough to get much playing time but I still think this kid is pretty exciting and I have high hopes for him.  He has an instinct to attack, a skillset, and an energy level that suggests he still has a fairly high ceiling.

Of TFC’s crop of youngsters, I could very much see Nelson, JMR and Priso all becoming quality senior players that have an impact on the CMNT.   

Call me crazy, but I think a healthy Priso would've taken Fraser's minutes on the MNT over the past two windows. He already supplanted Fraser at TFC so there is precedent.

Nelson and JMR are longer-term projects but both have the talent to be stars in 2026.

[El Hombre]

9 hours ago, RS said:

I actually think JMR had a better overall game than Nelson did today, especially when it came to combining with teammates and on the other side of the ball, but Nelson tends to play more freely when he gets on the field and always looks to take players on (sometimes to his own detriment).

IMO, one of the main differences between the two is JMR's ability to play a more complete game and elevate/keep up with his teammates — we've seen flashes of it in recent weeks, but today it was extremely evident. Nelson's much more direct, but with flair. More of a DeRo type.

 

I think JMR is the more complete player overall.  Nelson is a very high risk-middling reward player right now.  He does things that are exciting, but doesn't quite have the end product to turn that into high reward.  Hopefully with game time he can get there.

[costarg]

2 hours ago, El Hombre said:

I think JMR is the more complete player overall.  Nelson is a very high risk-middling reward player right now.  He does things that are exciting, but doesn't quite have the end product to turn that into high reward.  Hopefully with game time he can get there.

I was saying the same about Buchanan his first MLS year.  He was very flashy and quick, but there was no result or end product.  He worked, learned and turned that around very quickly. 

Only difference is Arena is a real coach and NE is a team that understands what development is.  They continued to play him and look at him now.

 

[Ruffian]

15 hours ago, Dominic94 said:

Not sure what to make of him not starting, probably time he requests a move, reality is that either he’s not good enough for this level as he didn’t pan out, or TFC simply don’t rate him. It’s unlikely he is going to be the player we thought he would at this point it time. 
 

nothing to play for and he’s on the bench…

You seem to want every Canadian teenager to move on from TFC. TFC this year have been the Canadian team from both MLS and CPL who have played the most academy teenagers this year. I agree TFC have not done a great job at making these players starters but there is nowhere else that is giving Canadian teenagers as much opportunity as TFC this year.

[Bison44]

14 minutes ago, Ruffian said:

You seem to want every Canadian teenager to move on from TFC. TFC this year have been the Canadian team from both MLS and CPL who have played the most academy teenagers this year. I agree TFC have not done a great job at making these players starters but there is nowhere else that is giving Canadian teenagers as much opportunity as TFC this year.

Depends on the kid eh?  Nelsen is 19 now, will prob get under 200min again this year and the team seems to like Rutty better.  In front of him SHaff has taken positive steps this year and TFC has no shortage of money to bring in another winger already established this winter. Same situation as Romeo, Okello, Dunn or Fraser, younger options are coming (Priso, Singh) and if the brass thinks they are better options..well the writing is on the wall. 

[dyslexic nam]

Not that this is entirely complimentary, but in some ways he reminds me of a Bamba or Ikone type of player.  They can make plays but the give and go isn’t his forte and his first instinct seems to be to turn upfield and run at defenders.   

Honestly, with the current make up of our team, I don’t think that is a bad thing.  If he makes it to the senior level, he will quickly be schooled in the need to involve guys who are his peers in terms of age but who are now beyond him in ability.  Making an effort to find guys like Davies, David and Tajon is not optional for playmakers in the senior team.  But if you add in Nelson’s tendency to attack directly as well, he could offer something dynamic in the middle of the park if he was played centrally.  Bottom line - I still see him having an impact.  

Edited October 21, 2021 by dyslexic nam

[reggietfc]

when nelson and rutty were playing together at tfc2 this season i found nelson to be more dominate than rutty in those games,could be a age thing,a couple of guys i expect to make the jump to tfc next season are petrasso and franklin with morrow retiring and lareya leaving.

[Corazon]

44 minutes ago, Bison44 said:

Depends on the kid eh?  Nelsen is 19 now, will prob get under 200min again this year and the team seems to like Rutty better.  In front of him SHaff has taken positive steps this year and TFC has no shortage of money to bring in another winger already established this winter. Same situation as Romeo, Okello, Dunn or Fraser, younger options are coming (Priso, Singh) and if the brass thinks they are better options..well the writing is on the wall. 

Not that I entirely disagree but Romeo, Okello & Dunn are all the same age as Singh (all born in 2000 and within a few months of each other).  Although, it is yet to be seen, from the little I have seen from Dunn, he has looked like he has a higher ceiling than Singh but obviously Singh has been preferred this year.  I thought Singh has always been quite poor for TFC besides a few good starts early in the year.  Priso in my opinion is youngest of the group you mentioned and already ahead of Romeo, Okello & Dunn, although Center Backs tend to develop later in age.

Edited October 21, 2021 by Corazon

[ag futbol]

 

5 hours ago, costarg said:

I was saying the same about Buchanan his first MLS year.  He was very flashy and quick, but there was no result or end product.  He worked, learned and turned that around very quickly. 

Only difference is Arena is a real coach and NE is a team that understands what development is.  They continued to play him and look at him now.

 

Before giving Arena too much credit, Nelson is still younger today than Tajon was when he first entered the league. Leaving that aside, I really don’t share your assessment in terms of that comparison. Right now, Nelson is pretty far away from looking like Tajon did when he first jumped into MLS.

To give you an example of the type of thing Nelson does all the time that keeps him off the field… in last night’s game, TFC had dropped deep in its third to defend, won the ball, and somebody found Nelson with an outlet pass on the left flank just outside the middle third of the field. There are 5 Miami players back and nobody except Altidore in the middle for TFC, so there’s no opportunity to counter. Nelson has nobody pressuring him from behind but about 10-15 yards before the wall of Miami players. TFC is starting to move upfield but needs Nelson to hold the ball or cycle it to retain possession. 

In this moment, he turns upfield and starts to position himself like he’s going to take on the wall of Miami defenders. Several of his teammates are waving at him to turn back but he continues to charge forward. Miami traps him near the sideline, he tries to slip a pass in towards the middle but fails and loses possession. This is pretty rudimentary stuff and things you would coach out of teenagers playing semi competitively let alone an aspiring pro.

If you’re going to compare this to Tajon’s early MLS work, it was more about his decision making in the final third. When to shoot, when to play the appropriate pass, or simply cycle the ball and defer to a teammate. Nelson is making mistakes in other areas of the field that are more detrimental to the team and he’s positionally all over the place. 

I’ll say it before and I’ll say it again: this kid’s youth coaches did him a major disservice because he leaves the impression he has been playing a free role most of the time and doesn’t understand how he can contribute in a practical way (and in a different position) that allows him to break through at the first team level. Until he figures this out, it’s going to be an uphill battle.

 

Edited October 21, 2021 by ag futbol

[Dominic94]

How did he look ?

[SoccMan]

Had a decent game looked ok played 90 minutes and had a hockey assist on the tying goal by Peruzza .

[dyslexic nam]

So so.  Still doesn’t contribute in a way that I would like but for much of the first half it seems like he wasn’t getting a lot of passes.   Made a nice pass to Dwyer who set up Peruzza’s goal so a hockey assist.  Also made a couple of nice sprints back to break up plays on the defensive side.  Overall, it wasn’t bad for sure.  

[canuckgbp]

Have to remember he was deployed as a LWB which isn't his natural position. Defensively he wasn't in position a lot of the time. He made some good challenges though and displayed his makeup speed. 

He showed his quality on the ball. He also didn't seemed fazed when he received passes in his own end and shielded the ball. 

Sofascore had him at a 7.4 which led the team. Had 5 tackles and an interception. 

Also had a good cut inside and a rocket of a shot on the ground. Think if we can play him as a natural forward good things will happen. 

[ag futbol]

16 hours ago, Dominic94 said:

How did he look ?

Lively. His best game so far I’d say. Tracked back and did some good work defensively (although as someone has mentioned, also lost his man on occasion). Outside of the cross back into the box on the goal, didn’t offer much in the final third. Kilbane made the point at halftime (and I tend to agree) he’s got to play further up the pitch with TFC in possession. He’s coming back to the ball too much. 
 

Nonetheless it was the first time I’ve seen him put in that much good team work in general. So that was good to see. Something he can build on, I hope.

Edited October 31, 2021 by ag futbol

[Dominic94]

Atleast we’ll have a bunch of wingers who track back🤣

[Obinna]

Didn't see the final match of the season, a 3-1 loss to DC, but I did notice that Nelson remained on the bench.

Does anyone else's disappointment for this go beyond the typical "play Canadians always" mindset? Because for me it does.

Admittedly I haven't been watching as closely this season (can you blame me?), but based on what I have seen from this young man, both past and present, he deserved more of a run in the team, especially with them already eliminated.

I see they invested in Rutty, good. They gave Okello a run, good. They never seemed to fully commit to that with Jayden for whatever reason.

Did he have a knock or is simply not up to snuff? What do you guys think? For me there's a diamond waiting to be cut into a gem. 

What do we think his prospects are like heading to next season? At this rate I wouldn't be opposed to a loan. I don't want to see him with TFC 2 (again) and I don't get the sense Toronto are committed to him in the way they are to Rutty.

[Dominic94]

15 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Didn't see the final match of the season, a 3-1 loss to DC, but I did notice that Nelson remained on the bench.

Does anyone else's disappointment for this go beyond the typical "play Canadians always" mindset? Because for me it does.

Admittedly I haven't been watching as closely this season (can you blame me?), but based on what I have seen from this young man, both past and present, he deserved more of a run in the team, especially with them already eliminated.

I see they invested in Rutty, good. They gave Okello a run, good. They never seemed to fully commit to that with Jayden for whatever reason.

Did he have a knock or is simply not up to snuff? What do you guys think? For me there's a diamond waiting to be cut into a gem. 

What do we think his prospects are like heading to next season? At this rate I wouldn't be opposed to a loan. I don't want to see him with TFC 2 (again) and I don't get the sense Toronto are committed to him in the way they are to Rutty.

I think his agent needs to get him the fuck out of there. He needs to be at a decent level and playing, not sure NA offers what he needs if TFC won’t play him.

[Obinna]

14 minutes ago, Dominic94 said:

I think his agent needs to get him the fuck out of there. He needs to be at a decent level and playing, not sure NA offers what he needs if TFC won’t play him.

If not a loan, I would like to see him move to Belgium or Holland on a permanent. First or second division, I don't care, just as long as he can get the minutes he needs to develop.

Brym is in a good situation now and I would like to see Nelson make a similar move.

[El Hombre]

25 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Didn't see the final match of the season, a 3-1 loss to DC, but I did notice that Nelson remained on the bench.

Does anyone else's disappointment for this go beyond the typical "play Canadians always" mindset? Because for me it does.

Admittedly I haven't been watching as closely this season (can you blame me?), but based on what I have seen from this young man, both past and present, he deserved more of a run in the team, especially with them already eliminated.

I see they invested in Rutty, good. They gave Okello a run, good. They never seemed to fully commit to that with Jayden for whatever reason.

Did he have a knock or is simply not up to snuff? What do you guys think? For me there's a diamond waiting to be cut into a gem. 

What do we think his prospects are like heading to next season? At this rate I wouldn't be opposed to a loan. I don't want to see him with TFC 2 (again) and I don't get the sense Toronto are committed to him in the way they are to Rutty.

When the final whistle blew, Deleon, Dwyer and Mullins were all on the pitch (to be fair, Mullins was a sub so that Morrow could do a victory lap right before the whistle).  Kinda gives an idea of where the priorities were for the final game in a lost season.

Unless there is a sea change at TFC, I don't have high hopes for Nelson.  I doubt he will see more than he saw this season.  To further compound that, I think there is a good chance that management tries to patch the wrong holes on the ship: the best way to get a fanbase back on board is to get flashy attacking talent which would push Nelson further down the depth chart.

I would love to see him as a semi-regular 75'-80' minute substitute.  Not sure if that will happen though.

[rkomar]

Nelson is still a boy among men, at least in the physicality department.  He will change, and so will his situation.  I'm not going to judge him or the team harshly based on his current usage.  In fact, I think he's been lucky to get as much playing time as he has.