Theo Corbeanu

[InglewoodJack]

54 minutes ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

 

Being owned by a Premier League team sounds good but if you are playing in the Championship (or lower even) and have Premiership quality, teams know and snap you up.  Bale, Lescott, Antonio, Bowen, Cresswell, Stones, Madison to name a few I know of. 

 

My opinion of him is based on watching him a little and listening to his games more. I used to watch his Wolves Reserves game at lunch all the time.  He is a flashy player so fans will always love him, especially when they are lacking goals. And his stats are good a lot of the time because they can't capture defensive work.  But he isn't trusted in a lot of key situations. I don't want to run him down because I have been a fan for a few years but he is not there yet for me. He has tons of potential, though I think he might be better served by being a striker and not being expecting to track back at all.  

I think ultimately, the argument is splitting hairs- my ideal path for Theo based on where he's at now is another full season in the championship, and then he makes Wolves the year after (his age 22 season I think? crazy- that's a year less than jonathan david when he'll finally move, hopefully). If Wolves gets relegated, I think that timeline gets longer- Wolves prioritize players who can get them back up to the prem, so vets, maybe Corbeanu is streaky, gets lost in the shuffle, they eventually let him go, and he finally makes a prem roster at age 25 instead. still sets him up to be one of our most important players for the 2026 cycle.

 

I've watched a lot of Blackpool this year, I've probably watched more of his games than any of our European players aside from JD. Your assessment is correct, he has elite talent, but his game has big holes in it, and he needs a lot more development before he makes a jump. I've long thought he belongs as a striker- I mean, that finishing ability, that creativity, and not to mention, he's 6'3- that's a full 4 inches taller than Jonathan David- I don't think his size is talked about enough. Looking at the prem goal scoring leaders, you see Haaland at 6'5, Kane and Mitrovic at 6'2 (Darwin Nunez started slow, but he's also 6'2), then there's a big drop with Toney, James Maddison, Trossard, Jesus, Foden, etc., all at around 5'9 - 5'10.  When you combine Theo's size and his skill, and you look at the profile of striker that finds a lot of success in the premier league, it's hard not to get hyperbolic.

[CanadaFan123]

3 hours ago, SpursFlu said:

Upside.. those guys are more complete at this stage. They xan improve but I think Theo has the skillset to really advance his career from where he is right now

He's a very dynamic player and physically very gifted. He just needs to put it all together 

I’d say potential wise his is slightly higher than David. Mainly because of his athleticism. You add in his technique and dribbling ability he’s an absolute dream combination. 
 

He could be like an Arnautovic ... or he can be Brek Shea. 

[InglewoodJack]

4 hours ago, SpursFlu said:

Upside.. those guys are more complete at this stage. They xan improve but I think Theo has the skillset to really advance his career from where he is right now

He's a very dynamic player and physically very gifted. He just needs to put it all together 

If he has more upside than Davies, what is his potential? Neymar? Beyond AD, we’re talking about a guy who should be a regular on the best XI lists year in year out. 
 

But I do think people understate his skills, his size, and his age. Kone is probably our most hyped young player right now, and people expect him to join the same league Theo is currently playing it, a year older, and that’s considered a huge move (it is). I think people don’t realize how good he is and how much more time he has to take a step up, or several.

Edited October 24, 2022 by InglewoodJack

[Shway]

4 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

If he has more upside than Davies, what is his potential? Neymar? Beyond AD, we’re talking about a guy who should be a regular on the best XI lists year in year out. 
 

But I do think people understate his skills, his size, and his age. Kone is probably our most hyped young player right now, and people expect him to join the same league Theo is currently playing it, a year older, and that’s considered a huge move (it is). I think people don’t realize how good he is and how much more time he has to take a step up, or several.

I do…I’ve been saying a lot of these things.

His gold cup appearance, and what he was fearlessly doing in the game against Mexico was my eye opener.

Reason why I’ve been clamouring for him to be given more minutes. Reality is we have a lot young guys, outside of the core-core we need to integrate guys like him more.

[SpursFlu]

1 hour ago, InglewoodJack said:

If he has more upside than Davies, what is his potential? Neymar? Beyond AD, we’re talking about a guy who should be a regular on the best XI lists year in year out. 
 

But I do think people understate his skills, his size, and his age. Kone is probably our most hyped young player right now, and people expect him to join the same league Theo is currently playing it, a year older, and that’s considered a huge move (it is). I think people don’t realize how good he is and how much more time he has to take a step up, or several.

I guess I'm being misunderstood or we all have a different perception of up side. I'm saying at this moment Theo Corbeanu has more potential to get measurably better than the current version of himself than Alphonso Davies has to get " " " than the current version of himself. I don't think Theo Corbeanu will end up better than Davies or David. I think he has the potential to be in around the level of just say Junior Hoilett, Scott Arfield or Stephen Eustaquio at their peak. So pretty damn good. Hopefully that clarifies what I'm saying 

Edited October 25, 2022 by SpursFlu

[frmr]

2 hours ago, CanadaFan123 said:

I’d say potential wise his is slightly higher than David. Mainly because of his athleticism. You add in his technique and dribbling ability he’s an absolute dream combination. 
 

He could be like an Arnautovic ... or he can be Brek Shea. 

Higher potential than David?

Considering David has the potential be a world class striker (and is almost there already) I’d say that’s a bit optimistic. I hope you’re right, but I’d be happy if he turns into a mid-table Premier League winger.

[Bertuzzi44]

Theo is 20 and Davies is 21. When Davies was 20 (ie, last year), he was already a Champions league winner and way ahead of where Theo is now.

Saying Theo has more potential than Phonzie is a stretch in my opinion.

[CanadaFan123]

9 hours ago, frmr said:

Higher potential than David?

Considering David has the potential be a world class striker (and is almost there already) I’d say that’s a bit optimistic. I hope you’re right, but I’d be happy if he turns into a mid-table Premier League winger.

Potential is a tricky thing.
 

David has a higher chance of reaching his potential, which as you state is a world class striker. Corbeanu in all likelihood will not reach a higher level than David but his potential is higher because he has god given attributes that few footballers possess. So if everything fell into place/came together for him his potential might be closer to a player I’ll refrain from naming but has been mentioned before when Corbeanu comparisons have been brought up. 

I’m sure I’ll still get some people not grasping this concept and that’s okay. 
 

Bottom line is if you’re a betting man, David has the higher “likely potential”. But you can’t ignore Corbeanu’s chance to absolutely explode if it comes together.

[Mattd97]

Mr griffin you can have the boat,  OR, you can have this mystery box!

Mystery box! A boat would be nice, but the mystery box can be anything, EVEN A BOAT! 

[dyslexic nam]

I think this is really a debate about semantics.   

One side is saying that David and Davies likely have higher ceilings (probably true).  

The other side is saying that Theo probably has more untapped potential - as in possible future growth (also quite possibly true).  

I don’t actually think you are disagreeing.  I think you just have a definitional problem.  
 

Sincerely,

a former philosophy major   

 

 

 

Edited October 25, 2022 by dyslexic nam

[InglewoodJack]

12 hours ago, SpursFlu said:

I guess I'm being misunderstood or we all have a different perception of up side. I'm saying at this moment Theo Corbeanu has more potential to get measurably better than the current version of himself than Alphonso Davies has to get " " " than the current version of himself. I don't think Theo Corbeanu will end up better than Davies or David. I think he has the potential to be in around the level of just say Junior Hoilett, Scott Arfield or Stephen Eustaquio at their peak. So pretty damn good. Hopefully that clarifies what I'm saying

This I understand, but I think I disagree. As established as he is, AD is only 18 months older than Corbeanu (we forget how young AD actually is). If he can develop into the type of player he is with Canada for Bayern, I think you're looking at one of the best players of his generation, and a guy who will go down as one of Bayern's all time greats. He's so young he hasn't even been played in his real position yet, so I think he has another leap to take. I can see your point in that whatever growth is left for AD, Corbeanu can go from a good Championship level player to a good Premier league player which you can argue is a bigger jump. Outside of Davies though, fully agree that he has the most untapped potential out of any player we have.

 

13 hours ago, Shway said:

I do…I’ve been saying a lot of these things.

His gold cup appearance, and what he was fearlessly doing in the game against Mexico was my eye opener.

Reason why I’ve been clamouring for him to be given more minutes. Reality is we have a lot young guys, outside of the core-core we need to integrate guys like him more.

You think he's Best XI calibre player?

 

I want to see him play more, I think it's "a shame" his ascension mirrored Canada's rise, so fewer opportunities to give a new player some minutes, but I think he's probably the most important player to integrate into our national team in 2023. Good thing with Corbeanu is he's tied to us, is going to hit his prime in time for the 26 WC, and I think especially with all of our dual national misses as of late, there will come a time where Herdman is effectively forced to play him, like what we're currently seeing with Kone.

[TGAA_Star]

18 hours ago, InglewoodJack said:

I think ultimately, the argument is splitting hairs- my ideal path for Theo based on where he's at now is another full season in the championship, and then he makes Wolves the year after (his age 22 season I think? crazy- that's a year less than jonathan david when he'll finally move, hopefully). If Wolves gets relegated, I think that timeline gets longer- Wolves prioritize players who can get them back up to the prem, so vets, maybe Corbeanu is streaky, gets lost in the shuffle, they eventually let him go, and he finally makes a prem roster at age 25 instead. still sets him up to be one of our most important players for the 2026 cycle.

 

I've watched a lot of Blackpool this year, I've probably watched more of his games than any of our European players aside from JD. Your assessment is correct, he has elite talent, but his game has big holes in it, and he needs a lot more development before he makes a jump. I've long thought he belongs as a striker- I mean, that finishing ability, that creativity, and not to mention, he's 6'3- that's a full 4 inches taller than Jonathan David- I don't think his size is talked about enough. Looking at the prem goal scoring leaders, you see Haaland at 6'5, Kane and Mitrovic at 6'2 (Darwin Nunez started slow, but he's also 6'2), then there's a big drop with Toney, James Maddison, Trossard, Jesus, Foden, etc., all at around 5'9 - 5'10.  When you combine Theo's size and his skill, and you look at the profile of striker that finds a lot of success in the premier league, it's hard not to get hyperbolic.

2026 yeah for Theo may be his best chance

[SpursFlu]

1 hour ago, InglewoodJack said:

This I understand, but I think I disagree. As established as he is, AD is only 18 months older than Corbeanu (we forget how young AD actually is). If he can develop into the type of player he is with Canada for Bayern, I think you're looking at one of the best players of his generation, and a guy who will go down as one of Bayern's all time greats. He's so young he hasn't even been played in his real position yet, so I think he has another leap to take. I can see your point in that whatever growth is left for AD, Corbeanu can go from a good Championship level player to a good Premier league player which you can argue is a bigger jump. Outside of Davies though, fully agree that he has the most untapped potential out of any player we have.

 

You think he's Best XI calibre player?

 

I want to see him play more, I think it's "a shame" his ascension mirrored Canada's rise, so fewer opportunities to give a new player some minutes, but I think he's probably the most important player to integrate into our national team in 2023. Good thing with Corbeanu is he's tied to us, is going to hit his prime in time for the 26 WC, and I think especially with all of our dual national misses as of late, there will come a time where Herdman is effectively forced to play him, like what we're currently seeing with Kone.

I have a general rule... I think by the age of 23 for the most part you have a complete player

Of course players can get better.. I think CB and keepers are a bit different as well. But the giant leaps and bounds of improvement happen before a player hits 23. I'm sure you can pick apart that theory with what about this what about that but it's just a general rule.

I think Kone and Corbeanu are going to Qatar because they're the best of that next generation after Davies, David, Millar, Tajon. Kone and Corbeanu are at that age and in an environment where they are literally getting better by the day

Edited October 25, 2022 by SpursFlu

[InglewoodJack]

21 minutes ago, SpursFlu said:

I have a general rule... I think by the age of 23 for the most part you have a complete player

Of course players can get better.. I think CB and keepers are a bit different as well. But the giant leeps and bounds of improvement happen before a player hits 23. I'm sure you can pick apart that theory with what about this what about that but it's just a general rule.

I think Kone and Corbeanu are going to Qatar because they're the best of that next generation after Davies, David, Millar, Tajon. Kone and Corbeanu are at that age and in an environment where they are literally getting better by the day

You're probably right that that's around the age that players stop developing by leaps and bounds, but Davies is still 21, doesn't play his true position, so as good as he is, I think he gets better.

I think Kone and Corbeanu are going to Qatar because Kone is already one of our best mids and Corbeanu is scoring goals at the highest league of any of our players minus Jonathan David. But when 2026 rolls around, Corbeanu should be as important to us as David is now ie he's gonna be one of the 2 or 3 guys we have that we depend on to score goals. By 2032, he's going to be top 5 all time in Canada goals, I'm pretty sure of that.

Edited October 25, 2022 by InglewoodJack

[SpursFlu]

16 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

You're probably right that that's around the age that players stop developing by leaps and bounds, but Davies is still 21, doesn't play his true position, so as good as he is, I think he gets better.

I think Kone and Corbeanu are going to Qatar because Kone is already one of our best mids and Corbeanu is scoring goals at the highest league of any of our players minus Jonathan David. But when 2026 rolls around, Corbeanu should be as important to us as David is now ie he's gonna be one of the 2 or 3 guys we have that we depend on to score goals. By 2032, he's going to be top 5 all time in Canada goals, I'm pretty sure of that.

Yah but honestly 2026 is way too far for me. I'm thinking about Qatar and Gold Cup. I think a guy like Corbeanu is getting better by the minute. I think he's in the 26 and if he gets on the field could be a revelation. But unless he lights up the training ground or against Japan, he's got too many players to leap frog. David, Davies, Millar, Tajon, Hoilett... We'll see

Edited October 25, 2022 by SpursFlu

[Shway]

1 hour ago, SpursFlu said:

Yah but honestly 2026 is way too far for me. I'm thinking about Qatar and Gold Cup. I think a guy like Corbeanu is getting better by the minute. I think he's in the 26 and if he gets on the field could be a revelation. But unless he lights up the training ground or against Japan, he's got too many players to leap frog. David, Davies, Millar, Tajon, Hoilett... We'll see

The real "impossible" tough leap frogs are Davies, David, Tajon, and Hoilett....Millar I think is at the airport but his flight could be cancelled. And recent friendlies may have indicated something to strengthen that he could be battling with Corbeanu for that ticket. 

I would love to see by the Nations league or Gold Cup some new faces, but the reality is we could see this be the send off for guys like Atiba, Borjan, and Vitoria as their final swan song.

[SpursFlu]

I'm more talking about the 18. I think Corbeanu is a shoe in for the 26. Millar or Corbeanu to make the bench is a question with Millar getting an edge at the moment. Maybe add Ugbo in there also?

The big decisions will be who's dressing for game day. All thru the roster 

I'm pretty sure Hoilett retires from national team after the world cup

Edited October 25, 2022 by SpursFlu

[DeRo_Is_King]

Just thought I'd share this new highlights video I came across. It really showcases his pace, dribbling ability and strength. Like I've said in the past, between his size and capacity on the ball, this guy is not your average 20-year-old professional trying to make it as an EPL player. He's already there in many ways. And Blackpool still has a lot of games to go until the World Cup, so he should be fully fit:

Edited October 29, 2022 by DeRo_Is_King

[An Observer]

2 hours ago, DeRo_Is_King said:

Just thought I'd share this new highlights video I came across. It really showcases his pace, dribbling ability and strength. Like I've said in the past, between his size and capacity on the ball, this guy is not your average 20-year-old professional trying to make it as an EPL player. He's already there in many ways. And Blackpool still has a lot of games to go until the World Cup, so he should be fully fit:

A lot of great dribbles, not one decent pass

[DeRo_Is_King]

1 hour ago, An Observer said:

A lot of great dribbles, not one decent pass

He made a couple of decent crosses - one that led to a goal and another that ended with a header off the bar. Also, he had a nice cutback in the box. I think his dribbles are so good, people overlook his passes. 

[king1010]

He stayed on the bench today in a 2-1 win. No subs were made by blackpool. Interesting. 

[Floortom]

Didn’t make it onto the pitch again today.

Second match in a row where he’s stayed on the bench - both wins for blackpool

Edited October 29, 2022 by Floortom

[king1010]

13 minutes ago, Floortom said:

Didn’t make it onto the pitch again today.

Second match in a row where he’s stayed on the bench - both wins for blackpool

Bad timing for him. Just as brym and Wotherspoon start looking up. 

[Ottawafan]

1 hour ago, An Observer said:

A lot of great dribbles, not one decent pass

Noticed that too.  Holds onto it for one or two extra touches when he should be looking to move it.  That will come in time.

[Obinna]

1 hour ago, Ottawafan said:

Noticed that too.  Holds onto it for one or two extra touches when he should be looking to move it.  That will come in time.

And to add to that, I can actually see the improvement (despite having a ways to go still).