[noodlehair]

I completely disagree. He should play ahead of them

He doesn't even play in the same position as either, and Mctominay is only playing himself if we hve injury problems.

The weird hatred of Eriksen on here is up there with the dumbest episodes in caf history as well.

 

[noodlehair]

What a dramatic comment

How is it dramatic exactly?

 

[Remember the geese]

How is it dramatic exactly?

Because you're getting into a huff with the forum because people would much rather see him play over McTominay. Perish the thought.

 

[noodlehair]

Wanting an academy player to graduate to the first team and then the first XI is the most United thing ever. What's your problem?

I don't have a problem and I really like Hannibal as a player, but;

a) he doesn't play in the same role as Eriksen or Mctominay
b) Eriksen most definitely is (currently) a much better and more experienced player. Mctominay is more experienced.

I think he'll get more chances and rightly so, but every time an academy player comes into the team and doesn't immediately flop this place acts like they're suddenly oir best player. Then a year later you're all slagging them off for not living up to your own insane expectations

 

[Strelok]

Wanting an academy player to graduate to the first team and then the first XI is the most United thing ever. What's your problem?

Probably having hair in his noodle.

 

[noodlehair]

Because you're getting into a huff with the forum because people would much rather see him play over McTominay. Perish the thought.

It's not a huff I'm just pointing out what should be obvious. Mctominay isn't a no 10 and Hannibal certainly isn't equipped (at least not yet) to be a defensive midfielder in the premier league.

He's not going to get picked over a more experienced player who's position he doesn't play in.

 

[Remember the geese]

It's not a huff I'm just pointing out what should be obvious. Mctominay isn't a no 10 and Hannibal certainly isn't equipped (at least not yet) to be a defensive midfielder in the premier league.

He's not going to get picked over a more experienced player who's position he doesn't play in.

Hannibal is an 8. He gets through just as much work as McTominay (tbh he gets through a lot more), whilst being technically more proficient.

 

[jeepers]

I don't have a problem and I really like Hannibal as a player, but;

a) he doesn't play in the same role as Eriksen or Mctominay
b) Eriksen most definitely is (currently) a much better and more experienced player. Mctominay is more experienced.

I think he'll get more chances and rightly so, but every time an academy player comes into the team and doesn't immediately flop this place acts like they're suddenly oir best player. Then a year later you're all slagging them off for not living up to your own insane expectations

Let’s sign all the 35 year old players then! We could bring in that 50 year old Japanese player too. Scrap all the youth facilities too!

 

[Anustart89]

I don't have a problem and I really like Hannibal as a player, but;

a) he doesn't play in the same role as Eriksen or Mctominay
b) Eriksen most definitely is (currently) a much better and more experienced player. Mctominay is more experienced.

I think he'll get more chances and rightly so, but every time an academy player comes into the team and doesn't immediately flop this place acts like they're suddenly oir best player. Then a year later you're all slagging them off for not living up to your own insane expectations

While at the same time saying that we shouldn't sell him for anything less than £50m if an offer comes in.

 

[Bastian]

I agree that if you haven't watched any of a player's development, it's a bit rich to see three senior games and then declare definitively what they can and cannot do.

That said, there's also validity to pointing out that many players never really manage to reproduce the kind of football they were known for as kids once they get into senior football.

From Hannibal's perspective, I'd say Andreas Pereira is a really good cautionary tale here. We brought him in as a highly-rated 15/16 year old with lots of big European clubs sniffing around. He was known for his ball control, his vision, his raking diagonal passes, his ability to carry the ball in tight spaces, his dead ball delivery and his shooting from range. A real rolls royce player. He could also really tackle which at the time was always noted with surprise from flair creative players. His weakness was his lack of urgency and work-rate - he would sometimes drift in and out of games where he was evidently the most gifted player on the pitch and should have been dictating.

In the first team, having trawled his way through two years of non-very-successful La Liga loans, his work rate and application were much improved, and that knack for a tackle was still there. But he couldn't establish himself in games with the confidence to produce all the stuff he was known for as a kid. Fans who'd never really seen him before appreciated his graft but pointed out that he didn't seem to offer anything else; they wanted players with technical quality and creativity. Those who had watched him from the start through U18s and U21s grumbled, knowing that was meant to be his whole deal.

If you watch him for Fulham now, he's starting to settle and become the type of player he was as a youth again. Creativity, vision, long passing, crossing and free-kicks. But he never managed to show it at United.

Hannibal should be wary of this. He's produced the things Ten Hag wants first and foremost - work rate, positional discipline, fitting into the system. But he should quickly look to build on that and reproduce what the reserves-watchers know he has in his locker: progressive ball-carrying, aggressive passing, goals and assists. It doesn't take long to accidentally slip into a pattern of hard-working mediocrity.

Great post - especially regarding Pereira. I'd say there are two very different factors going for Mejbri. One being his character is pretty different and he's got tons of belief in himself which comes across in every single interview (plus he's humble) having already chosen to play for Tunisia and having quite a few caps now. And he's got a very competent manager who has a progressive style of play.

If he keeps getting chances I think it's only a matter of time before he starts expressing himself (he did twice last match, a back heel and an outside of the boot pass).

 

[CM]

It's not a huff I'm just pointing out what should be obvious. Mctominay isn't a no 10 and Hannibal certainly isn't equipped (at least not yet) to be a defensive midfielder in the premier league.

He's not going to get picked over a more experienced player who's position he doesn't play in.

You can make the exact same argument for Eriksen and McTominay, to be fair. Neither of those players excel in that role.

I do get what you're saying. It won't be plain sailing for a young player like Hannibal so people should be careful about getting too excited, but equally, he's shown more energy and enthusiasm off the ball than either of Eriksen or McTominay ever have for us. He's also a lot better than McTominay on it. It's not difficult to see why people would like to see him receive more first team opportunities.

 

[DWelbz19]

I agree that if you haven't watched any of a player's development, it's a bit rich to see three senior games and then declare definitively what they can and cannot do.

That said, there's also validity to pointing out that many players never really manage to reproduce the kind of football they were known for as kids once they get into senior football.

From Hannibal's perspective, I'd say Andreas Pereira is a really good cautionary tale here. We brought him in as a highly-rated 15/16 year old with lots of big European clubs sniffing around. He was known for his ball control, his vision, his raking diagonal passes, his ability to carry the ball in tight spaces, his dead ball delivery and his shooting from range. A real rolls royce player. He could also really tackle which at the time was always noted with surprise from flair creative players. His weakness was his lack of urgency and work-rate - he would sometimes drift in and out of games where he was evidently the most gifted player on the pitch and should have been dictating.

In the first team, having trawled his way through two years of non-very-successful La Liga loans, his work rate and application were much improved, and that knack for a tackle was still there. But he couldn't establish himself in games with the confidence to produce all the stuff he was known for as a kid. Fans who'd never really seen him before appreciated his graft but pointed out that he didn't seem to offer anything else; they wanted players with technical quality and creativity. Those who had watched him from the start through U18s and U21s grumbled, knowing that was meant to be his whole deal.

If you watch him for Fulham now, he's starting to settle and become the type of player he was as a youth again. Creativity, vision, long passing, crossing and free-kicks. But he never managed to show it at United.

Hannibal should be wary of this. He's produced the things Ten Hag wants first and foremost - work rate, positional discipline, fitting into the system. But he should quickly look to build on that and reproduce what the reserves-watchers know he has in his locker: progressive ball-carrying, aggressive passing, goals and assists. It doesn't take long to accidentally slip into a pattern of hard-working mediocrity.

I agree. Concurrently — Pereira’s tale should illustrate to Mejbri that should he not make the cut here it’s not the be all and end all. Pereira is an established PL level player now, and that’s nothing to sniff at.

 

[noodlehair]

Hannibal is an 8. He gets through just as much work as McTominay (tbh he gets through a lot more), whilst being technically more proficient.

He gets through more work than most players, that doesn't mean you can stick him in a 2 man midfield in the premier league when he's 20 years old and has no previous experience playing that position for us. He's played what 10 games there? For a struggling championship side.

Juat calm down and accept he will need time before he can hold down a role like that.

Let’s sign all the 35 year old players then! We could bring in that 50 year old Japanese player too. Scrap all the youth facilities too!

and apparently I'm the one being dramatic.

You can make the exact same argument for Eriksen and McTominay, to be fair. Neither of those players excel in that role.

I do get what you're saying. It won't be plain sailing for a young player like Hannibal so people should be careful about getting too excited, but equally, he's shown more energy and enthusiasm off the ball than either of Eriksen or McTominay ever have for us. He's also a lot better than McTominay on it. It's not difficult to see why people would like to see him receive more first team opportunities.

You can't though. Well Mctominay you can because he just isn't that good, but Eriksen did very much excell in that role for most of last season. He is also extremely composed in possession and often plays key passes that lead to chances being created. I don't know why we're rewriting history with Eriksen or why people are so weirdly determined to pretend he's rubbish.

It's a constant thing on this forum where people will big up young players or new signings to utterly ridiculous levels based on 1 or 2 games where they do ok, yet at the same time constantly slag off or belittled other players who perform to the same or a higher level nearly every week.

It's not just about energy off the ball. It's about positioning and reading the game and making a decisive difference. Young players regardless of talent level are generally less good at these things that more experienced or developed ones. That clip of him and Garnacho sprinting back is a prime example. Yeah it's working hard but what good does it do the team if the opposition score while 2 of our players are behind the play?

I do think he has a chance because any player who works as hard as him and has a bit of talent to go with it,is going to get themselves somewhere. I just think there's a fairly big gap between that and suddenly being first choice after a game against Burnley in which we weren't even the better team.

 

[MadDogg]

He doesn't even play in the same position as either, and Mctominay is only playing himself if we hve injury problems.

The weird hatred of Eriksen on here is up there with the dumbest episodes in caf history as well.

He obviously won't play ahead of Scott when it comes to covering for Casemiro. But Scott hasn't played that position yet this season either.

It appears ETH wants to play with one DM and two more attacking 8's, in which case Hannibal and Scott are competing for the 8's. I'd be very disappointed if ETH plays Scott there ahead of Hannibal, and going forward if we do play the diamond again I would hope Hannibal would be chosen for that as well. If we end up going back to 4231 I hope Hannibal would be ahead of Scott for the role next to Casemiro as well, as long-term that's where I tend to think he'll be best.

Nobody hates Eriksen, but it is looking increasingly likely that he is physically finished. He's struggled massively ever since his injury last season, with his inability to play with any physical intensity (especially next to Casemiro who also seems to have physically declined) being a core weakness in the team. And once again, if ETH does want the two more attacking 8's then Hannibal is probably more suited than Eriksen.

 

[sglowrider]

“I think he gives a very good message to the rest of the squad, that this is the demand and this has to be the standard.
“When you are playing that position, [this is] what you have to bring to the team to get success. Especially when you are playing against possession teams, he is a really good fit and can give a good contribution to a good performance and to a result.”

Setting himself well for the contract negotiation. Currently the hardest working player on the lowest salary package at 5k/week.

Sancho should be ashamed of himself.

 

[Carl]

Hannibal is an 8. He gets through just as much work as McTominay (tbh he gets through a lot more), whilst being technically more proficient.

His future is an 8, but he needs to improve on the ball.

 

[Glorio]

I agree that if you haven't watched any of a player's development, it's a bit rich to see three senior games and then declare definitively what they can and cannot do.

That said, there's also validity to pointing out that many players never really manage to reproduce the kind of football they were known for as kids once they get into senior football.

From Hannibal's perspective, I'd say Andreas Pereira is a really good cautionary tale here. We brought him in as a highly-rated 15/16 year old with lots of big European clubs sniffing around. He was known for his ball control, his vision, his raking diagonal passes, his ability to carry the ball in tight spaces, his dead ball delivery and his shooting from range. A real rolls royce player. He could also really tackle which at the time was always noted with surprise from flair creative players. His weakness was his lack of urgency and work-rate - he would sometimes drift in and out of games where he was evidently the most gifted player on the pitch and should have been dictating.

In the first team, having trawled his way through two years of non-very-successful La Liga loans, his work rate and application were much improved, and that knack for a tackle was still there. But he couldn't establish himself in games with the confidence to produce all the stuff he was known for as a kid. Fans who'd never really seen him before appreciated his graft but pointed out that he didn't seem to offer anything else; they wanted players with technical quality and creativity. Those who had watched him from the start through U18s and U21s grumbled, knowing that was meant to be his whole deal.

If you watch him for Fulham now, he's starting to settle and become the type of player he was as a youth again. Creativity, vision, long passing, crossing and free-kicks. But he never managed to show it at United.

Hannibal should be wary of this. He's produced the things Ten Hag wants first and foremost - work rate, positional discipline, fitting into the system. But he should quickly look to build on that and reproduce what the reserves-watchers know he has in his locker: progressive ball-carrying, aggressive passing, goals and assists. It doesn't take long to accidentally slip into a pattern of hard-working mediocrity.

Fully agree. Weirdly it's crossed my mind. Also a slightly different thing seemed to have happened with Park (I think).
I say "I think" because I'd only watched Park a handful of times before he joined us, so I'm guilty of what I'm accusing others of (forming opinions from a limited dataset).

But from what I saw, he was a dazzling attacking player from the flanks, and when he joined and started showing extreme workrate, I thought, Ok, when he settles, he'll show what he's about on the ball, incidentally, we never really saw that flair that made him stand out (to me at least) after he joined us.

I hope with Hannibal though, the dribbling and passing are such fundamental parts of his game, that they have to eventually come to the fore.

 

[Glorio]

He doesn't even play in the same position as either, and Mctominay is only playing himself if we hve injury problems.

The weird hatred of Eriksen on here is up there with the dumbest episodes in caf history as well.

People don't hate Eriksen. They just recognise what he can't give us, which is any sort of energy off the ball, which we desperately need. Alongside Casemiro in the middle of the park, that's a problem against any team bold enough to pick up the ball and drive through the middle of the park. Eriksen is a genius on the ball but is really poor, almost to detrimental levels off it.

 

[Remember the geese]

He gets through more work than most players, that doesn't mean you can stick him in a 2 man midfield in the premier league when he's 20 years old and has no previous experience playing that position for us. He's played what 10 games there? For a struggling championship side.

Juat calm down and accept he will need time before he can hold down a role like that.

It's a 3 man midfield. McTominay has no business playing for us, unless both Casemiro and Amrabat are unavailable. Even then he would probably have Mainoo to contend with, who is a far bigger talent than him.

 

[sglowrider]

He arrived at St. Andrew's as a teenager and returned to Old Trafford as a man.


Interview with Birmingham's assistant manager Matt Gardiner

 

[Ted Lasso]

I don't have a problem and I really like Hannibal as a player, but;

a) he doesn't play in the same role as Eriksen or Mctominay
b) Eriksen most definitely is (currently) a much better and more experienced player. Mctominay is more experienced.

I think he'll get more chances and rightly so, but every time an academy player comes into the team and doesn't immediately flop this place acts like they're suddenly oir best player. Then a year later you're all slagging them off for not living up to your own insane expectations

We don't have enough to get excited about these days, when we're starting a season off almost ten points behind league leaders by week 7. I see your view as realistic and analytical. Most of the Hannibal talk is just hype and wishful hyperbole that's for me, adding a bit more hope

 

[OverratedOpinion]

Have to feel a little sorry for the lad, starts to make a claim for himself just as Amrabat and Mount return to fitness. Bad timing

 

[IrishRedDevil]

Have to feel a little sorry for the lad, starts to make a claim for himself just as Amrabat and Mount return to fitness. Bad timing

He will get to come on around 60 mins for Mount. Plenty for a 20 year old.

 

[AltiUn]

Have to feel a little sorry for the lad, starts to make a claim for himself just as Amrabat and Mount return to fitness. Bad timing

The Bruno, Mount, Casemiro midfield will never work so it won't be long until we see him again.

 

[The_Midfielder]

The Bruno, Mount, Casemiro midfield will never work so it won't be long until we see him again.

Him , Ambrabat and Casemiro would be the meanest midfield in the PL

 

[AltiUn]

Him , Ambrabat and Casemiro would be the meanest midfield in the PL

Might see it at some point if we ever have a fit LB.

 

[Borys]

Totally agree mate. Still can't get my head around posters questioning his talent or saying they can't see it. Just watch a few seconds of the vid. I think he's an elite talent.

Elite talent? We can argue about that, but wasn't he expected to leave in the summer? Also it seemed both Mainoo and Gore were rated higher than Hannibal by ETH. IMO we just needed a running body so Hannibal is the man to do the job, but I am not convinced about Hannibal yet that he has much of a future with United all things considered. I also don't think he did much last game so not surprised he's dropped today.

 

[MadDogg]

Hopefully Hannibal will be first replacement for Mount or Bruno, and the three of them can effectively interchange over the course of the season.

The Bruno, Mount, Casemiro midfield will never work so it won't be long until we see him again.

Hopefully it'll be quite different with Amrabat playing as an inverted fullback, moving into midfield and giving us extra legs.

 

[AltiUn]

Hopefully it'll be quite different with Amrabat playing as an inverted fullback, moving into midfield and giving us extra legs.

Fingers crossed, would hopefully compensate for how attacking Mount and Fernandes are going to want to be.

 

[Lee565]

If he can at the very least get to herrera levels then I would be more than pleased

 

[mav_9me]

He's not going to be playing ahead of Eriksen and probably not Mctominay either.

Feck me this forum sometimes.

Why not?

 

[mav_9me]

I'd much rather Mejbri and Bruno/Mount to the right.

Let's see how the Casemiro/Mount/Bruno midfield does today. I am predicting a struggle. Let's see.

 

[Ekeke]

Why not?

Mount was his choice of all the attacking midfielders that were available this season. He wanted him over Maddison Mctom we rejected £30 million. So yeah its going to take quite some time for him to accept they arent the better choices most likely

 

[mav_9me]

Mount was his choice of all the attacking midfielders that were available this season. He wanted him over Maddison Mctom we rejected £30 million. So yeah its going to take quite some time for him to accept they arent the better choices most likely

Huh? We are not talking about Mount though?

 

[izec]

Should have started instead of Pellistri. Move Bruno to the right, Mount AM and him with Casemiro in midfield.

 

[Pexbo]

Should have started instead of Pellistri. Move Bruno to the right, Mount AM and him with Casemiro in midfield.

Mount to the right Bruno AM but agreed otherwise. I’m glad at least one of them is starting though as I think both Mejbri and Pellestri have earned their chances.

 

[DWelbz19]

Timing is unfortunate for Mejbri. He has a good sub cameo and a good PL debut around the same time that Mason Mount starts to return to the squad. Very hard to see Mount, Fernandes, and Mejbri in the same side.

As expected, don’t think we’ll see much more of him for a while. I think even more disheartening was van de Beek (and Eriksen) coming on over him.

 

[Based Adnan]

Manager lacks the bottle to put him ahead of Eriksen and VDB in the pecking order despite performing well

 

[luke511]

What an insult to the hard work he's put in. It's just a complete contradiction from Ten Hag.

 

[CM]

You can't though. Well Mctominay you can because he just isn't that good, but Eriksen did very much excell in that role for most of last season. He is also extremely composed in possession and often plays key passes that lead to chances being created. I don't know why we're rewriting history with Eriksen or why people are so weirdly determined to pretend he's rubbish.

It's a constant thing on this forum where people will big up young players or new signings to utterly ridiculous levels based on 1 or 2 games where they do ok, yet at the same time constantly slag off or belittled other players who perform to the same or a higher level nearly every week.

It's not just about energy off the ball. It's about positioning and reading the game and making a decisive difference. Young players regardless of talent level are generally less good at these things that more experienced or developed ones. That clip of him and Garnacho sprinting back is a prime example. Yeah it's working hard but what good does it do the team if the opposition score while 2 of our players are behind the play?

I do think he has a chance because any player who works as hard as him and has a bit of talent to go with it,is going to get themselves somewhere. I just think there's a fairly big gap between that and suddenly being first choice after a game against Burnley in which we weren't even the better team.

Eriksen started well but his influence certainly waned over the second part of last season. It's not surprising or even his fault because he just isn't a deep sitting midfielder, he was doing a job there because we didn't have anyone better to play that position for us. Eriksen's capable of creating chances but there are many other aspects of his game where he isn't good enough to start for us. We've lost many a midfield battle with Eriksen in there owing to his inability to retain the ball under pressure, track back or defend well. That isn't revisionism.

Positioning and reading of the game do come with time and experience but as I've already mentioned, McTominay doesn't have it and Eriksen doesn't have it in a defensive sense so they aren't traits we're losing by taking them out of the team.

The thing with hyping young players is inevitable to some degree. The same happens with new signings. There's a period of good grace where they largely escape criticism while another player could get hammered for the same performance.