[Bertie Wooster]

I'm a big fan of Hannibal and would love to see him establish himself in our first team squad.

But I was a little disheartened by the stats Mr Mujac provided on the youth thread that showed how few players who go out on lengthy loans have ever then gone on to establish themselves with us. It's mostly those who stay at the club and progess to the first team squad at a younger age. So history is working against the likes of Hannibal, Amad, Laird... (though circumstances are currently allowing Pellistri his opportunity).

Hannibal is young in terms of inexperience of senior games before the loan. But on the other hand he is 20, and with 20 international caps, so if he's to come back and make it here I'd have hoped he'd have really shone at championship level and shown himself too good for it. The first half of the season was promising in that regard, without actually reaching those heights, but I was hoping he'd kick on in the 2nd half - instead he's been in and out of the team and the loan seems to be regressing.

There's still a couple of months left, so hopefully he'll have a strong finish. And ETH puts a lot of stock in training so he really needs to try and impress on the Summer Tour with his attitude and in any playing time he gets.

 

[jesperjaap]

Think people are reading far too much into stats about players on long loans not making it....yes players keep getting loaned out over time are being so as wont make it, he is in his first loan, also not playin eery game doesnt mean anything. Pellestri barely played on a seasons loan at a struggling team and has done well in his appearances so far for us.

Of course not every yougnsters going to make it here but Mainoo, Hannibal and Garnacho all look very talented, I think they all have the talent and a chance to make it here. Very few dead certs to make it as we have seen at times and sometimes its surprising players break through like McTominay.

Without a doubt I think we need to sign a central midfielder next season, still think Casermeiro, Signing and Fernandes is what we need with Eriksen and Fred the other options. Personally never wanted VDB and though I think he is decent I dont want Sabitzer either not McTominay. I think Mainoo is a decent option as a Casemeiro back up and Hannibal also should have opportunities next season in both the current Eriksen and Fernandes positions, it is about them takign them...but I dont read too much into the loan situations personally. Amad has been really good on loan but I dont see him breaking past Antony, Sancho or Pellestri on the right who are better options for me...I like him, but I dont see him making it here and he has been the best loanee

 

[Idxomer]

He's having a good game with Tunisia, much more involved than his previous appearances with them where he looked lost.

 

[Adnan]

He's having a good game with Tunisia, much more involved than his previous appearances with them where he looked lost.

Tunisia have had 66% of the possession, hence Hannibal is shining. Birmingham are probably the worst team in the league at retaining possession.

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[Abraxas]

They're not playing a great side though, are they. As much as Birmingham may not be a possession team, I don't think Libya are any sort of team so you would expect it to be comfortable on the ball for Tunisia.

It's hard to get a sense of how he's doing at Birmingham. I guess only their fans that have seen plenty would be able to assess it. Unless there are some detailed reports out there. It's a lot different compared to Amad where a goal or assist is flying in with regularity. If you're a CM for a mediocre side you need the fine detail of how he's battling, defending, using the ball when he does get it, influencing the side for the better.

 

[Adnan]

Libya aren't a great side but they've given both Egypt and Algeria good games in recent years. They only lost to Algeria by a solitary penalty in their AFCON group stage game in January.

 

[Adnan]

Over 94% pass accuracy where the tweet below Is saying that he should've had 2 or 3 assists if it wasn't for the poor finishing. I'd like to see the highlights.

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[Pat_Mustard]

They're not playing a great side though, are they. As much as Birmingham may not be a possession team, I don't think Libya are any sort of team so you would expect it to be comfortable on the ball for Tunisia.

It's hard to get a sense of how he's doing at Birmingham. I guess only their fans that have seen plenty would be able to assess it. Unless there are some detailed reports out there. It's a lot different compared to Amad where a goal or assist is flying in with regularity. If you're a CM for a mediocre side you need the fine detail of how he's battling, defending, using the ball when he does get it, influencing the side for the better.

We do have a Birmingham supporter on here @carlbcfc . Would be good to get an assessment from him if he's still frequenting the Caf.

 

[Plant0x84]

Over 94% pass accuracy where the tweet below Is saying that he should've had 2 or 3 assists if it wasn't for the poor finishing. I'd like to see the highlights.

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What the heck is a pre-assist?!

 

[Adnan]

What the heck is a pre-assist?!

A pre assist is a pass, just before the pass that creates the goal. A lot of the times a pre assist is the most important pass in the build up phase which opens the game up.

 

[UDontMessWith24]

Those “pre-assists” are an underrated stat for deep playmaker type midfielders. Giggs had quite a few when he played in midfield

 

[MadDogg]

Those “pre-assists” are an underrated stat for deep playmaker type midfielders. Giggs had quite a few when he played in midfield

Scholes was an absolute master of it. So many of our goals were scored by him making great passes to somebody who was in space who then played a relatively easy cross or pass to the goalscorer.

 

[Adnan]

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[AjaxCunian]

Good display, level looks awful.

 

[city-puma]

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Seedorf!

 

[Bertie Wooster]

Love the pass at 1.52

One of my favourite ever players was Guti and he played so many of those lovely through balls like that (except with his left foot). A joy to watch.

 

[Messier1994]

What the heck is a pre-assist?!

Second assist, hockey assist.

Icehockey have for a long time recorded first and second assist in the same category for some odd reason — but it’s good, just improves the reliance since often the pass before the pass that results in a goal is just as important as the later pass. And it doesn’t really ‘even out’. Think football should do the same.

 

[Messier1994]

Seedorf!

Love thatIf there is one thing someone should know about Hannibal Mejbri that doesn’t perhaps come across on these type of compilations — it is that he is an extremely fierce competitor.

Compared to most other leagues, the Championship is a physical league. Not many gets involved in more battles for the ball in that league than Mejbri, who for example tops the fouls drawn/90 category.

 

[PSV]

Second assist, hockey assist.

Icehockey have for a long time recorded first and second assist in the same category for some odd reason — but it’s good, just improves the reliance since often the pass before the pass that results in a goal is just as important as the later pass. And it doesn’t really ‘even out’. Think football should do the same.

Just curious, do you get both assist and goal when you play a one-two? ie. can you technically assist your own goal?

 

[Stadjer]

Love the pass at 1.52

One of my favourite ever players was Guti and he played so many of those lovely through balls like that (except with his left foot). A joy to watch.

That finishing though Pass deserved better

 

[Bertie Wooster]

That finishing though Pass deserved better

True.

Guti's lovely passes were normally to the likes of Raul or Brazilian Ronaldo so rewarded with an assist and not a woeful miss.

 

[DWelbz19]

Just curious, do you get both assist and goal when you play a one-two? ie. can you technically assist your own goal?

Eh? The player who passed to you would get the assist.

 

[limerickcitykid]

Just curious, do you get both assist and goal when you play a one-two? ie. can you technically assist your own goal?

No, you can only be awarded one point from a goal (goals and assists are both equal to 1 point), so you can only be the goal scorer or one of the two assisters. In this scenario the player who passed the puck to the eventual scorer before the one-two would be awarded the second assist.

 

[Vanrouge]

Second assist, hockey assist.

Icehockey have for a long time recorded first and second assist in the same category for some odd reason — but it’s good, just improves the reliance since often the pass before the pass that results in a goal is just as important as the later pass. And it doesn’t really ‘even out’. Think football should do the same.

I've been thinking the same for a while now.

 

[Glorio]

They proper dropped the ball by not playing him a lot during the World Cup

 

[wangyu]

It is pointless talking about assists imo. Where does it begin and where does it end? If a player makes a sublime tackle in the box which wins the ball and then plays it to midfield who then plays a through ball to a wide player who crosses for the striker then all those players have assisted for that goal. Awarding just one or two players is not enough.
It is just another tool to worship players or to bring them down.

 

[Tarrou]

It is pointless talking about assists imo. Where does it begin and where does it end? If a player makes a sublime tackle in the box which wins the ball and then plays it to midfield who then plays a through ball to a wide player who crosses for the striker then all those players have assisted for that goal. Awarding just one or two players is not enough.
It is just another tool to worship players or to bring them down.

you can say the same thing about goals

both are decent metrics to judge players, just not the be all and end all

 

[wangyu]

you can say the same thing about goals

both are decent metrics to judge players, just not the be all and end all

In a way yes but goals have been the most important and celebrated part of football since the very early days it got invented in the 1800s. Assists weren’t talked about until the last 15 odd years. Goals are also easy to define, assists are not. I even know a guy who don’t consider an old school cross an assist. Assists in his opinion are only inch perfect through balls.
It is just another part of the Americanization of the sport. Soon the pre assist will be the new cool thing and then it is the pre pre assist?
I hold very little importance to it.
I don’t expect people to agree with it, just giving my opinion on it.

 

[Redfrog]

In a way yes but goals have been the most important and celebrated part of football since the very early days it got invented in the 1800s. Assists weren’t talked about until the last 15 odd years. Goals are also easy to define, assists are not. I even know a guy who don’t consider an old school cross an assist. Assists in his opinion are only inch perfect through balls.
It is just another part of the Americanization of the sport. Soon the pre assist will be the new cool thing and then it is the pre pre assist?
I hold very little importance to it.
I don’t expect people to agree with it, just giving my opinion on it.

At it beginnings, players weren’t even passing to each other, they were only progressing through the pitch forcing their way to the goal. It was very close to rugby actually (which was the same sport as football at the beginning but the federation was scinded in two, football not allowing to play with hands) but with a rond ball at the feet.
Scotland teached England at their first game because they were passing to each other.
Just to say that passing is at the heart of the game and football is probably much more affected by passing in terms of stylistic and understanding of the game´s principles then by scoring.

 

[In Rainbows]

In a way yes but goals have been the most important and celebrated part of football since the very early days it got invented in the 1800s. Assists weren’t talked about until the last 15 odd years. Goals are also easy to define, assists are not. I even know a guy who don’t consider an old school cross an assist. Assists in his opinion are only inch perfect through balls.
It is just another part of the Americanization of the sport. Soon the pre assist will be the new cool thing and then it is the pre pre assist?
I hold very little importance to it.
I don’t expect people to agree with it, just giving my opinion on it.

I don't think Americanization is a reason to not like it. It's just a way of capturing attacking quality. Like Beckham's passing is often much more difficult to do than the actual goal, so why shouldn't his passes be celebrated too?

There is nothing that says only goals should be celebrated. It's a made up thing to think of assists as competing against goals. Assists capture what it is meant to capture, as do goals.

 

[RedRonaldo]

In a way yes but goals have been the most important and celebrated part of football since the very early days it got invented in the 1800s. Assists weren’t talked about until the last 15 odd years. Goals are also easy to define, assists are not. I even know a guy who don’t consider an old school cross an assist. Assists in his opinion are only inch perfect through balls.
It is just another part of the Americanization of the sport. Soon the pre assist will be the new cool thing and then it is the pre pre assist?
I hold very little importance to it.
I don’t expect people to agree with it, just giving my opinion on it.

Imagine goalscorer of a goal is also pre assist maker of that goal, while the assist maker is also the pre pre asset maker

 

[sglowrider]

Second assist, hockey assist.

Icehockey have for a long time recorded first and second assist in the same category for some odd reason — but it’s good, just improves the reliance since often the pass before the pass that results in a goal is just as important as the later pass. And it doesn’t really ‘even out’. Think football should do the same.

Confirms what I thought about your username now.

 

[Idxomer]

Good experience today playing in a hostile environment with thousands of plastic water bottles thrown into the pitch.

 

[Grande]

Good experience today playing in a hostile environment with thousands of plastic water bottles thrown into the pitch.

Anybody catch how he did?

 

[Idxomer]

Anybody catch how he did?

He was ok, there wasn't much football played in this game.

 

[city-puma]

He was ok, there wasn't much football played in this game.

It sounds like a Birmingham game?

 

[Idxomer]

It sounds like a Birmingham game?

Yeah, quite the opposite of the previous game. I hope they could find him a loan next season with a team that prioritizes possession more.

 

[city-puma]

Yeah, quite the opposite of the previous game. I hope they could find him a loan next season with a team that prioritizes possession more.

The previous game has shown how much he has developed his game. Birmingham is not an ideal team to play in, but he seems learning a lot from the experience. I hope ETH can start using him next season.

 

[sglowrider]

Yeah, quite the opposite of the previous game. I hope they could find him a loan next season with a team that prioritizes possession more.

Its a good loan if he is learning to play in an approach that is counter-intuitive to his own at his age.

 

[OrcaFat]

The previous game has shown how much he has developed his game. Birmingham is not an ideal team to play in, but he seems learning a lot from the experience. I hope ETH can start using him next season.

I hope so too. It’s a lot to ask of a young lad but he is the no8 of our future, his basic attributes are just what we need. He will have to grow up fast if he’s going to get games for us next year but I don’t think it’s mad to hope he can do that.