[OrcaFat]

He came off the bench for Birmingham against Coventry City away with Birmingham 2-0 down. And within about 10 minutes of his arrival he did more than Jobe Bellingham and Jordan James who started the game. Hannibal recorded a 100% pass completion from 28 touches but from watching the game live, I do remember him under hitting one pass, so the stat via Sofascore isn't 100% correct.

https://www.sofascore.com/birmingham-city-coventry-city/jsl

But apart from that, he showed excellent ability in tight spaces where he on one occasion was being aggressively pressed by a physically stronger player in his own defensive wide space and he turned him superbly well and then went past two more Coventry players before playing the ball into the striker Jutkiewicz, who gave the ball away via a heavy first touch. And he was dispossessed once in the time he was on the pitch, when he received the ball in the wide space on the left where he was surrounded by three Coventry players.

This is the player he is, I feel. He needs more experience but I’ve never watched him and thought that he won’t make it. He might not, of course, but he has the tools.

 

[Adnan]

This is the player he is, I feel. He needs more experience but I’ve never watched him and thought that he won’t make it. He might not, of course, but he has the tools.

He has all the tools to develop into a complete midfield player. But the team that he's playing in this season don't look to play the ball through thirds. And they instead have been playing direct football, which has meant Hannibal has been receiving the ball in the half or wide spaces, whilst being surrounded by opposition players. You're going to most likely be dispossessed in those situations. And a lot of his team mates are technically below average on the ball.

But in the game today he was dropping deeper to receive the ball and you can see in the highlights below how he's very comfortable in confined spaces in Central midfield and wants the ball. He drove his team forward and the dribble near the end of the highlights demonstrates how press resistant he can be, where he turned defense into attack whilst being aggressively pressed in his own half.

There is improvements to be made like developing a bigger goal threat because I dont feel he shoots enough and wants to instead create for others. And he still picks up needless bookings like he did again today but he plays the game with real intensity and goes out and expresses himself on the pitch by showing courage on the ball.

 

[Remember the geese]

Honest question @Adnan. Do you feel as if the Birmingham City loan has been beneficial for Hannibal considering the stylistic mismatch? I feel we need to send him out again next season but to a more progressive club a la Amad.

 

[TwoSheds]

Honest question @Adnan. Do you feel as if the Birmingham City loan has been beneficial for Hannibal considering the stylistic mismatch? I feel we need to send him out again next season but to a more progressive club a la Amad.

He's seen a different way of doing things and he's played a fair bit, I'm sure he's learned a lot. Development isn't linear and this will just be part of the jigsaw.

 

[Adnan]

Honest question @Adnan. Do you feel as if the Birmingham City loan has been beneficial for Hannibal considering the stylistic mismatch? I feel we need to send him out again next season but to a more progressive club a la Amad.

That' a good question mate. I would've preferred to see him play for a more attacking team in the sense that they look to play through the thirds. But unfortunately Birmingham don't have the technical quality collectively to play that way, especially in the back-line. But for Hannibal it was his first season as a first team player and I guess adapting to a higher level as well as adapting his game to Birmingham's direct play style, can only have benefited him. This is a Birmingham team who were tipped for the drop at the start of the season and Hannibal came into a environment that was unstable due to the high number of loan signings and uncertainty due to the club's ownership situation. Their objective with their financial troubles was to beat the drop and Hannibal played his part, even if it wasn't pretty to watch most of the time.

Arsenal sent Charlie Patino to Blackpool, and Blackpool got relegated. And that's another team who were statistically (along with Birmingham) the worst team in the league at keeping the ball. Patino from what I saw was utilised in a deeper role consistently but his performances suffered due to the quality around him. A section of the Arsenal fans are now questioning Patino's talent due to Blackpool's relegation and they seem to be questioning his speed and physicality.

 

[OrcaFat]

He has all the tools to develop into a complete midfield player. But the team that he's playing in this season don't look to play the ball through thirds. And they instead have been playing direct football, which has meant Hannibal has been receiving the ball in the half or wide spaces, whilst being surrounded by opposition players. You're going to most likely be dispossessed in those situations. And a lot of his team mates are technically below average on the ball.

But in the game today he was dropping deeper to receive the ball and you can see in the highlights below how he's very comfortable in confined spaces in Central midfield and wants the ball. He drove his team forward and the dribble near the end of the highlights demonstrates how press resistant he can be, where he turned defense into attack whilst being aggressively pressed in his own half.

There is improvements to be made like developing a bigger goal threat because I dont feel he shoots enough and wants to instead create for others. And he still picks up needless bookings like he did again today but he plays the game with real intensity and goes out and expresses himself on the pitch by showing courage on the ball.

Thanks for posting that. I’ve been very optimistic about this lad ever since I first saw him play. I think he could start to put it all together soon. Possibly he could spend pre-season and actually start the season with us and go on loan if he’s not getting any minutes. Don’t want to rush the lad but I think he is a great fit for no8 in our team.

 

[userman]

Mejbri seems to be a decent dribbler and good at receiving/on the ball, but also like a poor passer and a poor playmaker that’s more concerned about passing to a teammate rather then assessing whether that teammate will likely get in trouble if he receives it (somewhat lacking the situational awareness and being “selfish” in his passing).

 

[city-puma]

He needs to turn up in the preseason. Our midfield needs not only extra bodies but also young blood.

 

[criticalanalysis]

He has all the tools to develop into a complete midfield player. But the team that he's playing in this season don't look to play the ball through thirds. And they instead have been playing direct football, which has meant Hannibal has been receiving the ball in the half or wide spaces, whilst being surrounded by opposition players. You're going to most likely be dispossessed in those situations. And a lot of his team mates are technically below average on the ball.

But in the game today he was dropping deeper to receive the ball and you can see in the highlights below how he's very comfortable in confined spaces in Central midfield and wants the ball. He drove his team forward and the dribble near the end of the highlights demonstrates how press resistant he can be, where he turned defense into attack whilst being aggressively pressed in his own half.

There is improvements to be made like developing a bigger goal threat because I dont feel he shoots enough and wants to instead create for others. And he still picks up needless bookings like he did again today but he plays the game with real intensity and goes out and expresses himself on the pitch by showing courage on the ball.

He takes a mean corner. Not just in this clip but previous ones as well.

Last time we saw that with a youth player, it was with Pereira. Hope he gets a better and more consistent pathway to the first team than the Brazilian!

Come to think of it, they're actually quite similar in a lot of ways.

 

[sglowrider]

That' a good question mate. I would've preferred to see him play for a more attacking team in the sense that they look to play through the thirds. But unfortunately Birmingham don't have the technical quality collectively to play that way, especially in the back-line. But for Hannibal it was his first season as a first team player and I guess adapting to a higher level as well as adapting his game to Birmingham's direct play style, can only have benefited him. This is a Birmingham team who were tipped for the drop at the start of the season and Hannibal came into a environment that was unstable due to the high number of loan signings and uncertainty due to the club's ownership situation. Their objective with their financial troubles was to beat the drop and Hannibal played his part, even if it wasn't pretty to watch most of the time.

Arsenal sent Charlie Patino to Blackpool, and Blackpool got relegated. And that's another team who were statistically (along with Birmingham) the worst team in the league at keeping the ball. Patino from what I saw was utilised in a deeper role consistently but his performances suffered due to the quality around him. A section of the Arsenal fans are now questioning Patino's talent due to Blackpool's relegation and they seem to be questioning his speed and physicality.

Its funny you mentioned Patino.

A gooner mate of mine was raving about him at the end of last year when I brought up Amad --- his technical ability and how his having an impact in the Championship.
Will Patino make it into the starting 11 at the Emirates at some point?

 

[Remember the geese]

That' a good question mate. I would've preferred to see him play for a more attacking team in the sense that they look to play through the thirds. But unfortunately Birmingham don't have the technical quality collectively to play that way, especially in the back-line. But for Hannibal it was his first season as a first team player and I guess adapting to a higher level as well as adapting his game to Birmingham's direct play style, can only have benefited him. This is a Birmingham team who were tipped for the drop at the start of the season and Hannibal came into a environment that was unstable due to the high number of loan signings and uncertainty due to the club's ownership situation. Their objective with their financial troubles was to beat the drop and Hannibal played his part, even if it wasn't pretty to watch most of the time.

Arsenal sent Charlie Patino to Blackpool, and Blackpool got relegated. And that's another team who were statistically (along with Birmingham) the worst team in the league at keeping the ball. Patino from what I saw was utilised in a deeper role consistently but his performances suffered due to the quality around him. A section of the Arsenal fans are now questioning Patino's talent due to Blackpool's relegation and they seem to be questioning his speed and physicality.

Thanks for your reply. Hopefully he can take something away from his spell at Birmingham. Next season, we really need to find Hannibal a club (and manager) that allows him to show his true ability.

I have a mate who is an Arsenal fan and he rates Miguel Azeez highly. Azeez has been struggling for minutes at a now relegated Wigan, while on loan from Arsenal. Although perhaps my pal isn't the best judge of talent because I remember him raving about Gedion Zelalem about a decade ago.

 

[OrcaFat]

Mejbri seems to be a decent dribbler and good at receiving/on the ball, but also like a poor passer and a poor playmaker that’s more concerned about passing to a teammate rather then assessing whether that teammate will likely get in trouble if he receives it (somewhat lacking the situational awareness and being “selfish” in his passing).

From what I’ve seen, he is not a poor passer or a poor playmaker- he looks decent at both and has good vision. He makes a few errors typical of inexperienced players but I wouldn’t worry about it.

 

[userman]

From what I’ve seen, he is not a poor passer or a poor playmaker- he looks decent at both and has good vision. He makes a few errors typical of inexperienced players but I wouldn’t worry about it.

I’ll take your word for it then. Admittedly I’ve only seen highlights and ‘all touches’ clips of him. From that limited sample he doesn’t seem ready for us yet though.

 

[OrcaFat]

I’ll take your word for it then. Admittedly I’ve only seen highlights and ‘all touches’ clips of him. From that limited sample he doesn’t seem ready for us yet though.

No he’s not ready. But it’s possible he could be after a full preseason with us. Another loan is probably the way to go but I’d like to see him come back here until the end of the transfer window.

 

[top1whoisman]

No he’s not ready. But it’s possible he could be after a full preseason with us. Another loan is probably the way to go but I’d like to see him come back here until the end of the transfer window.

It’s very unlikely a few weeks of pre season would develop him so much that he’d all of a sudden be PL ready. It’s most about fitness and tactics, he’s not going to develop his maturity etc. in a few weeks in the US.

I’d say he definitely needs a loan and it’s crucial we find a better fit for him next season. Many have suggested Sunderland and considering the way Mowbray has handled Amad, that doesn’t sound a bad idea at all. Assuming they’d be interested.

 

[red woppit]

It’s very unlikely a few weeks of pre season would develop him so much that he’d all of a sudden be PL ready. It’s most about fitness and tactics, he’s not going to develop his maturity etc. in a few weeks in the US.

I’d say he definitely needs a loan and it’s crucial we find a better fit for him next season. Many have suggested Sunderland and considering the way Mowbray has handled Amad, that doesn’t sound a bad idea at all. Assuming they’d be interested.

I would be interested to see how he performs in pre season with, with all due respect to Birmingham, better players, who probably think and react differently, and are possibly on a similar wavelength to Hannibal.
One if his obvious problems was his temperament on the pitch, which recently has seemed to have dissipated somewhat, I appreciate that he hasn't started many games, so we may have a better idea when he plays in some pre season matches.
I have faith in Ten Hag to make the judgement whether Hannibal, and a few others, require loans, or will become part of the first team squad next season.
If he does go on loan, I think Middlesbrough could be a good shout, possibly Ipswich, as well as Sunderland.

 

[Adnan]

Its funny you mentioned Patino.

A gooner mate of mine was raving about him at the end of last year when I brought up Amad --- his technical ability and how his having an impact in the Championship.
Will Patino make it into the starting 11 at the Emirates at some point?

It's very difficult to tell but he is a talented player. He's now got a season of first team football under his belt and a loan to a more possession dominant team would suit him imo.

 

[sglowrider]

It's very difficult to tell but he is a talented player. He's now got a season of first team football under his belt and a loan to a more possession dominant team would suit him imo.

What do you think his best position is?

 

[pascell]

What do you think his best position is?

8 or 10 I'd say

 

[Adnan]

What do you think his best position is?

I think the role that best suits his skillset currently is the connector role as the #6/#8 next to a positionally disciplined midfielder. He's a young midfielder that has shown potential at youth level in the deeper build up phase due to his ability to resist/evade pressure and progress play.

So in the current Arsenal team he'd play alongside Partey in the build up phase imo with Odegaard the more attacking midfielder of the three. But he needs another loan to a team that suits his skillset before we can assess his potential, Arsenal first team chances.

 

[sglowrider]

I think the role that best suits his skillset currently is the connector role as the #6/#8 next to a positionally disciplined midfielder. He's a young midfielder that has shown potential at youth level in the deeper build up phase due to his ability to resist/evade pressure and progress play.

So in the current Arsenal team he'd play alongside Partey in the build up phase imo with Odegaard the more attacking midfielder of the three. But he needs another loan to a team that suits his skillset before we can assess his potential Arsenal first team chances.

Cheers!

 

[OrcaFat]

It’s very unlikely a few weeks of pre season would develop him so much that he’d all of a sudden be PL ready. It’s most about fitness and tactics, he’s not going to develop his maturity etc. in a few weeks in the US.

I’d say he definitely needs a loan and it’s crucial we find a better fit for him next season. Many have suggested Sunderland and considering the way Mowbray has handled Amad, that doesn’t sound a bad idea at all. Assuming they’d be interested.

It is unlikely but your description of pre-season is simplistic. He would be playing games with the squad.

Some players reach the required level without ever going on loan and the turning point in their development can happen at any time.

I’m sure another loan will be the way to go but he can learn a great deal if he is with our first team until September.

 

[top1whoisman]

It is unlikely but your description of pre-season is simplistic. He would be playing games with the squad.

Some players reach the required level without ever going on loan and the turning point in their development can happen at any time.

I’m sure another loan will be the way to go but he can learn a great deal if he is with our first team until September.

What I'm saying is, to simplify it, players develop during the season, not pre season. A season is 10 months, a pre season is a few weeks. He'll play some minutes yes, and sure he can impress EtH. Let's hope he does. If he's not ready now, I'd be surprised that something so drastic happens during the summer that he is ready in August.

 

[lsd]

Don't see him making it with us but another loan spell might be the thing for him if he is too have any chance

 

[TwoSheds]

What I'm saying is, to simplify it, players develop during the season, not pre season. A season is 10 months, a pre season is a few weeks. He'll play some minutes yes, and sure he can impress EtH. Let's hope he does. If he's not ready now, I'd be surprised that something so drastic happens during the summer that he is ready in August.

Youngsters also grow though, it's not unheard of.

 

[OrcaFat]

What I'm saying is, to simplify it, players develop during the season, not pre season. A season is 10 months, a pre season is a few weeks. He'll play some minutes yes, and sure he can impress EtH. Let's hope he does. If he's not ready now, I'd be surprised that something so drastic happens during the summer that he is ready in August.

Sure, players develop through playing and coaching, most of this happens during the season, of course. I’m not saying anything amazing happens in pre-season. I’m just saying that if he’s back at the club and playing with the squad, it’s just possible he could pass the tipping point of being ready for the first team squad during that short period before we sign him away on loan again. It’s difficult to assess how close to being ready he actually is at the moment because of the players he is playing with.

I assume he will come back to us for pre-season anyway which can only be good for him imo. I don’t suggest he will suddenly become massively better but the penny could drop for him and small improvements in a lot of areas could make a greater difference than the sum of its parts.

Plenty of players have been “not ready” until suddenly they are. It doesn’t happen like that for every player and probably not Hannibal but you never know.

 

[P-Nut]

Would Ipswich under McKenna not be a good shout for a loan next season?

 

[top1whoisman]

Youngsters also grow though, it's not unheard of.

That is true of course. In terms of physical growth, not sure it’s relevant to the discussion we were having. In terms of mental growth, it could of course happen during summer. I’d still say it’s most likely to happen while playing a lot of matches, during a season.

 

[pascell]

Would Ipswich under McKenna not be a good shout for a loan next season?

'Boro under Carrick would be better as Ipswich might be under the cosh from the get go in the Championship.

 

[top1whoisman]

Sure, players develop through playing and coaching, most of this happens during the season, of course. I’m not saying anything amazing happens in pre-season. I’m just saying that if he’s back at the club and playing with the squad, it’s just possible he could pass the tipping point of being ready for the first team squad during that short period before we sign him away on loan again. It’s difficult to assess how close to being ready he actually is at the moment because of the players he is playing with.

I assume he will come back to us for pre-season anyway which can only be good for him imo. I don’t suggest he will suddenly become massively better but the penny could drop for him and small improvements in a lot of areas could make a greater difference than the sum of its parts.

Plenty of players have been “not ready” until suddenly they are. It doesn’t happen like that for every player and probably not Hannibal but you never know.

All that is more than fair enough, well put.

Based on what I’ve seen this season I’d say it’s very unlikely it’s all going to click all of a sudden during preseason. He still has a long-ish way to go in terms of development and regarding being ready for PL I’d rate Mainoo even higher at the moment. Although he might need a loan too.

 

[OrcaFat]

All that is more than fair enough, well put.

Based on what I’ve seen this season I’d say it’s very unlikely it’s all going to click all of a sudden during preseason. He still has a long-ish way to go in terms of development and regarding being ready for PL I’d rate Mainoo even higher at the moment. Although he might need a loan too.

I know, I rate Hannibal higher than most people do.

And probably I am over optimistic (whilst freely admitting he probably does need another loan) to even imagine him staying with us into next season. Either way he’s a very exciting talent imo and I just hope we get it right with him.

 

[TwoSheds]

That is true of course. In terms of physical growth, not sure it’s relevant to the discussion we were having. In terms of mental growth, it could of course happen during summer. I’d still say it’s most likely to happen while playing a lot of matches, during a season.

Of course physical growth is a thing for young players. Elanga filled out a lot last summer for example (yes I know it didn't improve him as a player). I remember Rashford filling out a fair bit one summer under Ole as well. McTominay went from 5'6" to 6'4" in less than a year too I seem to remember, albeit it wasn't specifically a summer that did that.

 

[P-Nut]

'Boro under Carrick would be better as Ipswich might be under the cosh from the get go in the Championship.

They are being tipped for back to back promotions and if Boro manage to get to the PL they will certainly be under the cosh

 

[Chaky_Best]

Needs to play regularly and develop his brain.

Still to young and has no experience.

Hope a loan in Ligue 1 or Eredivise can help him.

 

[Spaghetti]

I’m convinced he’s going to make it. I’d prefer to keep him next season and have him play and rotate with a first team player. Learning from Eriksen, Fernandes and Casemiro would also be great for his development.

 

[Donut]

He’s not going to make it. He really has no outstanding qualities except for some drive and athleticism.

 

[Davie Moyes]

Some strange opinions in this thread. The ones mainly unable to see Hannibal's talent. I'm staggered they can't see his qualities.

 

[OrcaFat]

Some strange opinions in this thread. The ones mainly unable to see Hannibal's talent. I'm staggered they can't see his qualities.

Agreed. Just ignore those comments!

 

[top1whoisman]

Of course physical growth is a thing for young players. Elanga filled out a lot last summer for example (yes I know it didn't improve him as a player). I remember Rashford filling out a fair bit one summer under Ole as well. McTominay went from 5'6" to 6'4" in less than a year too I seem to remember, albeit it wasn't specifically a summer that did that.

That is true, fair enough. I just don’t see him being ready for PL in August even if he did fill out.

 

[Adnan]

Cheers!

According to David Ornstein just now, Charlie Patino wants to leave Arsenal and doesn't want to go on another loan.