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2022-23 Performances


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3KDré

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I just feel that's the way he's going. I don't know if those loan moves are good for him. Playing him in every position but the one he shines in also. Feel he's moved behind Iqbal and Savage in midfield so we'll use him anywhere but there.
I get the same feeling. I hope if we are loaning him out it is to a side like forest was for Garner. Somewhere they need someone to playmake under a good coach who tries to play good football.
 

Rozay

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It can certainly seem that way. Moght it also be a possibility that Ten Hag, sceptical of wether Ronaldo will stay and wether we will be able to get in a first class striker, is trying out the false nine with players he thinks have the technique and awareness to performe it, Amad and Hannibal? Bothbhave had a surpising amount of minutes in that position. I don’t know, it seems strange that Iqbal and Chong should have leapfrogged them totally.
Perhaps, but he hasn’t even established himself in midfield yet, so I think it’s unfair if his usefulness is judged on his ability to play up front. Why not play Rashford through the middle? We already know he can play on the left, let’s see what he can do centrally. Worst case, we know he’s a strong option on the left. Hannibal seems to be missing his opportunity to be seen as an option in his strongest position, at the expense of an even longer shot of being an option in a foreign one.

Even at youth level, he was moved around a fair bit but never up top.
 

andersj

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I had such high hopes for this season. All I can say is that we don’t see training, but on current viewing, he probably will already have an eye on whether his future lies elsewhere. Ten Hag hasn’t seemed to fancy him at all, and he’s not been given a fair chance to stake his claim in midfield. He’s spent pre-season playing centre forward in our B team alongside the likes of Chong.
I actually have quite a bit of faith in EtH with regards to young players. The amount of players he gave a chance at a young age is impressive. I also think he has been quite good at getting the best from other young players (Donny, Frenkie etc).

Furthermore, Rangnick and Solskjaer neither gave him any real chance in midfield.

While I too had high hoped for Mejbri in midfield, it almost reminds me abit about the Nick Powell-situation several years ago. People argued back then that he too should be used as a midfielder.
 

avgp_1

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Its a tendency in English youth football to play the skillfull players in the middle further up the pitch rather than them being allowed to dictate play at CM. Hannibal needs games there, dont think he is going to get that in the UK at the moment
 

avgp_1

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He’s not playing English youth football.
Ofcourse not, what I meant was it'll be even harder for any other English team to play him there if the parent club doesn't see that as his position. He needs a change in direction, somewhere like the Serie A would be the ideal place to let him try himself out there.
 

Adnan

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Good cameo from him where he displayed his ability to pass and dribble on a few occasions really well. And his one touch play was very good.
 

Trex

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The best he showed on the ball playing for the first team, linked up nicely with Zidane, showed good passing and dribbling.
 

Adnan

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The best he showed on the ball playing for the first team, linked up nicely with Zidane, showed good passing and dribbling.
It helps when he isn't utilised on the left wing or false #9.
 

Trex

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It helps when he isn't utilised on the left wing or false #9.
Yes, at the moment there's some competition for the 8/10 hybrid roles between Bruno, Eriksen, Mctominay, Vdb, and him. Zidane as well but Zidane today played the 6 role nicely.
 

Glorio

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Certainly his best appearance of the pre-season. Obviously helped by the fact he wasn't being played up front.
Exactly - Hannibal's game in the youth teams involve being busy with the ball, right in the thick of the game making things happen. Even when he's been played on the left, he drifts in field a fair bit to devastating effect. I have no clue why he was being played up front mostly during pre-season :houllier:
 

Sid234

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Exactly - Hannibal's game in the youth teams involve being busy with the ball, right in the thick of the game making things happen. Even when he's been played on the left, he drifts in field a fair bit to devastating effect. I have no clue why he was being played up front mostly during pre-season :houllier:
I think EtH just wants to get players minutes on the pitch, and we had no depth up front beyond Martial on the tour. For the tour games, the subbed on team was always imbalanced due the lack of a #9 and I don't think the team was setup well to play with a False 9
 

city-puma

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Exactly - Hannibal's game in the youth teams involve being busy with the ball, right in the thick of the game making things happen. Even when he's been played on the left, he drifts in field a fair bit to devastating effect. I have no clue why he was being played up front mostly during pre-season :houllier:
I think it reasonable for ETH to try him in the positions he feel matching Hannibal‘s traits and the situation of the team. It takes time and chances. I trust him eventually developing Hannibal and the other youngsters.
 

bringbackbebe

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He's gone a full 20mins without picking up a fight or hacking an opposition player. Not the Hannibal I want to see :nono:
 

Alemar

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Good words from him. Yet he needs to establish a position that suits him best, and having in mind that he is yet unlikely to displace Bruno as an AM
 

NecssryEvil

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People should chill a little, him playing as a forward is at least partially because we have very few forwards in the travelling squad. He's a talented player still finding his feet in the game, plenty of time for him to find his best position. Grealish was mostly playing as an 8 until his early 20s before establishing himself on the left wing, even a talent like Foden has broke through at City in forward positions whilst being earmarked for centre midfield. Modric, Bernardo Silva, David Silva too started out wide. Its fairly normal for that kind of playmaker. Some stay as wide men like Joe Cole, Mata, Beckham. Others revert centrally as they mature. Central midfield is the hardest position to play, for technically excellent young players it's sometimes harder for them to adapt at first team level because they need to learn when to keep it simple, when to be disciplined, when to move it quickly, whereas at age group football they've been accustomed to waltzing past the opposition when in dangerous situations because they were so far ahead ability wise. So playing further forwards allows them more freedom.
I really like this post, especially the bolded part; learning what you CAN'T get away with anymore is as big a part of the development/transition as anything else players trying to make the final step face. I saw it with Elanga last year and the jury is still out on whether he can adapt his game and become a top pro.

I am assuming the final decision on a loan will depend on who else is signed, but whatever happens I hope the kid can get 30-40 appearances in men's games this year.

As far as the concern over his temperament goes, I am not worried and actually like to see it, we need more guys with some fight in them. United have had their share of hotheads in the past, in fact you could put some legends in that category.
 

sglowrider

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What's wrong with Birmingham ?

The championship is a very good league, he'll get used to playing in front of family large crowds. It's a chance for him to shine.
The only problem I see is that ETH barely played him during the pre-season. Maybe he just doesn't fancy Hannibal's style of play.
 

Marcus

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It's a good move. An opportunity for regular playing time and a chance to impress. I personally would have tried to give him a chance in our shambles of a midfield but if we succeed in getting Rabiot and FDJ in, I think he will get very miniscule opportunities
 

Glorio

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A loan may not be the worst idea if he's not going to get chances here. Considering the state of our midfield though, have to say it's surprising to think he won't get a chance
 

In Rainbows

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A loan may not be the worst idea if he's not going to get chances here. Considering the state of our midfield though, have to say it's surprising to think he won't get a chance
Maybe the person in charge of informing Ten Hag of youth players ready to make the step up, told him that Mejbri is an attacking midfielder.
 

OleGunnar20

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Good move, hope it pans out for him. He's definitely got the fight for the Championship, I just hope they play him at #8 rather than 10 or wide.
 

Glorio

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Maybe the person in charge of informing Ten Hag of youth players ready to make the step up, told him that Mejbri is an attacking midfielder.
Fair - it's interesting that in one of the practice vids I saw during pre-season, while it wasn't 11 vs 11, he was definitely the deepest midfield player and seemed to be running the show in his recognisable "gliding past challenges" way (not saying that's where I would want him playing).
 

Glorio

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Should play in the Championship I feel, in fact, considering he's a full international, one of the EPL newcomers should find him an enticing prospect
 

AussieDevil

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Birmingham have struggled so far this season, they're 21st at the moment after 6 games. Hopefully he can play a big part in turning their fortune around. He has all the talent in the world but he needs to surrounded by the right people.
 

avgp_1

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Better than being loaned to the Segunda team with the option of sale which I thought the club was considering
However Birmingham are not my liking from the Championship either, they are fancied for relegation, but they have lost Chong and Sunjic so he could hopefully play midfield
 
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