Hannibal Mejbri | Birmingham Loan Watch

[syrian_scholes]

4-5 last season, and 2-5 the season before, so from 6-10 in total.

That's a bit nuts, especially if you're also watching Tunisia matches for him. It seems like you're someone with even more time on your hands than even me! You also sound a bit like you're overly invested in him doing well and are perhaps even a tad obsessed - it could be making you overly biased. Are you his agent or something?! Or Tunisian / Parisian?



If you actually read my comments you'll see that I already said both his appearances in pre-season and the times he came off the bench for the first team - so that was 2 PL games last season, vs Palace and Liverpool.

And even if he was out of position in pre-season you can still tell things from his general movement and sharpness; I thought he seemed more off the pace of the game and behind play than someone like Iqbal when he featured.

They should really bring the newbies forums back.

 

[AltiUn]

4-5 last season, and 2-5 the season before, so from 6-10 in total.

That's a bit nuts, especially if you're also watching Tunisia matches for him. It seems like you're someone with even more time on your hands than even me! You also sound a bit like you're overly invested in him doing well and are perhaps even a tad obsessed - it could be making you overly biased. Are you his agent or something?! Or Tunisian / Parisian?



If you actually read my comments you'll see that I already said both his appearances in pre-season and the times he came off the bench for the first team - so that was 2 PL games last season, vs Palace and Liverpool.

And even if he was out of position in pre-season you can still tell things from his general movement and sharpness; I thought he seemed more off the pace of the game and behind play than someone like Iqbal when he featured.

The feck is this comment?

 

[Adnan]

Lets hope he saves us from spending another 100 million

That's what we're hoping for, and the role the Birmingham head coach Eustace utilised him in against Blackburn off the bench where he deployed him in a deeper role as the #6 against Blackburn's compact low block is a good role for him imo, where his ability to play long passes becomes more pronounced. And he hit a few lovely long passes in the game where on one occasion the Birmingham player unfortunately failed to read the flight off the pass. And he has that in his locker but unfortunately we never got to see enough of it because he was used in advanced areas of the pitch when he arrived at the club as a 16 year old. But at Monaco he was utilised as the deep lying playmaker in the build up phase. And imo that was due to how rounded he was as a footballer compared to the likes of Levitt and Garner who just didn't have the ball carrying ability along with a passing range.

I've never been worried about his temperament @Sea-Cow because I feel his fiery nature can be help him rather than hinder him going forward. Maybe he may receive a red card soon but I don't believe his temperament is going to hinder him. Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, Wayne Rooney and Alan Smith were far worse for us but that was because they were so driven to succeed which meant playing on the edge came naturally to them.

The highlights below are from his short cameo off the bench against Blackburn where he came on to initiate attacks from a deeper role. And for me the potential is there to see when it comes to his long range game which is clear to see from his short cameo. And the more he plays in a deeper role the more I feel we'll see his long range passing ability improving further. In that deeper role he's the metronome and is playing the game at his own pace because there's no need to expend as much energy as he's been asked to do in prior games due to playing infront of the back-line and acting as the conductor/connector and staying positionally disciplined.

The thing I'm looking forward to most about his development is if he can bring all his attributes together at first team level. Because if he brings his passing ability, ball carrying ability along with his ability to maintain a high intensity throughout a game consistently at first team level, then we've got one hell of a prospect on our hands imo. But he has to maintain his current level and hopefully become a bigger influence in the Birmingham first team.

 

[DSG]

That's what we're hoping for, and the role the Birmingham head coach Eustace utilised him in against Blackburn off the bench where he deployed him in a deeper role as the #6 against Blackburn's compact low block is a good role for him imo, where his ability to play long passes becomes more pronounced. And he hit a few lovely long passes in the game where on one occasion the Birmingham player unfortunately failed to read the flight off the pass. And he has that in his locker but unfortunately we never got to see enough of it because he was used in advanced areas of the pitch when he arrived at the club as a 16 year old. But at Monaco he was utilised as the deep lying playmaker in the build up phase. And imo that was due to how rounded he was as a footballer compared to the likes of Levitt and Garner who just didn't have the ball carrying ability along with a passing range.

I've never been worried about his temperament @Sea-Cow because I feel his fiery nature can be help him rather than hinder him going forward. Maybe he may receive a red card soon but I don't believe his temperament is going to hinder him. Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, Wayne Rooney and Alan Smith were far worse for us but that was because they were so driven to succeed which meant playing on the edge came naturally to them.

The highlights below are from his short cameo off the bench against Blackburn where he came on to initiate attacks from a deeper role. And for me the potential is there to see when it comes to his long range game which is clear to see from his short cameo. And the more he plays in a deeper role the more I feel we'll see his long range passing ability improving further. In that deeper role he's the metronome and is playing the game at his own pace because there's no need to expend as much energy as he's been asked to do in prior games due to playing infront of the back-line and acting as the conductor/connector and staying positionally disciplined.

The thing I'm looking forward to most about his development is if he can bring all his attributes together at first team level. Because if he brings his passing ability, ball carrying ability along with his ability to maintain a high intensity throughout a game consistently at first team level, then we've got one hell of a prospect on our hands imo. But he has to maintain his current level and hopefully become a bigger influence in the Birmingham first team.

I would say his play under pressure is very encouraging. I really feel Garner and Mejbri have skills that we needed in our midfield. I just know that after watching Scotty and Fred for several seasons, they don’t have the quality on the ball to be in the first 11 at United. Maybe Mejbri can step up.

 

[Adnan]

I would say his play under pressure is very encouraging. I really feel Garner and Mejbri have skills that we needed in our midfield. I just know that after watching Scotty and Fred for several seasons, they don’t have the quality on the ball to be in the first 11 at United. Maybe Mejbri can step up.

I agree mate, McFred don't have the ability on the ball and it looks worse when they're playing together. You can't evolve as a team if your midfield is limited on the ball.

 

[Messier1994]

That's what we're hoping for, and the role the Birmingham head coach Eustace utilised him in against Blackburn off the bench where he deployed him in a deeper role as the #6 against Blackburn's compact low block is a good role for him imo, where his ability to play long passes becomes more pronounced. And he hit a few lovely long passes in the game where on one occasion the Birmingham player unfortunately failed to read the flight off the pass. And he has that in his locker but unfortunately we never got to see enough of it because he was used in advanced areas of the pitch when he arrived at the club as a 16 year old. But at Monaco he was utilised as the deep lying playmaker in the build up phase. And imo that was due to how rounded he was as a footballer compared to the likes of Levitt and Garner who just didn't have the ball carrying ability along with a passing range.

I've never been worried about his temperament @Sea-Cow because I feel his fiery nature can be help him rather than hinder him going forward. Maybe he may receive a red card soon but I don't believe his temperament is going to hinder him. Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, Wayne Rooney and Alan Smith were far worse for us but that was because they were so driven to succeed which meant playing on the edge came naturally to them.

The highlights below are from his short cameo off the bench against Blackburn where he came on to initiate attacks from a deeper role. And for me the potential is there to see when it comes to his long range game which is clear to see from his short cameo. And the more he plays in a deeper role the more I feel we'll see his long range passing ability improving further. In that deeper role he's the metronome and is playing the game at his own pace because there's no need to expend as much energy as he's been asked to do in prior games due to playing infront of the back-line and acting as the conductor/connector and staying positionally disciplined.

The thing I'm looking forward to most about his development is if he can bring all his attributes together at first team level. Because if he brings his passing ability, ball carrying ability along with his ability to maintain a high intensity throughout a game consistently at first team level, then we've got one hell of a prospect on our hands imo. But he has to maintain his current level and hopefully become a bigger influence in the Birmingham first team.

100% agree. There are no guarantees — but if Hannibal keeps going in the right direction and puts it all together he will definitely become a unique player. Many coaches loves them but there are just very few players out there who is aggressive on the ball, covers a lot of the field — and — got that long passing game. Add the ability to buy himself time with the ball with his dribbling ability.

Look at someone like Guendozi. He is a half disaster for a few years, then finally establish himself in a bit weaker league and he instantly get a shot on the midfield for the French National team.

The biggest obstacle I see for him is that ETH — at least right now — aren’t in a position to be patient with a player in an important role on the midfield. You can’t play a style in which your defense consists of having a ton of possession and have players on the midfield who doesn’t have superb decision making. You get Eriksen’s calm with the ball from experience. You aren’t born with that, and a few wonder kids in Barcelona are just the exception that proves the rule.

Hannibal could become a superb player for ETH’s style of football, but there will be some growing pains along the way. Maybe a year in the La Liga wouldn’t be that bad, but I don’t know, would love to see him grow up with our team sooner rather than later.

 

[Glorio]

The feck is this comment?

Sometimes you just give up and accept some folks are just ... unique

 

[ROFLUTION]

Has about two years of development before coming into contention for us I think. Ability-wise he’s great but he needs to adapt to tempo and mature and play stable and good before getting the chance at United imo.

Hope we pick the right loans - a year on the bench at United will do him no good.

 

[wangyu]

@Adnan

Well fingers crossed then, you got me excited

 

[sglowrider]

Sometimes you just give up and accept some folks are just ... unique

Or drunk?

 

[syrian_scholes]

Sometimes you just give up and accept some folks are just ... unique

Yeah they don't really deserve a response after this.

 

[In Rainbows]

Or drunk?

More like arrogant. They with knowingly little knowledge of a player have the arrogance to be an authority. I don't get why people cannot simply not have an opinion on something they know little about. Whenever I know my knowledge on something is questionable compared to others, I don't feel the need to chime in. And if I do, but am corrected, I simply take their correction.

 

[sglowrider]

More like arrogant. They with knowingly little knowledge of a player have the arrogance to be an authority. I don't get why people cannot simply not have an opinion on something they know little about. Whenever I know my knowledge on something is questionable compared to others, I don't feel the need to chime in. And if I do, but am corrected, I simply take their correction.

I think it's the age of social media which has 'democratised' everyone ie levelled out the playing field including the actual experts.
As a result, a vast number of people cant tell the difference between an opinion or facts anymore.... since it's posted or published (an old currency term) the new media.

Then you throw in the dire need for 'affirmation' of the Gen Z's it will only get worse. It's a good thing that the al' Mighty Niall doesn't have 'likes' on this forum or all hell will break loose.

 

[izak]

How is he doing so far... I have high hope for this kid, is he even getting a kick on loan?

 

[sglowrider]

How is he doing so far... I have high hope for this kid, is he even getting a kick on loan?

Doing well.

 

[Kostov]

Can we please have this kid make it in the first team? Has the talent and character, hopefully a bit of luck as well.

 

[theyneverlearn]

How is he doing so far... I have high hope for this kid, is he even getting a kick on loan?

FYI.

I don't know, I guess we should see what the Birmingham manager John Eustace says about Hannibal and if it reflects well on him.

John Eustace: "The way he has played in the last couple of games has been phenomenal. He has broken records for total distance, all that kind of stuff. It was important we also used the squad. [Juninho] Bacuna came in today and did well and Hanni came on for that last half hour and was very good.

“I have said it is a squad game, everyone will be used, we are certainty stretched at the moment but it’s important everyone gets that opportunity to play and feel wanted.”

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sp...ingham-city-blackburn-rovers-eustace-25330344

John Eustace: "has praised Hannibal Mejbri’s attitude after being made to wait for his first start for Birmingham City."

"He is a cracking young player, we are very fortunate to have him here,” the head coach said. “The most pleasing thing is that work-rate. He has come from Manchester United with a big reputation. But to earn the right to play, earn the right to do anything you have to work hard. And to play in this team as well you need a team of workers."

He has come in, he has shown he is very hungry, he has got that desire to work hard, the effort is there. He is doing very well at the moment. I haven’t seen him tired yet.

“All he does is gives me the thumbs up, I don’t think he understands what I am saying ‘Yes coach, no problems’. Listen, he’s obviously a talent, let’s hope he just continues that, there are going to be times when he has to come out of the team, going to have to be rested with rotations but at the moment he is playing fantastically well. I think the lads are really enjoying playing with him.”

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sp...ley-john-eustace-25306421#amp-readmore-target

He seems to be doing well according to the Birmingham manager and it seems he's breaking distance covered records in the process.

 

[Jeppers7]

That's what we're hoping for, and the role the Birmingham head coach Eustace utilised him in against Blackburn off the bench where he deployed him in a deeper role as the #6 against Blackburn's compact low block is a good role for him imo, where his ability to play long passes becomes more pronounced. And he hit a few lovely long passes in the game where on one occasion the Birmingham player unfortunately failed to read the flight off the pass. And he has that in his locker but unfortunately we never got to see enough of it because he was used in advanced areas of the pitch when he arrived at the club as a 16 year old. But at Monaco he was utilised as the deep lying playmaker in the build up phase. And imo that was due to how rounded he was as a footballer compared to the likes of Levitt and Garner who just didn't have the ball carrying ability along with a passing range.

I've never been worried about his temperament @Sea-Cow because I feel his fiery nature can be help him rather than hinder him going forward. Maybe he may receive a red card soon but I don't believe his temperament is going to hinder him. Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, Wayne Rooney and Alan Smith were far worse for us but that was because they were so driven to succeed which meant playing on the edge came naturally to them.

The highlights below are from his short cameo off the bench against Blackburn where he came on to initiate attacks from a deeper role. And for me the potential is there to see when it comes to his long range game which is clear to see from his short cameo. And the more he plays in a deeper role the more I feel we'll see his long range passing ability improving further. In that deeper role he's the metronome and is playing the game at his own pace because there's no need to expend as much energy as he's been asked to do in prior games due to playing infront of the back-line and acting as the conductor/connector and staying positionally disciplined.

The thing I'm looking forward to most about his development is if he can bring all his attributes together at first team level. Because if he brings his passing ability, ball carrying ability along with his ability to maintain a high intensity throughout a game consistently at first team level, then we've got one hell of a prospect on our hands imo. But he has to maintain his current level and hopefully become a bigger influence in the Birmingham first team.

You can tell a player is a level above when they play the game at their own pace.

 

[izak]

FYI.

Thanks I'm happy he's getting a kick out there and being part of it, hope this loan helps him develop into what we all hope he can be.

 

[Grande]

That's what we're hoping for, and the role the Birmingham head coach Eustace utilised him in against Blackburn off the bench where he deployed him in a deeper role as the #6 against Blackburn's compact low block is a good role for him imo, where his ability to play long passes becomes more pronounced. And he hit a few lovely long passes in the game where on one occasion the Birmingham player unfortunately failed to read the flight off the pass. And he has that in his locker but unfortunately we never got to see enough of it because he was used in advanced areas of the pitch when he arrived at the club as a 16 year old. But at Monaco he was utilised as the deep lying playmaker in the build up phase. And imo that was due to how rounded he was as a footballer compared to the likes of Levitt and Garner who just didn't have the ball carrying ability along with a passing range.

I've never been worried about his temperament @Sea-Cow because I feel his fiery nature can be help him rather than hinder him going forward. Maybe he may receive a red card soon but I don't believe his temperament is going to hinder him. Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, Wayne Rooney and Alan Smith were far worse for us but that was because they were so driven to succeed which meant playing on the edge came naturally to them.

The highlights below are from his short cameo off the bench against Blackburn where he came on to initiate attacks from a deeper role. And for me the potential is there to see when it comes to his long range game which is clear to see from his short cameo. And the more he plays in a deeper role the more I feel we'll see his long range passing ability improving further. In that deeper role he's the metronome and is playing the game at his own pace because there's no need to expend as much energy as he's been asked to do in prior games due to playing infront of the back-line and acting as the conductor/connector and staying positionally disciplined.

The thing I'm looking forward to most about his development is if he can bring all his attributes together at first team level. Because if he brings his passing ability, ball carrying ability along with his ability to maintain a high intensity throughout a game consistently at first team level, then we've got one hell of a prospect on our hands imo. But he has to maintain his current level and hopefully become a bigger influence in the Birmingham first team.

Yea, that was an interesting watch. Agree about the long range capability. If he gets some more experience with when to strike the ball not to have it intercepted, and a bit more technically sound teammates, that can be a very useful weapon with a central
midfielder.

 

[GreatDane]

That's what we're hoping for, and the role the Birmingham head coach Eustace utilised him in against Blackburn off the bench where he deployed him in a deeper role as the #6 against Blackburn's compact low block is a good role for him imo, where his ability to play long passes becomes more pronounced. And he hit a few lovely long passes in the game where on one occasion the Birmingham player unfortunately failed to read the flight off the pass. And he has that in his locker but unfortunately we never got to see enough of it because he was used in advanced areas of the pitch when he arrived at the club as a 16 year old. But at Monaco he was utilised as the deep lying playmaker in the build up phase. And imo that was due to how rounded he was as a footballer compared to the likes of Levitt and Garner who just didn't have the ball carrying ability along with a passing range.

I've never been worried about his temperament @Sea-Cow because I feel his fiery nature can be help him rather than hinder him going forward. Maybe he may receive a red card soon but I don't believe his temperament is going to hinder him. Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, Wayne Rooney and Alan Smith were far worse for us but that was because they were so driven to succeed which meant playing on the edge came naturally to them.

The highlights below are from his short cameo off the bench against Blackburn where he came on to initiate attacks from a deeper role. And for me the potential is there to see when it comes to his long range game which is clear to see from his short cameo. And the more he plays in a deeper role the more I feel we'll see his long range passing ability improving further. In that deeper role he's the metronome and is playing the game at his own pace because there's no need to expend as much energy as he's been asked to do in prior games due to playing infront of the back-line and acting as the conductor/connector and staying positionally disciplined.

The thing I'm looking forward to most about his development is if he can bring all his attributes together at first team level. Because if he brings his passing ability, ball carrying ability along with his ability to maintain a high intensity throughout a game consistently at first team level, then we've got one hell of a prospect on our hands imo. But he has to maintain his current level and hopefully become a bigger influence in the Birmingham first team.

I realise that you can't predict the future, but you mention his ball carrying ability - combined with him playing deeper could he be one ETH develops into his version of De Jong v2 in your opinion?

 

[Wumminator]

Am I right in saying we’ve got four talented youngsters on loan at championship clubs who are all playing regularly (at least semi) at the moment?

 

[Bertie Wooster]

I'm delighted that his loan is going well so far.

I've loved watching him in the academy / U21's, and had no doubts he'd impress with his technical ability and work rate at Birmingham if given opportunities by the manager. I just worried if he'd get those opportunities, and whether he could channel his fiery temperament to be a positive in his first senior loan rather than him being viewed as a loose cannon and likely red card.

Thankfully, everything seems to be going well on the temperament front as well, and he's definitely got plenty of positive attributes as a CM/AM with his mix of technical ability, work rate and will to win and so I'm not surprised plenty there seem fond and impressed by him.

I definitely think he has what it takes to be a member of our first team squad. He has the technical ability to play at a high level, and always shows the kind of work rate and commitment that our players are beginning to show under ETH.

 

[Bwuk]

Am I right in saying we’ve got four talented youngsters on loan at championship clubs who are all playing regularly (at least semi) at the moment?

Amad - Sunderland
Hannibal - Birmingham
Fernandez - Preston
Laird - QPR

I think they are all doing well. Amad probably the least so.

 

[Adnan]

I realise that you can't predict the future, but you mention his ball carrying ability - combined with him playing deeper could he be one ETH develops into his version of De Jong v2 in your opinion?

He could potentially develop into a similar type of player who also has the ability to evade the press and carry the ball through the defensive and middle thirds in a deep roaming playmaker type of role. And that is a role that I feel is required in the game today where the opponent is placing heavy emphasis on defending from the front which makes the deep roaming playmaker a key player in the build up phase, and hence helps circumnavigate the opponents high pressure. And when you have players like that in the team with those attributes, then the opponent will think twice before committing to a full on high press.

Frenkie de Jong is a fantastic player who is far ahead of Hannibal and has achieved quite a bit in his career thus far being 6 years older. But if we dig a little deeper and see where de Jong was in his development curve as a footballer at a similar age, then it's clear to see that Ajax bought him as a 18 year old, who hadn't established himself in the Willem II team at the time. Ajax then immediately loaned him back to Willem II, where he only made one substitute appearance against PEC Zwolle. The loan was terminated in January that season and he returned to Ajax where he spent a couple of seasons jumping between the first and second team and only established himself in the Ajax first team after two years. He was 20 years old when he established himself as a regular first team player in the Dutch top flight.

So the development curve isn't always linear, and sometimes as a club you have to be patient and play the long game because when you send a player on loan to a club like Willem ll and he only makes one appearance off the subs bench, then the fans will start questioning the player. So credit to Ajax, but it also helps that de Jong was in a more tranquil environment compared to the ridicule and scrutiny he'd be under at Manchester United. Our fans would've written de Jong off upon learning that he couldn't even break into the Willem II first 11.

 

[red woppit]

Amad - Sunderland
Hannibal - Birmingham
Fernandez - Preston
Laird - QPR

I think they are all doing well. Amad probably the least so.

Yes, the loans are going quite well. Mowbray seems to think a lot of Amad, and you can see his skill level is phenomenal, but he has to get used to the physicality of the Championship, and get himself more involved in games, I'm sure he will be vastly improved by the end of the season, but may still need another loan next season.
Hannibal seems to be a bit of a crowd favourite at St Andrews, primarily, I think, because he gives everything on the pitch. I'm pleased to see his progress so far, and he seems intelligent enough to be able to continue to learn, and have a bigger impact on each match. I believe that he will become a squad member of United next season, and will eventually become a very integral part of our team.
Fernandez has looked excellent going forward, but not quite so good defensively so far, from what I've seen. He has an abundance of skill, and is very creative, I don't think it will be too long before he scores his first goal for Preston. But if he is to play as a left back, then he will need to go on loan next season, and play in a back four.
Laird is looking very good for QPR, scoring and creating goals, and looks to be better defensively, in the small amount I've seen. I was pleased with the hamstring injury scare recently, that he only missed one game, and it won't become a big issue for him in his career.
I'm sure he will become a squad member next season and with Dalot looking better this season, we could have the RB position sown up for a number of years.

 

[GreatDane]

He could potentially develop into a similar type of player who also has the ability to evade the press and carry the ball through the defensive and middle thirds in a deep roaming playmaker type of role. And that is a role that I feel is required in the game today where the opponent is placing heavy emphasis on defending from the front which makes the deep roaming playmaker a key player in the build up phase, and hence helps circumnavigate the opponents high pressure. And when you have players like that in the team with those attributes, then the opponent will think twice before committing to a full on high press.

Frenkie de Jong is a fantastic player who is far ahead of Hannibal and has achieved quite a bit in his career thus far being 6 years older. But if we dig a little deeper and see where de Jong was in his development curve as a footballer at a similar age, then it's clear to see that Ajax bought him as a 18 year old, who hadn't established himself in the Willem II team at the time. Ajax then immediately loaned him back to Willem II, where he only made one substitute appearance against PEC Zwolle. The loan was terminated in January that season and he returned to Ajax where he spent a couple of seasons jumping between the first and second team and only established himself in the Ajax first team after two years. He was 20 years old when he established himself as a regular first team player in the Dutch top flight.

So the development curve isn't always linear, and sometimes as a club you have to be patient and play the long game because when you send a player on loan to a club like Willem ll and he only makes one appearance off the subs bench, then the fans will start questioning the player. So credit to Ajax, but it also helps that de Jong was in a more tranquil environment compared to the ridicule and scrutiny he'd be under at Manchester United. Our fans would've written de Jong off upon learning that he couldn't even break into the Willem II first 11.

Thanks. Hannibal looks really interesting so I hope he makes it.

 

[Lay]

Has he calmed down a bit? Seemed to be a walking red card

 

[Adam-Utd]

Has he calmed down a bit? Seemed to be a walking red card

He was never as bad as it was made out. He simply got the shit kicked out of him in the reserves and referees never took it seriously. Sometimes he would lash out in frustration.

No surprise that in any proper league with an awake referee you can't get away with that.

 

[dubplate warrior]

I would say his play under pressure is very encouraging. I really feel Garner and Mejbri have skills that we needed in our midfield. I just know that after watching Scotty and Fred for several seasons, they don’t have the quality on the ball to be in the first 11 at United. Maybe Mejbri can step up.

I was laughed at for suggesting last season that he didn't look all that, but I still fail to see anything about Garner which is actually anything to shout about. Hannibal at the least is imposing himself on the game and playing through the lines. He'll be a premier league footballer for sure but where exactly is anyone's guess.

 

[M Bison]

That's what we're hoping for, and the role the Birmingham head coach Eustace utilised him in against Blackburn off the bench where he deployed him in a deeper role as the #6 against Blackburn's compact low block is a good role for him imo, where his ability to play long passes becomes more pronounced. And he hit a few lovely long passes in the game where on one occasion the Birmingham player unfortunately failed to read the flight off the pass. And he has that in his locker but unfortunately we never got to see enough of it because he was used in advanced areas of the pitch when he arrived at the club as a 16 year old. But at Monaco he was utilised as the deep lying playmaker in the build up phase. And imo that was due to how rounded he was as a footballer compared to the likes of Levitt and Garner who just didn't have the ball carrying ability along with a passing range.

I've never been worried about his temperament @Sea-Cow because I feel his fiery nature can be help him rather than hinder him going forward. Maybe he may receive a red card soon but I don't believe his temperament is going to hinder him. Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, Wayne Rooney and Alan Smith were far worse for us but that was because they were so driven to succeed which meant playing on the edge came naturally to them.

The highlights below are from his short cameo off the bench against Blackburn where he came on to initiate attacks from a deeper role. And for me the potential is there to see when it comes to his long range game which is clear to see from his short cameo. And the more he plays in a deeper role the more I feel we'll see his long range passing ability improving further. In that deeper role he's the metronome and is playing the game at his own pace because there's no need to expend as much energy as he's been asked to do in prior games due to playing infront of the back-line and acting as the conductor/connector and staying positionally disciplined.

The thing I'm looking forward to most about his development is if he can bring all his attributes together at first team level. Because if he brings his passing ability, ball carrying ability along with his ability to maintain a high intensity throughout a game consistently at first team level, then we've got one hell of a prospect on our hands imo. But he has to maintain his current level and hopefully become a bigger influence in the Birmingham first team.

thanks for posting the vid, like many I’m keen to see his development and really hope he makes the cut.

The worry I’d have looking at that clip is the amount of time he gives the ball away, and sometimes needlessly. It’s great to see a 50 yard ping but sometimes a 5-10 yard pass is the better option. I’m sure that decision making will come through experience and can be also be coached to a degree but you can see why a loan was the right move for him, in spite of the McFred issue.

 

[footballbite]

More like arrogant. They with knowingly little knowledge of a player have the arrogance to be an authority. I don't get why people cannot simply not have an opinion on something they know little about. Whenever I know my knowledge on something is questionable compared to others, I don't feel the need to chime in. And if I do, but am corrected, I simply take their correction.

I would say that it's also arrogant to assume that just because you've had the questionable / suspicious inclination to go as far as watch a player in random Tunisian internationals that it automatically means your evaluation of said player is any more valid than that of someone who has still watched a decent number of games but not as many.

There are posters who can manage to watch a player all the time and yet still hold baffling opinions - just look at how far some posters on this forum have gone trying to defend dross like Donny van de Beek for instance.

I'm entitled to my opinion. You can ignore it if you wish. But instead of some posters doing that they've gone a step further and displayed, yes the "arrogance", of trying to dismiss it because supposedly there's some unexplained number of times you have to watch a player before you're allowed to come to your own opinion.

 

[criticalanalysis]

I was laughed at for suggesting last season that he didn't look all that, but I still fail to see anything about Garner which is actually anything to shout about. Hannibal at the least is imposing himself on the game and playing through the lines. He'll be a premier league footballer for sure but where exactly is anyone's guess.

I think there was quite a few, myself included, who were not impressed with Garner. He seems to me a player, who is best when facing the ball and with space in front of him. He can definitely be useful but in a congested midfield, where you want your players, who can receive on the turn, be nimble with the feet AND be expansive with the ball by carrying and passing, Garner always looked 'limited' to me. Ideally, you basically want your midfielders to have the touch of a 10, the work rate of a box to box, the passing of a metronome and also be proactive with progressive balls between the lines. You don't need to elite in all those categories, just good enough to be able to do those things at will i.e not when the opposition or situation in the game suits you. Casemiro is basically the perfect example right now.

It's why I have high hopes of Hannibal as he can do all those things with his base quality. I'm not sure if he has the natural passing range (?) but right now he could be a combative '8' box to box type, which is very valuable too.

 

[In Rainbows]

I would say that it's also arrogant to assume that just because you've had the questionable / suspicious inclination to go as far as watch a player in random Tunisian internationals that it automatically means your evaluation of said player is any more valid than that of someone who has still watched a decent number of games but not as many.

There are posters who can manage to watch a player all the time and yet still hold baffling opinions - just look at how far some posters on this forum have gone trying to defend dross like Donny van de Beek for instance.

I'm entitled to my opinion. You can ignore it if you wish. But instead of some posters doing that they've gone a step further and displayed, yes the "arrogance", of trying to dismiss it because supposedly there's some unexplained number of times you have to watch a player before you're allowed to come to your own opinion.

I probably wouldn't have said anything if you didn't say "you have more time than me, maybe you're a bit overinvested, overly biased, etc..."

I think the problem is that if you haven't watched much of the player (6-10 times), then how are you able to say a player is a liability at times, has tunnel vision, and haven't seen him display great passing range? To establish his tunnel vision, it requires far more games for that to be a trend and for you to be able to state that negative quality as something that's to be expected. On the other hand, with so few matches how can you even establish what passing range he's capable of? There will be matches where he won't display huge passing range (although I've seen him do it lots of times), but as you haven't seen a lot of his matches you really shouldn't be all that confident in what you think the player can offer.

I personally don't expect him or any young player to display their entire arsenal from the start when playing against men. It is a huge step up, and there is an adjustment each player must make. Something as simple as a touch to get away from your defender needs an adjustment period because the men you play against will be able to get to that ball faster than if you were to play against people your age.

Then there is the mental aspect where as a young player you just want playing time. You might be more conservative because you don't want to ruin any potential playing time. You don't want fans to get on your back, nor do you want to upset your coach. So a player might start off with no flashiness to his game. Not everyone is like that, but it's not something you should expect from every young player making the step up.

So if Hannibal hasn't wowed you from the start, it really means nothing. Let the kid establish himself, let him gain confidence, and we'll see what he's capable of at the end of the season.

 

[syrian_scholes]

I would say that it's also arrogant to assume that just because you've had the questionable / suspicious inclination to go as far as watch a player in random Tunisian internationals that it automatically means your evaluation of said player is any more valid than that of someone who has still watched a decent number of games but not as many.

There are posters who can manage to watch a player all the time and yet still hold baffling opinions - just look at how far some posters on this forum have gone trying to defend dross like Donny van de Beek for instance.

I'm entitled to my opinion. You can ignore it if you wish. But instead of some posters doing that they've gone a step further and displayed, yes the "arrogance", of trying to dismiss it because supposedly there's some unexplained number of times you have to watch a player before you're allowed to come to your own opinion.

I don't think the problem was your opinion on the player, it was how you communicated said opinion.

 

[sglowrider]

He was never as bad as it was made out. He simply got the shit kicked out of him in the reserves and referees never took it seriously. Sometimes he would lash out in frustration.

No surprise that in any proper league with an awake referee you can't get away with that.

I remembered a couple of times, he had his hair pulled too.

 

[sglowrider]

I realise that you can't predict the future, but you mention his ball carrying ability - combined with him playing deeper could he be one ETH develops into his version of De Jong v2 in your opinion?

I see him more like Bryan Robson than an FDJ.

 

[Bondi77]

I see him more like Bryan Robson than an FDJ.

Bryan Robson???
How is he like Robbo?

 

[Glorio]

I would say that it's also arrogant to assume that just because you've had the questionable / suspicious inclination to go as far as watch a player in random Tunisian internationals that it automatically means your evaluation of said player is any more valid than that of someone who has still watched a decent number of games but not as many.

There are posters who can manage to watch a player all the time and yet still hold baffling opinions - just look at how far some posters on this forum have gone trying to defend dross like Donny van de Beek for instance.

I'm entitled to my opinion. You can ignore it if you wish. But instead of some posters doing that they've gone a step further and displayed, yes the "arrogance", of trying to dismiss it because supposedly there's some unexplained number of times you have to watch a player before you're allowed to come to your own opinion.

Do you have something against internationals or is it just Tunisia?

Why is a Tunisian international game random when they've played, and progressed far in 2 major international tournaments that Hannibal has been a part of?

The fact that you see watching them as questionable or suspicious is either incredibly arrogant or ignorant (and that's being kind). But go ahead, carry on digging

 

[sglowrider]

Bryan Robson???
How is he like Robbo?

Based on my memories of Robbo -- Hannibal also likes to pick up the ball and drive forward. Likes to be constantly involved in the game -- competitive. Given the freedom, I can see him being a box-to-box player.
Plus they both had curly hair at one stage.