Hannibal Mejbri - Manchester United Player

Bertie Wooster

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I don’t know... but surely people would go and watch Amad and Mejbri in bigger numbers than travel to watch League Two clubs? Remember, they would be playing pro football now for points and cups in a proper league format.

Also... being brutally honest I don’t really care about League One/Two teams I care about what’s best for United
I've got mates who support some lower league clubs, and have a soft spot for one or two clubs as well at those levels and so visit their fan sites, etc - and the vast majority definitely wouldn’t choose to have the U21/B teams added to the leagues and taking away places from other clubs.

There seems to be huge resentment about the U21's even being in the EFL Trophy, and suspicion that it's the first step to getting the B Teams into the league.

Clearly it would be a good idea from the PL viewpoint, and player development. But, although I'm not fond of the OTT, chip on the shoulder attitude of the way some lower league fans view the top teams, I can see why they wouldn't want the B teams taking up plenty of spaces in the football league and so reducing the spots avaliable to others.
 

Lentwood

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I've got mates who support some lower league clubs, and have a soft spot for one or two clubs as well at those levels and so visit their fan sites, etc - and the vast majority definitely wouldn’t choose to have the U21/B teams added to the leagues and taking away places from other clubs.

There seems to be huge resentment about the U21's even being in the EFL Trophy, and suspicion that it's the first step to getting the B Teams into the league.

Clearly it would be a good idea from the PL viewpoint, and player development. But, although I'm not fond of the OTT, chip on the shoulder attitude of the way some lower league fans view the top teams, I can see why they wouldn't want the B teams taking up plenty of spaces in the football league and so reducing the spots avaliable to others.
I accept this but at some level, this is sport and unfortunately, sport is about meritocracy and survival of the fittest.

My concern is in helping young players develop. I’m not really interested in whether that’s the best possible thing for some journeyman League Two footballer or football club
 

Ali Dia

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I accept this but at some level, this is sport and unfortunately, sport is about meritocracy and survival of the fittest.

My concern is in helping young players develop. I’m not really interested in whether that’s the best possible thing for some journeyman League Two footballer or football club
i have to agree and it should improve the quality of the product overall. I can see both sides of the argument but it has to be better for football in England if these better players are released for a season or two to learn the basics about surviving at a smaller club down the ladder because that’s where a lot of them will actually end up. Even if you could only do it with English players that would still be progress.
 

Bertie Wooster

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Richardson was a fecking disgrace all night. Smiling as he ticked them off. There could have been 2 reds but nope he gave Amad a yellow for a tug back
Yeah, it's ludicrous.

It's been driving me mad for years how, at senior level, many dirty players seem to get away with their rough style game after game yet silly offences, and often the first foul by a sub, warrants a booking.

But it's especially infuriating at youth level. What these refs are letting players get away with on the most skilful players is outrageous. And Hannibal is getting it worse than most. Credit to him for how he's improved his temperament when dealing with it this season, but I'll be absolutely gutted if he's picked up a serious injury because of it. Something really needs to be done about the officiating.
 

Adnan

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He won't have much of a career if he carries on playing in the u23s, with Sunday League referees in charge.
 

Inigo Montoya

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Yeah, it's ludicrous.

It's been driving me mad for years how, at senior level, many dirty players seem to get away with their rough style game after game yet silly offences, and often the first foul by a sub, warrants a booking.

But it's especially infuriating at youth level. What these refs are letting players get away with on the most skilful players is outrageous. And Hannibal is getting it worse than most. Credit to him for how he's improved his temperament when dealing with it this season, but I'll be absolutely gutted if he's picked up a serious injury because of it. Something really needs to be done about the officiating.
Short of going out in armour plate on his legs, I’m not seeing how he’s going to avoid it.
Think he needs to get a bit clever and lay the ball off a bit quicker then receive it in space. Like Grealish, he likes to run at people with the ball. Will get a lot of stick
 

Poborsky's hair

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Modric comparisons okay, but I think he's got lots from Grealish too, Superb dribbler-midfielder playing with his head up drawing countless fouls. I don't care we bought VdB Mejbri should be getting a cameo very soon, or at least a bench.
 
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Anustart89

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That's just pathetic, he was kicked so many times off the ball too. Wish ref had balls to call out his bs.
He doesn’t even need balls. He just needs to follow the laws of the game and not be a twat.

I saw at least three fouls in that clip that were so late and forceful that they deserved a yellow even as a first foul in the first minute, and I take it none of them were given?
 

Adnan

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I admire this kids courage and attitude that even after getting kicked from pillar to post he carries on playing his natural game which is a fantastic trait to have for a young player.
 

AltiUn

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He doesn’t even need balls. He just needs to follow the laws of the game and not be a twat.

I saw at least three fouls in that clip that were so late and forceful that they deserved a yellow even as a first foul in the first minute, and I take it none of them were given?
There were 3 identical fouls within about a minute, for the last one the referee somehow gave the foul again Hannibal. We need to complain about that referee, he doesn't have the integrity to oversee football matches, laughing with the Blackburn players when he reluctantly had to book them was the icing on the cake. What kind of psychopath actually enjoys watching a 18 year old get the shit kicked out of him for 90 minutes?
 

sglowrider

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There were 3 identical fouls within about a minute, for the last one the referee somehow gave the foul again Hannibal. We need to complain about that referee, he doesn't have the integrity to oversee football matches, laughing with the Blackburn players when he reluctantly had to book them was the icing on the cake. What kind of psychopath actually enjoys watching a 18 year old get the shit kicked out of him for 90 minutes?
A cnut?

I used to play rugby when I was younger and we certainly weren't allowed to get away with this type of shite. Having said that I did get sent off for hacking someone with the boots ... but only after someone kneed me up my tail bone (which was later fractured.)

Otherwise, that shite on Hannibal is uncalled for -- sadly its not the first time watching that sort of tackling happen. He seems to get it constantly in the matches I have watched.
 

Bobade

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I accept this but at some level, this is sport and unfortunately, sport is about meritocracy and survival of the fittest.

My concern is in helping young players develop. I’m not really interested in whether that’s the best possible thing for some journeyman League Two footballer or football club
You should be interested, in my opinion. Football isn't only about the big, rich teams. I love Man United, but I have seen how much supporters of League Two clubs love their team as well (often a lot more than many Premier League fans).

Is their club not very important just because we want to develop our young players ? There are many options for us to do this at the moment.
 

gajender

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I accept this but at some level, this is sport and unfortunately, sport is about meritocracy and survival of the fittest.

My concern is in helping young players develop. I’m not really interested in whether that’s the best possible thing for some journeyman League Two footballer or football club
If that's the case which ever Club wants the B team can start from bottom of the football pyramid and work their way up from there because after all it's about meritocracy and survival of the fittest why should they get preferential treatment and be parachuted directly in EFL league 1 or 2 assuming all the stake holders agree on that.
 

holdsteady

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Seems like most sides in the league have seen the red card Hannibal was sent off for (kicking out after a bad challenge) from earlier in the year and have deliberately targeted him hoping he'll do it again.
 

DomesticTadpole

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Just watched the game over again. How many times can one player get kicked. Loved the little interchanges with him, Amad and Harvey Neville.
 

RedDevil@84

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Left in a protective boot.
Is this allowed so that the kids would man up to face the rigours of PL?

We need talented kids to grow their technical skills and abilities. If we allow hacking and pushing at that level, they will be too focused on building the physicality.
 

Adnan

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Kid is a warrior.
He's displaying elite mentality and even after getting the crap kicked out of him he gets up and wants the ball.

Fergie once said that one of the things he looked at when evaluating young players is how they react after getting a kick, and if they're un-phased, then that is a sign of a Manchester United player.
 
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Bojan Djordjic

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He's displaying elite mentality and even after getting the crap kicked out of him he gets up and wants the ball.

Fergie once said that one of the things he looked at when evaluating young players is how they react after getting a kick and how they react after. And if they're un-phased then that is a sign of a Manchester United player.
Yeah but its nonsense in fairness. Imagine kicking Roy Keane and him being unfazed. Ask Alf Inge Haaland how that worked out for him.
 

Adnan

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Yeah but its nonsense in fairness. Imagine kicking Roy Keane and him being unfazed. Ask Alf Inge Haaland how that worked out for him.
Keane was knocked out by Brian Clough and the former Forest manager had him on the ground in the dressing room due to Keane infuriating him by passing the ball back to the keeper.

But you've missed the point here. Why Fergie said what I shared in my previous post was because he wants to see if the young player carries on showing his skill/flair or hides after being intimidated by the opposition. So in this scenario Hannibal never hid but was un-phased by the intimidatory tactics.
 
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In Rainbows

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The refs are surely instructed to be lenient on players. The logic is that a match is a better development match if it's 11v11 as opposed to giving out a red and making it 11v10.

They need to rethink that logic. U23s should be learning to simulate a first team match, and letting them injure players does nobody any good.
 

Rozay

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The refs are surely instructed to be lenient on players. The logic is that a match is a better development match if it's 11v11 as opposed to giving out a red and making it 11v10.

They need to rethink that logic. U23s should be learning to simulate a first team match, and letting them injure players does nobody any good.
Not to mention the most obvious issue that players can’t possibly develop their abilities if they need to miss 6months a year injured - which happens to a large number of youth players we seem to be bringing in of late. The refs need to sort their shit out.