If Ansu Fati can be given regular time at Barcelona (inc starting against Dortmund in CL) at the age of 16, this guy should be considered to start in our terrible midfield. Same with Garner. They can't do worse.
Hannibal Mejbri - Manchester United Player
- Thread starter IrishRedDevil
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
From an individual POV maybe but if you look at the general context, Barca aren't great. Should have lost that Dortmund and have only played Ansu because of injuries
Yes but at least they gave him chance to play. No harm doing that. Ole is all talk about giving chance to youth but keep playing them 80th mark
. Wth they gonna do in that time.Ansu Fati is playing because literally no one elses is available. He'll go right back to the B squad once Messi and Dembele are fit.
It's funny that you mention that because he's currently tearing it up in for Lyon's reserve in Nat 2 and had a game with 18 dribbles completed and a goal against Zenith in the Youth League so Lyon fans are asking for him to replace Cornet and Traore who haven't performed that well so far, Armand Garrido who spent 25 years training Lyon's U17 team was asked about this in interview and replied that it was unealthy for a 16 year old to be in a locker room with adults, hear them talk about adult stuff as well as leave the stadium with expensive cars, they would rather have a talented player remain with kids his age so that he remains humble and focused.
Whilst I don't think we should be fast tracking this lad so soon, we do not have a Messi or Dembele level of player to be keeping any youth players out of our midfield. Especially with Pogba injured
Throwing a young winger on a team that is used to have close to 70% ball possession every single game is a lot different than throwing a young midfielder into the mess that is Manchester United at the moment.
I don't think a player so young should have to deal with the negativity and backlash that playing for the 1st team currently brings.
Agree, I'm not advocating for throwing him in
Fabregas was thrown in at same age. I really can’t see how talented players like Mejbri and Garner can do WORSE than Matic. And if they actually do worse, they arent ruined as players after a couple games.
I've only seen the highlights videos on youtube of his games for our youth team. And I've only seen youtube videos of him before he joined us. But I'm very happy to see him make so many tackles in those highlight videos, sometimes players good on the ball are a bit of a luxury to the team. Doesnt look like the case with Meijbiri and will be solid defensively as well as a good passer who can dribble.
Good to know, and that seems a sensible approach when you consider how many gifted youngsters are side-tracked or overwhelmed while transitioning to senior football instead of being afforded the appropriate amount of space and time to progress organically in a down-to-earth and age-appropriate manner. The hype does seem to be out of control at the moment — I've only seen one match vs. Ajax, highlights vs. Zenit and assorted compilations/clips featuring Cherki, where he does look a cracking talent (if a bit in love with the ball and himself when he had simple passing opportunities) — but some lads on another forum were calling him the outstanding Platini/Zidane caliber of individual from his generation of French players, the greatest talent of the last 20-25 years, and better than Mbappé at the same age...is he really that good (consistency of development, fitness and professionalism permitting in the future) or is there a massive dollop of exaggeration and partisanship in those assessments?
He's completely different to Mbappe who has frightening levels of pace.
The Platini/Zidane comparisons could be closer if he ever makes the grade as he has that natural,smooth movement and plays with his head up finding passes. Very difficult to coach that;you either have it or don't
Aye, he certainly looks more of a Laudrup/Zidane type of technical playmaker who waltzes through the opposition and possesses the gift of la pausa on the ball than a Fenómeno/Henry type forward who knocks your socks off as a direct menace with outrageous acceleration — I was just relaying the general comparison I'd seen between the two on another forum by Ligue 1 posters, who can't/won't stop gushing over the kid and reckon he is better in his category than Mbappé in his at a similar age (which sounds incredulous because the latter has since taken football by storm and is one of the most accomplished of the modern era). How his athleticism, overall game and personality translates to the senior level remains to be seen, and if he has even 80% of Mbappé's overall impact...Cherki would go on to have an illustrious career, really.
He is the most talented French player ever, Espoirsdufoot was created 25 years hence why they said the best in 25 years rather than best ever.
If you were to compare him at 15/16 to what Zidane/Platini or Mbappe could do at his age then he's ahead yes.
Mbappe struggled in his first months in national 2 and took some months to adapt, he scored something like 2 goals in his first 10 games, Cherki already has 3 goals in 4 starts despite not playing striker like Mbappe used to and pretty much puts on a show whenenver he plays.
He makes it look easy no matter who the opposition is, it kind of always look like he's playing against children even though he's always the youngest player on the pitch.
I'd compare him to Neymar but he's got some qualities that even Neymar lacks, his strength especially is quite something, he never gets bullied off the ball and can resist challenges from much bigger players even when he's got his back to the goal.
The most impressive thing about him is his technical skill though, he's two-footed on top of that.
I wouldn't compare him to Laudrup or Zidane, he's much closer to Neymar/Hazard or even Messi style-wise.
Ok, thank you @BalanceUnAutreJoint. 
That sounds ridiculous about Cherki.
Ridiculous is a good way to describe him.
Watch his latest game in YL he completed 18 dribbles and won 20 challenges according to @Ftalentscout
His body strength and the way he goes easily past people reminds me of Dembele (the ex Spurs midfielder), just more attacking and technical of course
Thank you for posting this. I will keep telling myself that its just a Comp Vid, but he looks pretty freakin good.
Sorry Mason, you've been replaced by someone younger and with cooler hair. Hannibal is the new Great Hope!!
Sorry Mason, you've been replaced by someone younger and with cooler hair. Hannibal is the new Great Hope!!
We need to play him against Rochdale. Off the bench, of course
They can be worse, that hyperbole doesn’t help much.
Matic can at least head the ball, stand in the right positions defensively and retain possession (albeit with sideways passes)
Fabregas was coming into an established and successful side with the likes of Gilberto Silva and Patrick Vieira next to him and was kept entirely out of the league picture for a good while before he became a regular. Completely different set of circumstances.
1 start in the u18s and 1 sub appearance for the u23s, we should definitely be starting this kid. I don't know what ole is at?!
He is 16? The zenit players were bouncing off him. His close control reminded me of Ben arfa... Although it might be a lazy comparison with the lyon connection.
Yep you can’t see it. But there are people who know all too well the issues of throwing teenagers into struggling sides.
If only football management was so easy we’d all be doing it.
@Invictus I'm waiting
Sorry to stay off topic, but that kid looks incredible. Surely there is no chance of him joining United. Have Barca not been linked yet?
We need to sign this lad up as well. Very impressive for a 16 year old
We tried last summer, then he signed a new contract with Lyon.
Imagine in few years time our midfield could look like this:
Mctominay Hannibal
Maddison
Maddison
May be very good. May also not be.
Mctominay isn't exactly a dead cert top class player. Mejbri is just a kid. Would have to see how far he can reach. Maddison is the most established and I do rate him but again he's a bonafide soon to be global superstar of the game like, let's say, Pogba at Juve was set to be.
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Thanks for that, I missed the game on Monday. He looks really special given he's only 16. If he has the right attitude and mentality he could be ready for cup games before we know it as physically he's pretty well developed already.
Signed a senior contract with Lyon less than a month ago I believe.
So what exactly Mejbri is?
Flair midfield player ala Pogba?
All action midfielder ala Gerrard?
Neat passer ala Scholes?
No nonsense technical midfielder ala De Bruyne?
Can someone enlighten me?
Flair midfield player ala Pogba?
All action midfielder ala Gerrard?
Neat passer ala Scholes?
No nonsense technical midfielder ala De Bruyne?
Can someone enlighten me?
Mejbri can do all of it from what I've seen. He plays long balls, line breaking passes, can dribble, can shield the ball, can tackle and win the ball.
I'd like to think he would be a brilliant all-round midfielder and look like the type of midfielder who can control the matches. Perfect 6/8 CM.
Honestly I have no idea other than the highlights from this thread.
He kind of reminds me of Gerrard out of that list. Hard tackling, good passer and strong driving runs
Looks good in the videos which is something that's expected going by how highly he is rated by journalists and also by the club (going by the huge fee we paid to sign him).