In a way yes but he's been more involved. They aren't getting him into the game by largely poor passes
U23s vs Blackburn
- Thread starter holdsteady
- Start date
2-1 Blackburn. We're our own worst enemy with our passing at times. We're falling all over the place 
We are by far the worst team defensively in the division.
That was inevitable given our lack of height in the team.
Today, yes. He has a very good chance of making it.
They take their chances;we haven't. Careless passing by Fernandez this time
He's been sloppy a few times recently
United's back line is afflicted with injuries, to be fair, but I guess that's typical of our U23s.
It's like we're actively trying to give goals away surely it can't be hard to tell them to stop launching it across our own box.
McCann unlucky not to score after a really good run.
surely it can't be hard to tell them to stop launching it across our own box.McCann unlucky not to score after a really good run.
Lovely goal
Good assist from Amad.
Mejbri is so clever and talented.
What a ball by Mejbri. Diallo pulls it back to Shoretire who finishes cooly.
What a pass from Hannibal to Diallo, who squares it to Shoretire, who cooly finishes from a few yards
This Blackburn team doesn't have much talent on their side. They've only led because they've made their hard work count with two gifted goals. United, however, have been a much better football team; they just need to be less sloppy.
The talent's there, but they need to focus more and not expect this to be an easy match.
The talent's there, but they need to focus more and not expect this to be an easy match.
It’s weird. We've always traditionally produced solid defenders for the first team and struggled to produce world class attackers but the last few crops the ones who made it/look most likely to make it are the attackers.
Mejbri ball, whether he meant to put it there or not, was amazing. think he has a shot at a first team debut next season?
Some pass by Hannibal 
2-2
2-2
Call me crazy but I think Hannibal could do very well for United 1st team if he got some minutes.
As Hardley is on the bench - why not sub him on for McCann- who has a yellow anyhow. Put Galbraith in the midfield pivot (where he belongs) and Hardley + Devine at CB ?
This has been an issue the entire season - even when we had our best players. But it's not small mistakes - they are dreadful over and over again. Levitts pass for the 0-1 goal is simply hard to understand. Going forward we are the best team in the league, defensively we are the weakest
Some lovely 1st touches from Diallo this game.
This will be Hardley's debut if he comes on. At this point, yeah, why not, but I'd understand if Wood is reluctant to put an U18 player in already.
He needs the space but I do think like Grealish, he makes a lot of spacer for himself. He'd be provoked though, that's my fear. He's got a temper
The weight and decision of Amad's passes is more or less 100% every time.
I don't deny that. The defence has been a problem in both the U23 and U18 levels. Regarding our best back line (Fish and Mengi in particular), the talent's there, but I think their application necessarily isn't. Maybe if United prioritised the results more, we'd see players work harder and be more focused for wins. As it stands, though, the opposition are often more willing to beat United than the other way around (until we go behind; then we kick it up a notch).
Very unselfish player. Takes the pressure of himself and releases it
He took a while to adjust to the level of physicality in the U23s. Because of that, I don't think that he'd be ready for the intensity of first-team football. He'd need to be eased in else he'll really struggle.
Amad Diallo, however, is ready for first team football, but we all knew that already.
Hannibal has been superb and our best player IMO. He didn't get the assist for the second goal but his excellent pass was what created that goal.
Not sure he meant it
Only one team wants to play good football, the other are just physical
Considering our makeshift defence, we did quite well. Two great goals too.. U23 is box office football at the moment.. never a dull moment
Did we? Based on 59mins at Atalanta and a good performance against a poor Liverpool?
Come on, this is far better than last week against a better organised side. So on tonight...so far that is..he could earn some minutes in the 1st team.
I'd say so, Mejbri is running the game for us
Try talking him out of it
I think he meant it having seen the replay. He played similar passes when he was at Monaco where he looked one way and pierces the line between the CB and fullback playing the ball in a difference direction.
He was going to go on loan to Parma last summer to play first-team football. Gasperini was also lining him up for Atalanta's first team in the near future. Even Ole has spoken about getting him involved with the first team this season. We can see that tonight as well with his mature decision-making and the ease with which he plays football.
He may not be our best player were he to play in our first team, but he'll play a part for sure.
I think the system's exactly like the first team's one in that it doesn't really offer the CBs a lot of protection, not to say they haven't been sloppy all season and they're certainly not blameless but we reguarly play with Mejbri and Puigmal as midfielders who spend most of the game in the opposition half and high attacking full backs which leaves our defenders exposed quite a lot.
Going forward we did really well. Mejbri, Shoretire and Diallo have been our standouts. Mejbri's going to be a fantastic player someday and Diallo's dribbling, weight of pass and first touch are excellent. Hugill's been quiet but done well when he's been on it. Closer to our goal you get the worse our performers have been, this hasn't been as difficult as the scoreline suggests but we're too eager to gift silly goals. Fernandez has been really poor, arguably his worst game for us and I'm not sure what's going on with Galbraith, McCann and Levitt's passing but my word ... hoping for a better collective half from the defence.
Hm, did you see Liverpool last game? But second worse, perhaps.
In my fairly decent, but clearly unprofessional eye, Hannibal is the real deal. I've said this exactly 4 times watching youth football (Apart from the clearly obvious ones) , and the other 3 were from the French Youth leagues when I was trying to learn French about 10 years ago. They've had... mixed careers. But I genuinely really think he has it all.