As we assessed our midfield options and shortcomings at the start of the season, Hannibal was basically absent from the conversation. Most of our collective hopes from the youth team were projected on Kobbie Mainoo. I guess this is partly because Mejbri has been around long enough for novelty to no longer work in his favour; partly because (on an otherwise apparently successful loan spell at Birmingham) he didn't rip up trees as conspicuously as Amad at Sunderland; partly because the salient gaps in our midfield are control and progression from deep, whereas Hannibal looks like a dynamic 8.
Anyway, there was the lovely goal in the cameo against Brighton, where the gloom of the team's performance perhaps prevented us from dwelling on his display. And against Burnley, I thought he had a very encouraging game for a young player with little first team experience. Brought in, according to the manager, for his energy, it looked pretty clear to me that his technical level is comfortably superior to McTominay's (another 'there for his energy' player). Another couple of games like that and he should be above McT in the pecking order.
Thoughts?
Hannibal Mejbri
posted on 25/9/23
comment by BerbaKing11 (U6256)
posted 14 minutes ago
"partly because the salient gaps in our midfield are control and progression from deep, whereas Hannibal looks like a dynamic 8."
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I agree, but we'd signed Mount in order to switch to having two dynamic 8's ahead of a single sitting midfielder.
So if what ETH wanted to add another dynamic 8, you have to wonder if we'd have been better off giving Hannibal a season, saving the money spent on Mount and investing elsewhere in the squad.
It's notable that whenever ETH wants to change his midfield, he puts McTominay at #10 and drop Bruno into the double pivot (for his desire to get on the ball and orchestrate). If that's such an important role for an ETH team then again I have to question why we went in for Mount and then left Amrabat to the dying seconds of the window.
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Could it be that he just puts Bruno back there when we're chasing a goal late on and he needs a 'hero ball' to make things happen? I suspect he's usually looking for more control from there.
posted on 25/9/23
comment by Diafol Coch 77 🏴 (U2462)
posted 7 minutes ago
comment by BerbaKing11 (U6256)
posted 14 minutes ago
"partly because the salient gaps in our midfield are control and progression from deep, whereas Hannibal looks like a dynamic 8."
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I agree, but we'd signed Mount in order to switch to having two dynamic 8's ahead of a single sitting midfielder.
So if what ETH wanted to add another dynamic 8, you have to wonder if we'd have been better off giving Hannibal a season, saving the money spent on Mount and investing elsewhere in the squad.
It's notable that whenever ETH wants to change his midfield, he puts McTominay at #10 and drop Bruno into the double pivot (for his desire to get on the ball and orchestrate). If that's such an important role for an ETH team then again I have to question why we went in for Mount and then left Amrabat to the dying seconds of the window.
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Could it be that he just puts Bruno back there when we're chasing a goal late on and he needs a 'hero ball' to make things happen? I suspect he's usually looking for more control from there.
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I don't think so - he's done it from the start of games as well.
posted on 25/9/23
I think he has potential, i like his dynamism and directness, something we lack in the middle, but his temperament worries me.
He’s clearly extremely raw, gave the ball away in bad areas at times, wrong decision making, poor pass at a key moment in attack, but you can level that at even our best players.
posted on 25/9/23
comment by Busby (U19985)
posted 2 minutes ago
I think he has potential, i like his dynamism and directness, something we lack in the middle, but his temperament worries me.
He’s clearly extremely raw, gave the ball away in bad areas at times, wrong decision making, poor pass at a key moment in attack, but you can level that at even our best players.
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You should keep this in drafts! It'll cover a lot of eventualities!
posted on 25/9/23
Player with bags of potential but also a nasty streak too, I don't mind the latter too much as long as he channels the aggression in the right way. Appears to have an all round game with an eye for goal.
posted on 25/9/23
comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 1 hour, 51 minutes ago
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 2 minutes ago
I can see why McTominay gets compared to Fletcher: both home-grown, Scottish midfielders not known for, shall we say, their technical flamboyance. But when he reached maturity as a player, Darren Fletcher was a very, very good defensive midfielder. Unfortunately, proportionately much more of his career ended up being the ups and downs of breaking into the team. We basically got to see an early career and about a season and a half of mid-career, and that was it. As VC says, McTominay just isn't at Fletcher's level.
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I am still struggling to see one part of his game he is actually good at.
For a big lad he is physically weak. He does not dominate in the air. He doesn’t track runners. His sprint speed is similar to Mata. He does not read the game or look up when he runs with the ball.
He quite literally makes my eyes bleed when watching him.
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I guess running a lot without fading physically toward the end of matches is something he has that unfortunately doesn't apply to all of our players.
He's also not a bad ball striker.
posted on 25/9/23
But he doesn't run a lot, I think that's been overstated massively. The Bayern games showed what he often does which is not press, and this was a player that had only recently come onto the pitch. Didn't see much of it against Burnley either.
posted on 25/9/23
Half decent so far, nothing more really. Let’s see how he does if he gets a run
posted on 25/9/23
comment by manutd1982 (U6633)
posted 1 hour, 15 minutes ago
But he doesn't run a lot, I think that's been overstated massively. The Bayern games showed what he often does which is not press, and this was a player that had only recently come onto the pitch. Didn't see much of it against Burnley either.
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Exactly. The running a lot is not a thing with McT.
posted on 25/9/23
comment by manutd1982 (U6633)
posted 1 hour, 18 minutes ago
But he doesn't run a lot, I think that's been overstated massively. The Bayern games showed what he often does which is not press, and this was a player that had only recently come onto the pitch. Didn't see much of it against Burnley either.
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He isn’t great at pressing, he isn’t quick, agile or read the game well enough.
However he isn’t bad at breaking up the play, as we saw against Burnley when he set up a couple of great counter attacking opportunities, which Hoijlund and Rashford messed up respectively.