16 Sep 2026 09:52:24
There seems to be a strange narrative from posters on here around JJ Gabriel that Manchester United somehow weren't providing him with a route towards the first team.
Gabriel joined United at 11. He progressed through the academy, became one of the standout players in his age group, moved into the U21 environment and was training around the first team at just 15. He scored 26 goals in 29 youth appearances last season, won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award and then started the current campaign with goals and assists for the U21s before scoring a hat-trick last week in the Youth European Cup.
That isn't a club hiding a player away in the academy. That's a club accelerating a player.
Another important point is that it was highly reported that Gabriel was expected to be involved in the first-team squad against Brighton tonight before his request to leave became public. United had therefore apparently reached the point where a genuine senior opportunity was potentially on the table.
A pathway has clearly been created for the lad.
United's approach appears to have been fairly logical IMO, Academy - U18 football - U21 football - first-team training - pre-season involvement - potential competitive senior squad involvement.
That's exactly how you would expect an elite club to develop a 15 year old.
You don't need to throw a teenager into 30 Premier League games overnight to demonstrate that he has a pathway.
The pathway is about continually increasing the level of exposure and responsibility.
Gabriel had already been training with senior players and had been involved around the first team. Ryan Giggs even publicly argued that he should continue developing around the senior squad rather than simply being sent away on loan.
So the idea that United were blocking his progression simply doesn't appear consistent with what has actually happened with his development.
And in terms of Academy players progressing into the senior team, no other club has given more debuts to academy players than Manchester United in the last 10 years, 46.
So for everything that is wrong with the club at the moment, this, IMO is not a stick that should be used to beat the club with.
16 Sep 2026 13:21:54
Good post, Ports.
16 Sep 2026 13:14:31
I'm sure it's Carricks fault. Sack him immediately!
16 Sep 2026 14:22:32
Nothing to do with 30 EPL games. If they had any sense, he would have been on the bench against such a poor team as Saba and given 10 mins at the end. It would have elated the kid, stepping on the pitch with 75k fans cheering him.
It would have also made him realise what he still needs to learn and do to get into Men's football.
It was a win win situation, but the club knows best!
16 Sep 2026 14:30:41
Eddy Howe is waiting, and it appears Conte is favourite... if Carrick continues like this, it won't be long.
16 Sep 2026 15:16:40
Nice1 Ports.
16 Sep 2026 16:16:22
Ah yes, because obviously the best way to develop a young player is to chuck him on for 10 minutes because there are 75,000 people in the stadium. Brilliant insight.
I'm sure the coaching staff, who see him train every day and have a much better idea of where he is physically, tactically and developmentally, simply hadn't considered the revolutionary concept of giving him a cameo.
There's a difference between wanting to see a talented kid get minutes and actually understanding what his development requires. "It would have made him realise what he needs to learn" is particularly good.
I'm sure the 10-minute appearance you've prescribed was the missing piece of the professional development plan. Much better than him playing 90 mins in the U19's competition and scoring a hat-trick!
16 Sep 2026 17:18:49
All great posts Ports. I think the other piece here is simply the question of whether the family feel the club is the right launch pad for him. When they sign the Pro contract they are giving their full backing to the club. Maybe they are looking at the full picture at the club and decided now that they should find a different place to develop.
This night not only be about the money, the first team minutes, the development plan right now.
Is the club headed in the right direction? Are they sure? First Pro contract is a big step, especially when every top club in Europe is courting you.
16 Sep 2026 18:18:03
Ports well word is he was going to be in squad and get mins tonight and this is a much harder game then Saba ever was so yes sticking on in a champs league game when we was coasting would have been far better and against very inferior players.
16 Sep 2026 18:50:57
From my side, this was an opportunity to lift the mood around the place and across the fanbase.
Would the club be using JJ a bit to get some positive news out, sure. But would JJ and any other player use United to get a better deal, absolutely. It is a two way street.
I just feel it is another episode of the club getting the decision so badly wrong, and there are the usual posters on here saying he we are better off without him etc.
17 Sep 2026 09:50:02
He literally couldn't play against Sabah so probably for the best we didn't break the rules to bring him on.