In his 12 minutes on the pitch, he looked lively when on the ball, maybe overly eager a few times, but handled the ball well. He looked the most dangerous attacking player the few minutes he was on. Mind you, Mount looked like he was Van Persie playing against junior league in the same minutes.
JJ Gabriel | 2026/27 Performances
- Thread starter Bastian
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Although he looked pretty quick in his 10 mins, JJ Gabriel is at the moment nowhere near close to being ready for first team so that would only be to satisfy his dad which is never a good sign.
We need to wait only two more months until the boy turns 16. Anyone who wants to see him play extended minutes this season is well advised to watch the U21 team.
He can be selected already I think. Max Dowman was significantly younger when he made his debut and he was still the second youngest debutant in the PL.
He can be selected, but Dowman was also a bigger guy. Yamal was similarly big as Dowman. JJ Gabriel is small even for his age group. It's just that he's so talented that despite the physical disadvantage, he's still impacting the game at a remarkable rate. If he were bigger/faster, his all around game would make a bigger fool out of the u18s last season.
You saw the difference against City in the FA Youth Cup Final. A couple of kids that played u19 and u21 reinforced the u18 City squad, and it made it much more difficult for JJ to impact the game. Because that happens in the FA Youth Cup as opposed to regular season u18 matches even though they're both u18.
Yeah, he can be selected this year.
He was 14 (madness!) at the beginning of last season. To be registered, the rules require players to have turned 15 by 31 August.
Was only 10 minutes and he did alright, he however looked like he is someway off being ready to play at this level. Could say it was maybe nerves but there was a lot of stumbling and just not looking physically ready for it.
Hopefully he gets a few more minutes in the remaining games so we can get a better look at him at this level. The best thing he did was that little drive where he had a give and go with Zirkzee. Showed a level of maturity there.
Hopefully he gets a few more minutes in the remaining games so we can get a better look at him at this level. The best thing he did was that little drive where he had a give and go with Zirkzee. Showed a level of maturity there.
Yeah I agree with that all. I don’t think he’s ready and I also don’t think we should pander to his father, but I’ve accepted that we will so I expect him to make an appearance in the next couple of months to claim that club record. Hopefully for him he develops rapidly.
Id expect a couple of cameos off the subs bench in the up coming season. Bed him in slowly. He needs to develop physically and mentally before hes a starter.
He looked like a child out there. Like when you’re playing a 5 a side game with your mates and one of them can’t leave their 8 yr old at home so they join in and everyone is super encouraging when they get the ball.
From what I’ve seen In the youth teams he definitely has talent but this isn’t gonna be another Dowman situation - he’s got a lot of maturing to do
From what I’ve seen In the youth teams he definitely has talent but this isn’t gonna be another Dowman situation - he’s got a lot of maturing to do
Is cameos off the bench at 15 "bedding him in slowly" now eh!
He’s very small. Noticeable in the u18s as well. That’s the way it should be. The vast majority of players are nowhere near the adults game at that age.
Sometimes you get kids who develop really quickly, like Rooney, but they are rare.
True, but the pressure of playing for Arsenal is nothing like the pressure of playing for United. And we need to be more careful with JJ than Arsenal does with Max.
This proves nothing, but my daughter works for a sportswear company in Singapore and travels throughout Asia and she reports that United shirts are seen everywhere, but Arsenal hardly anywhere. That doesn’t translate into pressure onto individual players, but there is absolutely no question that United are under a global microscope that Arsenal can only dream of. That microscope is a curse at times, and we’ve seen older players like Sancho and Onana crumble once they were put under that microscope.
All of this is to say that extended minutes this season for JJ will be found with the U21, but I do hope he gets to play in a few Carabao Cup games for us in 26/27.
Like a kid playing football
Physically he looked very much not ready. Like a kid, which he is. I was very much looking forward to his debut, but after seeing him side by side with grown men i really doubt he will be given many minutes this season.
Play him in U18 games and let him grow physically and mentally before exposing him to the full blooded professional game.
I think he'll feature in the Carabao Cup this year.
I'd put money on us having agreed a pathway with him before he commits to signing on.
I'd put money on us having agreed a pathway with him before he commits to signing on.
He got 3 proper attacks at goal.
All three came to nothing but at that point in the game he was the most attacking threat out there.
He looked nervous but was all over the pitch, looking for space and trying to attack the goal which no one else really was.
He slipped for one, imo probably got fouled by Hjulmund on another but it was in the penalty area so the ref was never going to give it and it had "dark darts" written all over it and another one resulted in a shot into a bunch of Atleti players.
The people saying he looked small out there... at this point it kind of feels like an agenda. He's literally taller than Lacey who you hear nothing about.
He got 10 minutes in a dying game. I think he did enough to warrant getting more minutes against PSG (perhaps with the group that will be on at around 60 minutes) but of course more first-teamers will be back.
I feel the same about Thwaites. He needs some proper minutes.
They must've done. He shouldn't be rushed, but you get the feeling his dad will happily ship him elsewhere if he isn't given game time.
Hopefully it is not in an ambulance!
Ideally I don’t think he would be getting minutes for the first team yet but the reality is there is no choice if the club wants to keep him so sure he will get a few cameos.
It is so hard to retain these young players now that this is what has to be done.
It is so hard to retain these young players now that this is what has to be done.
Give him some minutes with the first team off the bench
best way
best way
Don't think it's an agenda. When people talk about being small they're not talking about height, they're talking about frame and strength and how easily they get shrugged off the ball.
That’s not true. He’s literally 5ft 5 and Lacey is 5ft 9. Lacey is also about 10kg heavier.
JJ is small for his age group. He will end up with muscular injuries if you push him too fast too soon before he’s developed physically. In that what you want?
I don’t think that’s the right play unless the coaches think that he can handle it physically. I read somewhere that at age 15 youth players are at the most risk of muscular injuries, the type which lead to years of trying to shake them off.
I see what people are saying about his dad but there’s no proof of that and even if it is true, he could argue that JJ should get more financially because Man Utd played him with the first team. So he’s got the best of both worlds
He's only 15, he has a lot of growing to do yet.
Next 3 or 4 years physically he could get a lot of injuries if he's pushed into the mens game while his muscles are still growing, that could hamper him for the rest of his career.
Anyone expetcing him to and come in and make any kind of impact is deluded. Sit back, let the kid develop instead of trying to rush him, which is probably what the club will do. He'll play when he's ready.
It sounds like you're assuming/implying we're all saying he needs to be doing 90 minutes every week and if he's not first-choice LW by October the club failed him.
We're just saying that contrary to the people saying he has no business being around the first-team squad that he does have business being there, and either way he's going to be in the men's game next season one way or another given that u18 football is clearly a waste of time now. Pre-season is exactly when you want to be gauging his development. The club can't do that without playing him in proper games.
We're just saying that contrary to the people saying he has no business being around the first-team squad that he does have business being there, and either way he's going to be in the men's game next season one way or another given that u18 football is clearly a waste of time now. Pre-season is exactly when you want to be gauging his development. The club can't do that without playing him in proper games.
A man who speaks, or in this case writes, sense. The boy is 15 and needs to develop not only physically, but mentally, before we thrown him into the lion’s den of the prem.
Hopefully he is allowed to develop at a pace that doesn't harm him.
Impatience and promises from scum clubs won't be helpful.
Impatience and promises from scum clubs won't be helpful.
It's not about height, it's about mass. Lacey is much stockier while JJ just hasn't filled out yet. It'll come, but right now he he looks very lightweight for the senior game.
He's not ready for more than a few token minutes here and there but it's expected as at 15 years old it's very rare for any player to be near the first team. I think Carrick will give him a few mins here and there though as an incentive for him to stay. He's obviously one of the biggest talents we've had in a long time and the club are keen to secure his future.
He'll mostly play for the academy with rare team first team minutes. Ideally you let him grow in the academy but give him enough minutes so he learns his weaknesses.
He's close to being ready to start the process and it should be a long process not a case of 'ready now' and sink and swim.
You’re all too afraid of him leaving.
The boy, that’s what he is, shouldn’t be anywhere near the first team. He’s not physically ready, that’s just a fact.
He should have been in the U16 side representing United in the NI super cup
The boy, that’s what he is, shouldn’t be anywhere near the first team. He’s not physically ready, that’s just a fact.
He should have been in the U16 side representing United in the NI super cup
He's literally not 5'5 though? Swear to God this Kobbie and Angel all over again...
Go to the Endrick thread or the striker transfer thread. You'll see people brushing off Endrick 'Cause he's only 5'8, despite being stocky AF since he was 16.
Like I said in the JJ thread; he'll be playing adult football this season either way.
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+1. Very talented, but definitely kid. People wanting to see him be featured in a competitive EPL game... I hope Carrick knows better
This I disagree with. Even though I think he's not ready for actual first team minutes, he has nothing to prove going against u16 players. He won't be learning much if he can dominate it with ease, which he will, considering he put up an insane goal assist record for the u18 despite his size. Because at that point, it's not just about the size of the players, but the speed of play. Having to learn in practice to be sharper with his touches because the speed of play and technical ability of his peers is lightyears above the u16 level.
I think it's good that he's been taken with the first team. Let him get used to the professionalism of the older pros and let him get used to the atmosphere of the crowds. All of that is a learning experience that is worthwhile.
He already scored a goal a game at u18s level across a whole season, he was rightly nowhere near the milk cup. That’s as stupid as the people talking about him getting regular first team minutes.
He’ll spend the majority of the season with the u21s, not wasting his time with u16s.
Only because you can’t accept that Lacey is taller than him despite everything saying his height is 5ft 5
Would like to see him get a few minutes this season here and there but seems highly unlikely when he’s only getting a few in preseason. Not a chance he’s getting minutes ahead of players like Mount, Amad, Dorgu etc or even Zirkzee and Lacey.