Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Michael Carrick gave both JJ Gabriel and Jim Thwaites their debuts for Manchester United against Atletico Madrid, each getting the last 10 minutes to impress.
Saturday saw Manchester United beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in Stockholm, continuing pre-season with another win, against top European opposition.
It was a really impressive performance, with the scoreline not doing United justice, as it really could have been a far more convincing scoreline.
United had several star performers, while Michael Carrick also used almost the entire squad during the game. This includes 15-year-old JJ Gabriel and 18-year-old Jim Thwaites.
Manchester United v Atletico de Madrid - Pre-Season Friendly
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Getty Images
JJ Gabriel and Jim Thwaites get 10 minutes each for Manchester United
It was a huge endorsement of their quality that both Gabriel and Thwaites were even with the squad for this game, considering several academy players dropped out. But the experience of 10 minutes against a Diego Simeone side will be huge for their development.
Both players had struggles against Atletico, which are good things in terms of their development and learning what they can and cannot do at first-team level.
Thwaites’ first contribution saw him fighting for the ball, with his attempted clearance going straight to a Madrid attacker, and they then hit the post as a result.
Gabriel was clattered early into his cameo, which resulted in the youngster limping slightly, but he got back up, and on the next attack, he managed to get a shot off. Gabriel tried to create space for himself, but there wasn’t anywhere near the amount he had in youth football as he got crowded out.
On another attack, Gabriel already learned from this, not forcing the shot before Morten Hjulmand rugby tackled him in the box for what could easily have been a penalty.
It wasn’t the name up in lights debut either, Thwaites or Gabriel would have been dreaming of, but there were important lessons for both, which will make them better players.
Getty Images
Jim Thwaites is Michael Carrick’s pet project at United
Gabriel is undeniably a star; even in his cameo, he was still on the ball twice in dangerous areas, and in the near future, these will be goals.
But for Thwaites, the cameo felt important.
This was Thwaites’ first appearance during pre-season, but he has travelled for all three games so far, highlighting Carrick’s trust in him. The 18-year-old wasn’t playing for his role on the team, but he is instead being positioned more long-term as Carrick’s hidden gem, who has the boss’s backing.
Thwaites this season could end up being like Kobbie Mainoo during Erik ten Hag’s first year, working with the first-team, playing academy football, and the odd first-team appearance before being positioned to properly break through next summer.
He has plenty to develop and work on, but Carrick clearly loves the player he is and what he thinks he can become.