Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
The general consensus on JJ Gabriel’s exit demand has been to convince him to stay, but Man Utd must listen to Shea Lacey’s message.
It is the news that rocked Man Utd, as JJ Gabriel asked to leave the club so brutally that even the fans were caught off guard.
Gabriel always seemed like a player for whom Man Utd was a mid-career stopover instead of the end goal, but the way he’s burning bridges at Old Trafford has come as a shock.
Perhaps it hasn’t come as a shock to Shea Lacey, whose message in the wake of that demand has told Man Utd the problem they could invite by trying to get Gabriel to stay.
Shea Lacey’s message told Man Utd about JJ Gabriel problem
Less than an hour after the bombshell of Gabriel demanding an exit from United, Shea Lacey didn’t fool anyone with the timing of his message.
Gabriel wanted to leave the club, while Lacey posted a picture of himself walking past the Man Utd badge with a heart emoji as his update.
It’s not a coincidence, and it was clearly meant to reaffirm his loyalty to the club at a time when a 15-year-old’s actions gave off the impression that United are not good enough to keep him here.
There is no doubt that the message went down well with Man Utd fans, and Lacey is already looked at as a homegrown hero by many, but the fact that Lacey felt comfortable enough to send that message has a deeper meaning.
What does it say about Gabriel that his teammates are sending such subliminal messages when news like that breaks? Not very good things, to put it politely.
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It must be noted that Gabriel is legally not allowed to make decisions for himself, so his advisors are clearly under more scrutiny here, but Lacey’s message shows that players at the club are tired of the circus which follows Gabriel.
It’s no longer as simple as the club trying and succeeding in keeping Gabriel at the club. Lacey’s message shows the mood at Carrington around this whole saga.
It would make for a very awkward dressing room if Gabriel remains in it, especially since this is not the first time he has threatened to leave the club before being placated by the owners.
Regardless of how good he can potentially be, that’s all there is to invest in right now – his potential. United can’t keep bowing down to his situation because that would increase resentment in his teammates towards him.
No dressing room can be successful if the players are awkward with each other or there’s resentment. Lacey has told United how he feels about what Gabriel has pulled multiple times at the club now.
At some point, United will surely think that the destabilisation these antics cause is not worth the potential of how good he could be. Youth development is never linear, especially for a 15-year-old who is already refusing to train with the first-team.