Manchester United returned to the UEFA Youth League on Thursday afternoon after a bitter season without European football for both the first team and academy sides.
The Youth League’s format closely echoes its parent competition, with an initial league phase comprising the 36 clubs whose first teams are taking part in the Champions League, with fixtures mirroring the senior competition.
Adam Lawrence led the warm-ups after confirmation arrived that same morning that he’ll be continuing as United’s under-21 lead coach, as well as taking charge of the under-19s in the UEFA Youth League. Lawrence joined United from Charlton Athletic in 2021, initially as the development phase leader, before becoming the under-18s head coach, where he’d lead United’s youngsters to three trophies, collecting every domestic cup apart from the FA Youth Cup in the 2023-24 season.
Lawrence is a real asset for United and has been the subject of interest from a number of Premier League clubs for various academy roles. He coaches with equal parts clinical tactical nous and warm but firm communication and encouragement.
The big name on everyone’s lips ahead of kick-off was JJ Gabriel, who has enjoyed a monumental rise from making his under-18 debut at just 14 at the end of the 24-25 season to becoming a fully fledged first-team trainer and coming off the bench for Michael Carrick’s first team during their pre-season clash with Atletico Madrid.
Gabriel’s UEFA Youth League debut against Sabah came after an opening two appearances for United’s under-21s in convincing wins against Ipswich and Leicester City. In those two games, he scored three times and assisted once, illustrating astonishing ability for his age relative to the rest of the playing field.
United took the lead before either team could settle into their shape, setting the tone for how the rest of the game would play out. After a minute of positive play in Sabah’s defensive half, United won a set piece just outside the right side of the box. Jim Thwaites delivered a low ball to skipper Ibragimov, who was well placed to flick the ball into the net with his first touch of the game.
It wasn’t until the eleventh minute that Sabah were able to meaningfully enter United’s half, after Kukonki failed to stop Sabah’s right-winger from meeting a ball launched over the top. Luckily, Mills was there to make the crucial recovery and stop the Azerbaijani side from levelling things up.
United soon added a second through Jacob Watson, played in with a cross by Bendito Mantato, before taking a touch and finishing low to double his side’s lead.
Adam Lawrence was as vocal as ever, bellowing instructions from the touchline. His projection is that of an opera singer, with everyone in the ground able to hear his every instruction. This authority clearly lands well with the players, who always look well drilled and clear about their roles and responsibilities throughout the game.
JJ Gabriel made it three just before half-time after Brown’s effort was saved and fell into the feet of the 15-year-old, who made no mistake about the finish from just yards out. He may have been the youngest player on the pitch, but he played like someone who has already outgrown this level.
United led three-nil at the break after dominating throughout the opening 45 minutes. Sabah were given no breathing room as Lawrence’s side suffocated them in their own half. Jim Thwaites and Jack Fletcher were particularly influential, enjoying plenty of touches and moving the ball quickly to either side, helping to manipulate Sabah’s stubborn low block.
The statistics painted an accurate picture of the first half, with United keeping 79% of the ball, having 26 shots on goal, eight of which were on target, and winning eight corners to Sabah’s zero.
Sabah’s players appeared dejected entering the tunnel at the break, having had no real chance to fight back against United’s unrelenting attacks despite not making any clear defensive errors themselves.
The rain began to pour in Leigh as the teams emerged for the second half. United’s domination continued, and Sabah grew increasingly frustrated, committing more petty fouls as the half progressed.
Lawrence made his first unforced substitutions of the game at the 66-minute mark, as Cristian Orozco and Noah Ajayi replaced Jacob Watson and Junior Brown to inject some energy into the side. Mantato, who had played until then as United’s right-winger, dropped to left-back with Ajayi operating in his role for the remainder of the game.
Orozco impressed from the off, collecting the ball and zipping it along the ground with good pace and accuracy. The Colombian seems to be an intelligent midfielder with a mature temperament and an impressive passing range, with a sturdy physical frame to match.
Lawrence looked to make another double substitution at 76 minutes, with Jaume Camacho and Jayden Ngwashi replacing Yuel Helafu and Albert Mills. Interestingly, Camacho filled in as a like-for-like swap with Helafu at right-back, despite typically occupying attacking roles. This attacking switch made sense as United had virtually nothing to defend.
JJ Gabriel added to his tally in the 84th minute with an intelligent shift of the ball and delayed finish. He’d complete his hat-trick just two minutes later in stellar fashion, killing dead a superb ball over the top from Jim Thwaites before advancing goalward, pressured by a Sabah defender on either shoulder but still able to release his shot and score for United’s 5th.
Sabah appeared relieved as the referee blew for full time and United’s onslaught of the Azerbaijani visitors was put to an end. A great way to start the UEFA Youth League for Adam Lawrence’s side, and one that set the tone for the senior team who produced a similar performance in the Champions League later that evening.
As goes with the first team belonging in the Champions League, United’s youngsters should be playing in Europe’s Premier Youth Competition every season. It’s arguably the most prestigious youth tournament United can play in alongside the FA Youth Cup, and gives the club’s next generation a chance to showcase their talent and develop against the best talent across Europe.
Speaking to Adam Lawrence after full-time, he echoed these sentiments: “This is of course an elite competition across Europe, we want to expose our players to the highest possible level, against the best opposition that we can.”
“Over the course of the tournament to be going toe to toe with some of the top academies and some of the best clubs in the world will for sure test and push our players. It’s an amazing opportunity to be taking part in.”
I asked Lawrence how he approaches coaching a player like Gabriel, who clearly enjoys his football immensely and needs a degree of freedom to express himself on the pitch:
“Well I think firstly my job is not to ruin him – so when you have a talented player like JJ, and the other lads of course, you don’t want to stifle their freedom and their creativity, and I think essentially what you try to do is set the team up to allow the talent to function and to play free at the right moments.”
“Of course it can’t always be free and off the cuff, and in terms of some of the off the ball responsibilities that he’s working, some of the pressing things that he’s thinking about and how he connects with other teammates at the top of the pitch, I think you look at the game today and say he’s playing properly.”
“It’s enjoyable working with him, and challenging as a coach because the best players challenge you. I mean that in a good way – when you work with talented players you have to work out a way to help them and allow them to flourish and keep improving, so of course there’s things that he can keep working on but he’s in a good place.”
In JJ Gabriel, Manchester United have the conundrum of managing the development of a player who is simultaneously the best player on almost every pitch he steps foot on, and also the youngest and smallest.
It feels as though Gabriel is already too good for academy football even at under-21 level, and yet, unlike some outstanding prospects who play dramatically beyond their years thanks in part to unique physical gifts, he’s still got the frame of a kid and isn’t unfathomably quick.
It’s a welcome dilemma for United, who sooner rather than later may be forced into breaking a long standing record and handing Gabriel a debut that would make him the club’s youngest ever player.
