- Manchester United beaten by Manchester City in FA Youth Cup final
- Michael Carrick among those in attendance
- JJ Gabriel wasn’t Red Devils’ most impressive player
Michael Carrick was among the Manchester United party in attendance for Thursday night’s FA Youth Cup final against Manchester City at the Joie Stadium. While United suffered a cruel 2-1 defeat at the hands of their local rivals, Carrick would have left City’s academy ground with plenty of optimism and excitement.
All eyes were on JJ Gabriel after the 15-year-old won the U18 Premier League Player of the Season award earlier in the week. But while United’s teenage talents struggled to involve their talisman as they fell short, another highly-rated player shone brightly in front of the club’s head coach.
For 18-year-old midfielder Jim Thwaites, there will not be many coaches he would rather learn from and work under than one of the most decorated in United’s history. The optimism about a potential partnership will almost certainly be mutual as Carrick now focuses beyond this season.
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Man Utd have a gem in Jim Thwaites
I would be lying if I said I had not tuned into United’s Under-18 side all season to watch JJ Gabriel toy with players years older. But I am also not lying when I say I find just as much joy watching Thwaites control any midfield he faces and create chances with hugely promising technical ability.
With that said, I cannot imagine what Carrick thinks while watching him, nor his U18 head coach, Darren Fletcher, another Old Trafford midfield great. Thwaites is more than happy to receive the ball under pressure – similarly to a previous academy graduate, Kobbie Mainoo – and use a burst of pace to carry it into space.
The Cumbrian starlet can progress the ball even better through his passing. He is unafraid to take risks with line-breaking, direct passes centrally or out to wingers in space. Thwaites has also developed a reputation as a dead-ball specialist, through a catalogue of pinpoint crosses and wondrous free-kick goals.
His crossing is not bad from open play, either, as he beautifully demonstrated by assisting Godwill Kukonki’s headed equaliser in the first half.
He still has some bulking up to do, and City’s U18s visibly looked more physical than United as they grabbed control of the FA Youth Cup final’s second half. But if I were to hedge a bet on Carrick’s first academy debutant as early as next season, Thwaites would be at the top of my shortlist.
JJ Gabriel is still worth the hype
It has, ultimately, been a cruel season for United’s excited U18 team. As well as tasting defeat to City through a late winner in Thursday’s final, they also narrowly lost out to their foes in the Premier League by four points.
The FA Youth Cup heartbreak will sting even more, given Fletcher’s side also reached the Premier League Cup final last month, only to lose to Crystal Palace on penalties. Thwaites, Gabriel and co. led until a 94th-minute equaliser, also from the penalty spot.
But youth football is about experiencing the lows of football, just as much as the highs, as clubs prepare their young players for the brutal nature of the senior game. United will take value from the season’s bitter conclusion, with so much to share excitement about.
Gabriel is, without question, one of those things. The wonderkid was not even eligible to feature for the Under-21s this season, yet he is already a regular in first-team training and will be involved in pre-season.
As well as Gabriel and Thwaites, United have potential gems in Kukonki, Noah Ajayi and Chido Obi, among others. All will compete in many a final yet.
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