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Manchester United are into the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals with JJ Gabriel putting in a stunning all-round performance against Oxford United.
Darren Fletcher’s side were always favourites, but Manchester United comfortably beat Oxford 4-1 to progress into the next round.
Among the scorers for United was JJ Gabriel, who bagged the second of the night, to follow Albert Mills and before Chido Obi and Noah Ajayi made it three and four.
Gabriel’s goal came from range, with the goalkeeper sure to be disappointed that it ended up going in. However, despite the goal, the most encouraging part of the 15-year-old’s game had nothing to do with this.
Who was Man United’s standout performer in the FA Youth Cup win vs Oxford United?
What did you think of the performnace and who was your man of the match?
Getty Image JJ Gabriel has an excellent all-round performance for Manchester United
Gabriel is one of the biggest talents at United right now, and all signs indicate he is a once-in-a-generation player. However, often, billing like this can get to youngsters, as they neglect the side of the game other than scoring and assisting.
We all know Gabriel can score, but against Oxford United, his performance was arguably the best yet in terms of his all-round contributions.
Photo by Anthony Devlin/Manchester United via Getty Images
Gabriel still looked tricky and got his goal, but without the ball, he has come on leaps and bounds under Fletcher, evolving into a really hard worker for the team.
Playing in attacking midfield, the 15-year-old was tracking back, hunting loose balls, and relentlessly pressing the opposition, all of which make him 10 times the player he would be if he didn’t.
There were numerous examples of this, with Gabriel willing to fight for the ball and the badge, denying counter-attacks and giving his all for the team.
Chido Obi also improved in this manner under Fletcher, and now Gabriel has, which resulted in two very comfortable wins in a row with the pair starring.
This change has Fletcher’s fingerprints all over it, given that as a player, he was the ‘water carrier’, and now he’s inserting his best quality into some of the best attacking talents at the club.
Sum up JJ Gabriel in one word…🔥
Photo by Poppy Townson – MUFC/Manchester United via Getty Images Gabriel’s performance resembled United captain Bruno Fernandes
Obviously, first and foremost, Gabriel is a joy to watch when he’s running at opponents and making things happen. But work ethic and grit are two things that will take him from potential to greatness in the Premier League.
This performance in particular, Gabriel showed glimpses of Bruno Fernandes as he worked hard, played deep at times, and was the figurehead, picking the ball up and spreading it wide to either Bendito Mantato or Nathaniel-Junior Brown.
He also never looked under threat as Oxford doubled up and pressed him, easily controlling the ball with a touch over one defender’s head before picking out a pass.
This is an exciting development for Gabriel, which shows the maturity already in his game. Perhaps his debut next season is merely a formality at this point because he looks top class in every department, barring probably physical, but that comes later.
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