Man United fans ask the club to stop transfer plans after what they saw against Atletico Madrid
Manchester United fans are urging the club to rethink their transfer plans after watching the win against Atletico Madrid on Saturday. Michael Carrick’s team won 2-1 at the Strawberry Arena in Solna, with Bryan Mbeumo scoring both goals in the second half.
There were plenty of positives for United, especially from Mason Mount, who put in a strong midfield performance, and new signing Andrey Santos, who showed great skill. The 19-year-old Shea Lacey also impressed by winning the penalty that led to the equalizer. Young players JJ Gabriel, Jack Fletcher, Ethan Williams, and Dan Armer all got some valuable game time too.
Another academy player, Jim Thwaites, made a short appearance, coming on for Santos in the 82nd minute. Although he didn’t have much time to shine, many fans were really impressed by what they saw. Sitting in midfield, Thwaites showed excellent passing and looked very comfortable on the ball, always looking to move the play forward.
After the game, fans took to social media, sharing their thoughts about Thwaites. One person wrote, “Thwaites I’ve seen enough, we don’t need another midfielder.” Another said, “Jim Thwaites is better than every midfielder in that young team. He deserves more chances than the Fletcher twins. A very calm player.” Others praised his one-touch passing and confidence, calling him the most technically gifted box-to-box midfielder in the academy.
Following the win, Carrick expressed pride in being able to give chances to young players like 15-year-old Gabriel and 18-year-old Thwaites, saying, “Jimmy and JJ coming on are two younger players again. They had a first taste of it for us, so it’s great for me to be in a position to give the opportunities to the boys.”
While Thwaites and Gabriel may still be a bit away from a regular first-team role, Simon Stone from the BBC notes that Lacey and Tyler Fletcher—Jack Fletcher’s twin brother—are the two youngsters most likely to feature regularly. Lacey made five first-team appearances last season, and Fletcher played twice. Fletcher also showed real determination by returning to training early after playing in the World Cup with Scotland as a late replacement for Billy Gilmour.
Overall, fans are excited about the future and feel confident that the club’s young players can make a big impact soon!