Man United need wins after bad week of JJ Gabriel unrest, protests and derby drama - ESPN

Fan protests, a derby defeat with a side of injustice and their best young player asking to leave — it's not been a great week for Manchester United.

Sunday started with around 500 supporters staging a demonstration against the club's ownership prior to the Manchester derby. As players from United and City walked out at Old Trafford, the banners in the Stretford End were replaced with just one which read: «The way you treat us is a disgrace.»

The game itself ended 1-0 to City, decided by a wrongly awarded Erling Haaland goal in a match that saw United playing with a man-advantage for much of it. United received an apology from referee's body Pro Ref on Sunday evening regarding the goal, though the feeling internally was that it meant very little given it wouldn't change a damaging result.

On Monday, club bosses were keen to move past the controversy. They insisted they wanted Michael Carrick and his players to put the City game behind them and focus fully on getting back to winning ways against Brighton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. Then, on Tuesday, news broke that 15-year-old wonderkid JJ Gabriel wants to leave.

Gabriel, one of the most highly rated young players in England's academy system, was due to be in Carrick's squad against Brighton. A bright talent edging his way toward a senior career would have been a welcome good news story. Instead, the request to leave made by Gabriel and his representatives will only add to the feeling for those on the outside that things are not going well.

United are surprised by Gabriel's decision, sources tell ESPN. They're also unclear about the exact reasons behind it.

Director of football Jason Wilcox led a charm offensive in the summer of 2025 to keep hold of Gabriel, with