With JJ Gabriel almost out the door at Old Trafford Manchester United, and Michael Carrick will now be tempted to pin all their hopes on another emerging star in Shea Lacey.
The 19-year-old has played himself into first-team contention after a dazzling display off the bench in Tuesday’s comeback victory over Roma in the Champions League.
While it was Bruno Fernandes’ penalty that sparked the revival and Matheus Cunha’s brace that got them over the line, Lacey’s fearless cameo on the right was the catalyst for change.
Even the perennially reserved Michael Carrick couldn’t hide his delight over the performance, noting the teenager has ‘that bit of mischief’ in his locker that troubled Roma for the final 15 minutes of the game. Lacey ended the contest playing in defence after Cunha’s red card with Carrick jokingly christening him his new right-back.
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Lacey’s sharp, perfectly-weighted passing enabled United to get up the pitch with real intent – seldom seen this season. He completed every one of his attempted passes and completed all but one of his duels. Operating in tight spaces just in front of the touchline, his first touches and clever exchanges were on point from the moment he came on. His pass for Cunha’s winner couldn’t have been placed better.
It has been a long time coming for Lacey. Injuries shelved tentative plans for him to make his debut at 16 under Erik ten Hag in 2023 and it was a tough road back from those issues that threatened to halt his progress.
‘Everybody in the world knows about Shea Lacey,’ United’s former Under-21 manager Travis Binnion said last year. ‘So he needs a little bit of fortune, he needs to be patient with himself and everybody else needs to be really patient with him.’ That patience could now be about to pay off.
Whether Tuesday’s win was a turning point or another false dawn for United remains to be seen. Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer led United to delirium-inducing comeback victories over Newcastle United in Atalanta with identical scorelines when the pressure was mounting on their shoulders. Both were gone shortly after.
But with Carrick’s back against the wall, there is the opportunity to roll the dice with Lacey. The Liverpool-born talent thumped home a wonderful strike in the Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton but has seen just 31 minutes of action off the bench since. Excluding the second-half performance against Roma, United’s attack has lacked any verve or real invention. A change is needed and Lacey will feel this is his chance.
It was on the right where he caused damage midweek with Amad Diallo making way for him after 75 minutes. It had been another disappointing evening for the Ivory Coast international who spurned huge opportunities against Chelsea four days earlier.
Since forcing his way back into the side under Erik ten Hag, Amad has been looked upon as United’s most naturally talented winger. But his goal and assist return has fallen woefully short of expectations. He is now approaching one year without a goal, last finding the back of the net in the 4-4 draw with Bournemouth on 15 December. In that time, he has provided two assists – one on the final day of last season against Brighton and the other for Joshua Zirkzee’s consolation goal in the 4-1 humiliation in Como two weeks ago.
His haul of 14 goals during his magnificent campaign with Sunderland in the 2022-23 season is a distant memory. A hat-trick against Southampton in January 2025 helped him to an impressive haul of 11 goals and 10 assists in his first full campaign back in Manchester but seven goal involvements in 40 appearances since the start of the 2025-26 campaign is not good enough.
Wayne Rooney alluded to Amad’s problem midweek and made his case for Lacey getting the nod.
‘Amad does some really good things, but it’s that end product, that is what takes you to the next level,’ he told Amazon Prime. ‘And the glimpses of what I’ve seen from Lacey when he has come on…he has got something in there, that little touch and little pass which United needed to get them over the line in this game.’
The win over Roma has shifted a few clouds amid the gloom hanging over Old Trafford and Sunday’s visit of Aston Villa now looks a more inviting environment for Carrick to make the change and put his faith in Lacey.
Just not at right-back, please.