Manchester United are about to witness a passing of the torch moment at Old Trafford.
When Nottingham Forest come to Old Trafford for Man Utd’s final home game of the season, the game itself will be surrounded by plenty of spectacles.
Casemiro will bid farewell to Man Utd fans, with whom he has formed a close bond, but the farewell to the past will be accompanied by a welcome to the future.
That future will be personified by two wonderkids, one of whom could get minutes in Casemiro’s position next season.
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Man Utd will award JJ Gabriel and Tyler Fletcher
The last home game of the season is always a special occasion, regardless of how the season has gone.
This year, thanks to Michael Carrick, the season has been brilliant, which means Old Trafford will be feeling festive and rocking.
It is the perfect stage to formally award JJ Gabriel and Tyler Fletcher, who have won the club’s U18s and U21s Player of the Year award, respectively.
Fletcher has already made his first-team debut, so walking out in front of a packed and raucous Old Trafford isn’t new for him, but it will be for Gabriel.
Gabriel has set the record books alight this season at just 15, living up to the lofty expectations that preceded his debut.
Fletcher, on the other hand, has emerged as somewhat of a Carrick 2.0, solidifying his defensive midfield credentials just as the first-team is in dire need of some.
Casemiro will bid farewell to the Old Trafford faithful, but in Gabriel and Fletcher, the future of the club is in safe hands.
The past, present, and future meet at Old Trafford
It will be a poetic occasion at Old Trafford as Casemiro’s farewell and Gabriel/Fletcher’s award will be accompanied by the likely announcement of Carrick becoming the club’s full-time manager.
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He won the U18s Premier League Player of the Year
And thus, the past (Casemiro), the newly-confirmed present (Carrick), and the future (Gabriel/Fletcher) will meet at Old Trafford.
Occasions don’t get more poetic than that, and the challenge now is to be a better version than the past was, carry the momentum the present has generated, and take a step forward in the future.
United look well-equipped to do the latter two, while midfield reinforcements will be needed to provide an upgrade on Casemiro.
If the “future”, which is Tyler Fletcher, can play a part in making that transition easier, this day will be remembered as the true passing of the torch moment.
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