Unfortunately, that potential has not shone through in his first seven games for the Red Devils. Sesko went six games without scoring, albeit while only starting two, before finally getting off the mark against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium last weekend – bundling home from close range at the third time of asking.
And while that effort was no doubt a moment of relief for the 22-year-old, it ultimately counted for absolutely nothing. United ended up losing the game 3-1 and slipping to 14th in the Premier League table – just one place higher than where they finished last term.
Despite the presence of Sesko, and fellow summer signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, consistency and goals are still elusive for Amorim’s team. Indeed, that trio has only scored three between them from 20 combined appearances across all competitions. It’s obviously still very early, but that is an awful return considering the club’s £208m ($280m) investment in their services.
Sesko’s numbers are not the biggest concern, though. Unlike Mbeumo and Cunha, who have shown plenty of industry on the ball, the Slovenia international has largely stood on the periphery struggling to impose himself. The learning curve wasn’t supposed to be this steep. But much of the blame for that must be laid at Amorim’s door. United are not even trying to play to Sesko’s strengths, and at the moment, he’s facing an impossible task as the lone striker in a deeply flawed system.
Unfortunately, that potential has not shone through in his first seven games for the Red Devils. Sesko went six games without scoring, albeit while only starting two, before finally getting off the mark against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium last weekend – bundling home from close range at the third time of asking.
And while that effort was no doubt a moment of relief for the 22-year-old, it ultimately counted for absolutely nothing. United ended up losing the game 3-1 and slipping to 14th in the Premier League table – just one place higher than where they finished last term.
Despite the presence of Sesko, and fellow summer signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, consistency and goals are still elusive for Amorim’s team. Indeed, that trio has only scored three between them from 20 combined appearances across all competitions. It’s obviously still very early, but that is an awful return considering the club’s £208m ($280m) investment in their services.
Sesko’s numbers are not the biggest concern, though. Unlike Mbeumo and Cunha, who have shown plenty of industry on the ball, the Slovenia international has largely stood on the periphery struggling to impose himself. The learning curve wasn’t supposed to be this steep. But much of the blame for that must be laid at Amorim’s door. United are not even trying to play to Sesko’s strengths, and at the moment, he’s facing an impossible task as the lone striker in a deeply flawed system.
Sesko had been on the radar of Europe’s elite for some time, and Newcastle also made a strong play for his services in the summer transfer window. The Magpies even outbid United, but the talented frontman still opted for Old Trafford, and reportedly agreed to waive a portion of his salary to force through the move.
That was proof that the Red Devils’ pulling power has not completely diminished, despite their misery over the last 12 years or so. The INEOS leadership regime also sold Sesko a compelling story about revolution and a new era of success in recently stablised surroundings, which he bought into.
“The history of Manchester United is obviously very special but what really excites me is the future,” Sesko said at his unveiling. “When we discussed the project, it was clear that everything is in place for this team to continue to grow and compete for the biggest trophies again soon.
“From the moment that I arrived, I could feel the positive energy and family environment that the club has created. It is clearly the perfect place to reach my maximum level and fulfil all of my ambitions. I cannot wait to start learning from Ruben and connecting with my team-mates to achieve the success that we all know we are capable of together.”
But that “positive energy” has quickly evaporated. There’s still nothing exciting about watching United; they don’t look even close to competing with the Premier League’s elite sides, and Sesko has looked a shadow of the player who terrorised Bundesliga defences week in, week out at Leipzig.
According to Sofascore Sesko has averaged only 1.8 shots and 14 touches per game in the Premier League so far. He has also yet to create a big chance, and has a passing accuracy rate of just 69%. It’s fair to say the Slovenian has looked like a fish out of water. But when you factor in that United have posted the worst xG difference in the entire top flight (7.26), his struggles are not surprising.
Sesko has just been an easy target after poor results, most notably the stunning second-round Carabao Cup defeat to League Two outfit Grimsby Town. United lost 13-12 in a marathon penalty shootout, having had to battle back from two goals down in normal time.
Sesko was the 10th player from Amorim’s ranks to step up from 12 yards, with even centre-backs Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt going ahead of him. The former Leipzig star converted his spot-kick, but was still vilified in the media, with former Aston Villa striker turned talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor among those to brand him a “coward” for going so low down in the order.
However, like most of the criticism levelled at Sesko over the last few weeks, that was unfair. Amorim later clarified that he “protected” the £74m man because he was suffering from cramps, which was an entirely valid excuse considering that it was his first appearance in United’s starting lineup.
People seem to be forgetting that Sesko has only played 419 minutes for United this season. That is not enough time to build any sort of rhythm. He has now made three successive Premier League starts, but Amorim hauled him off at half-time in the 2-1 win against Chelsea, which was an overly conservative move that surely would have zapped his confidence.
Sesko didn’t get much of a pre-season at Leipzig, but is fully fit now and should be one of the first names on the teamsheet given the money spent on him and his scoring record in Germany. He hit 27 goals across his two campaigns in the Bundesliga, and Amorim has to at least give him the platform to try and replicate that output.
That should also include a formation tweak, because Sesko’s biggest strength is going to waste. Amorim’s preferred 3-4-3 is a winger-less narrow set-up, with the likes of Mbeumo and Cunha playing as inside forwards, and as such, the crosses that Sesko thrived on at Leipzig are in short supply.
He is a 6ft 5in powerhouse who boasts the spring to outjump almost any marker. Indeed, he won 70 headed duels in the Bundesliga last term, more than any United player managed in Premier League competition, and his 14 headed shots beat Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee’s combined total of 12.
United haven’t had a striker with that kind of aerial threat since Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but Sesko will never be able to make the same impact if Amorim continues to be so rigid, because it’s far too easy for opponents to mark him out of the game. A simple switch to a 4-2-3-1 could unlock Sesko’s full potential, with Mbeumo and Cunha providing proper width and United’s chief creator, Bruno Fernandes, playing further forward.
Sesko is also putting in a lot of fruitless work off the ball. He plays on the shoulder of the last defender and always looks to make runs in behind, but they too often go unnoticed because of United’s predictable passing routines under Amorim.
The Red Devils’ towering new No.9 is trying to receive the ball close to the penalty area, but United are terrible at keeping possession in advanced areas and promising attacks usually peter out because a player knocks it backwards or sideways, or runs into traffic, instead of playing straight through to Sesko.
It’s a problem that club legend Rio Ferdinand pointed out after watching Sesko toil in vain during United’s dismal derby defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad. “The one I’m worried about is Sesko. He ain’t getting no chances, man, he ain’t getting no opportunities, there’s nothing created for him,” Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel.
“That’s the concern. A new striker comes in the football club, gets in the team, you’ve got to think about creating chances for him. Getting him on the end of things. That’s something I think has got to be looked at, and fixed quick. I don’t want to think about what it could turn out to be.”
Ferdinand’s big fear is no doubt that Sesko will turn out to be another Hojlund: an overrated young striker who doesn’t have what it takes to make it in the Premier League. But there have been enough positive signs to suggest that Sesko will not suffer the same fate as the Dane, now plying his trade on loan at Napoli with no hope of resurrecting his United career.
In addition to being far more of a handful in the air, Sesko is also better at holding the ball up. United fans have only seen glimpses of it because he’s been so isolated, but Sesko is a technically accomplished striker who can bring others into play. He’s comfortable with both feet and rarely picks the wrong option – which is not something that can be said about Hojlund.
Sesko’s new team-mates rallied around him after his slow start, too, which suggests he has made a big impression in training. “He’s a unit for his age. I’m sure he’s going to cause a lot of defenders problems,” Harry Maguire has said to United’s official website. “He’s still young, but he’s got all the attributes to contribute to the team and to contribute to this club for many years to come, so we’ll give him our full backing and, fingers crossed, he scores many goals for us.”
Veteran midfielder Casemiro added: “It’s clear he has quality. He is a player who is going to be very important for us.” It’s up to Amorim to make sure that quality transfers to matches, sooner rather than later if he wants to keep his job.
Realistically, Sesko was always going to need a period of adaptation at Old Trafford. It is far too soon to judge him, especially given the team’s collective problems. The important thing is that he has the mindset needed to improve and silence his doubters.
“The level of the matches is certainly much higher [than the Bundesliga], the players and team-mates are also at a higher level. After all, English football is at the highest level in the world of football,” Sesko told Ekipa while away on international duty with Slovenia last month. “But I am getting better and faster in every training session, and I am also progressing in my football mentality every day. I wanted to move to England and, fortunately, my wish came true.”
Opening his scoring account was the first step, and it would be a huge surprise if he doesn’t keep his place upfront for the visit of Sunderland this weekend. But it does feel like he’s fighting a losing battle while Amorim is still in the dugout, feeding off scraps instead of the constant service he is used to.
Sesko is one of several players the Portuguese is holding back with his maddening stubbornness. It may be that we don’t see the best of him until Amorim is gone, which, if recent reports are to be believed, could be as soon as November 1: the date of his one-year anniversary in the job and when INEOS will no longer contractually owe him an early termination fee.
Forced change is coming, because United cannot move forward in their current guise. Until that time, the critics should lay off Sesko.
