There is a lot of pressure on the shoulders of young Benjamin Sesko following his summer move to Manchester United, but as of yet, he has struggled to impress. He was handed his first Premier League start vs Manchester City but made little impact as his side were beaten 3-0.
He displayed few real glimpses of his true quality as opposite number Erling Haaland showed him how it's done, bagging a brace after Phil Foden opened the scoring at the Etihad. Sesko has now gone four league games and one League Cup outing without bagging a single goal or an assist for the Red Devils.
The more he plays for his new club, the more one of his biggest issues becomes apparent. Indeed, he is struggling with the same issue that waylaid Rasmus Hojlund at Old Trafford.
Sesko Has Just 1 Shot vs Man City
sesko
Against Man City, the Slovenian striker had just 20 touches of the ball – the fewest of any player to start the game. As such, he got away just one shot. Against Arsenal on his debut, he had seven touches, against Fulham 17, and against Burnley just eight. He is averaging just 1.3 shots per game, with 0.3 on target.
Not every striker needs to be heavily involved. Erling Haaland had the second fewest touches (31) from all the starters in the Manchester derby, while Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres also struggles to get involved at times. The difference for those two, however, is that they get service from their teammates – giving them ample opportunities to find the back of the net.
At Manchester United, things are a little bit more complicated than that. So far, and it is still only early days, if Sesko wants to get a shot away at goal, he's essentially going to have to create it out of nothing for himself. That's a tough ask of any player, let alone one who is still adapting to a new league.
This problem completely cost Hojlund his career at Man United. And by the way, he looks far more confident at Napoli, playing alongside Kevin De Bruyne and Scott McTominay, as he bagged a goal on his debut for the Italian club.
Unless Amorim can change things quickly, Sesko could well be set to flop just like the Dane did in England.
Fans Notice Key Issue For Sesko
Manchester City's Ruben Dias in action with Manchester United's Benjamin Sesko
Manchester United fans have also noticed the big problem with Sesko. Speaking after the derby loss, one said:
"Sesko is suffering from the same issues Hojlund was suffering from. No one is finding him."
Another added: "Manchester United, with a system Hojlund struggles in, and now Sesko is struggling means one thing, it's not the player, it's the system. Amorim is the problem."
A third wrote: "They thought Rasmus is the problem! Turns out he’s quicker than Sesko at least. There should be a change at United! This system is taking us nowhere." While someone else added:
"Sesko is suffering what other strikers before him suffered... Inadequate chances created for him."
"Manchester United are awful. This is absolutely humiliating. Us fans have had enough of watching this pathetic excuse of attempting to play football. Rasmus Højlund wasn't the problem. Neither is Benjamin Sesko," noted someone else. While one summed up the issue, saying: "Sesko got absolutely no service."
Stats via SofaScore