Benjamin Sesko scored his penalty in the shootout against Grimsby, but didn't escape heavy criticism from Manchester United fans after their embarrassing Carabao Cup defeat
Benjamin Sesko of Manchester United reacts
Benjamin Sesko had a full debut to forget vs Grimsby(Image: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Benjamin Sesko has been panned by Manchester United supporters after waiting until the 10th penalty to step up against Grimsby. United were embarrassed as they exited the Carabao Cup in the second round against the League Two side and Sesko was among those to flop.
Ruben Amorim found themselves 2-0 down inside 30 minutes, with Andre Onana at fault for both goals. They managed to claw it back to 2-2, with Bryan Mbeumo scoring his first United goal and Harry Maguire heading in a corner late on.
But that only delayed the embarrassment, as Grimsby kept their cool to win 12-11 on penalties as Matheus Cunha and Mbeumo missed. Sesko scored his effort, but didn’t escape criticism on social media on a chastening night for the club.
The 22-year-old striker joined United from RB Leipzig in a deal worth £74million earlier this month and came off the bench in their opening two Premier League matches. He was handed his first start for the club at Grimsby and did not impress.
The Slovenia international had two shots on target in the first half, but both were comfortably held by Grimsby goalkeeper Christy Pym. He struggled to combine with his team-mates, completing just seven of his 11 attempted passes, and fired over the bar in the closing stages as United failed to find a winner against a side who finished ninth in the fourth tier last season.
There was also a comical attempted overhead kick to cringe at, prompting one user on Reddit to comment: “The new Hojlund is looking good.”
But it was Sesko’s failure to step up earlier in the shoot-out which caused the most confusion. He was the last outfield player to take a penalty, with defenders Maguire, Diogo Dalot and Matthijs de Ligt all scoring before him.
Benjamin Sesko of Manchester United misses a chance
Benjamin Sesko couldn't get off the mark for Manchester United
“Sesko being the 10th penalty taker was also so weird to me. He’s taken 11 in his career and not missed any,” one fan wrote on X. “The most embarrassing thing was Sesko taking the 10th penalty,” another added. “His confidence must be on the floor.”
A third wrote: “Benjamin Sesko going 10th in a penalty shoot-out vs League Two opposition has to be a major red flag from a £70m centre-forward.”
Sesko scored 21 goals in 45 games for Leipzig last season and has 16 goals in 41 caps for Slovenia. And yet he looked a shadow of himself in the pouring rain on Wednesday night as the game passed him by.
Players of Manchester United looks dejected during the penalty shoot-out
Benjamin Sesko let all his team-mates, bar Andre Onana, take a penalty before him
Amorim emptied the bench as United ended the game with Sesko and Joshua Zirkzee up front and Mbeumo, Cunha and Bruno Fernandes behind them. But they still appeared blunt in attack in an extremely worrying performance for the side that finished 15th in the Premier League last season.
Amorim’s words post-match only added to the concern. “In the end, it doesn't matter if we recover or not, it's the signs the team gave during the game, the beginning of the game,” he said.
“I think the best team won, the only team that was on the pitch. The best players lose because one team can win against any group of players, and I think the team and the players spoke really loud today, so that's it. We lost, the best team won."
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