Benjamin Sesko’s recent super-sub role has brought comparisons to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. But it is another Manchester United striker he really reminds me of.
It has been a joy to watch Benjamin Sesko in recent weeks. The 22-year-old is scoring a goal every 46 minutes over his past six appearances, gaining United an extra five points with winners vs Everton and Fulham, and an equaliser vs West Ham.
And while it is fun to see Sesko forge his own story, with limitless potential, right now he is reminding me of former United star Louis Saha.
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Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Leny Yoro celebrate against Sunderland
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Manchester United's Louis Saha (L) shoot
Photo credit should read PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
The Louis Saha comparison
Louis Saha was an unlucky Manchester United player because injuries denied him reaching his full potential at the club. He was often referred to by fans as a ‘man made out of glass’ due to his fragile injury record. But before his injuries? He was an exciting, lethal striker.
Saha played a key role in the mid-2000s, allowing United to successfully transition between the Ruud van Nistelrooy era and the free-flowing 2008 trident.
The Frenchman joined from Fulham during the 2003/04 season and succeeded where Diego Forlan failed, by becoming an effective back-up and viable alternative to Van Nistelrooy.
While Van Nistelrooy was a truly elite goal-poacher, Ferguson eventually became convinced that his attack was beginning to stagnate with the Dutchman.
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Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo were turning into a major force, and in the 2005 League Cup Final, Fergie selected Louis Saha up front with them instead of Van Nistelrooy. It paid off with all three scoring the goals in a 4-0 win. Van Nistelrooy was sold in summer 2006.
Saha had elite traits, even if he did not reach the same levels as Van Nistelrooy. He was comfortable dropping deep and changing positions, and he was unpredictable and explosive.
Benjamin Sesko provides some of the same qualities. He is athletic, fast, and has the ability to power in a rocket of a shot, or place it calmly into the bottom corner. Saha was similarly difficult for goalkeepers to read. He was capable of scoring with both feet, from all angles, or with his head. Sesko has already shown he can do it all too.
Saha’s directness was often used by Ferguson to change games in the same way Michael Carrick uses Benjamin Sesko at present.
During United’s special 2007/08 season, injuries were beginning to hit Saha, but he still had a role to play, scoring five Premier League goals – despite only making six starts, featuring mainly from the bench. This super-sub role bears some reminiscence to the way Sesko is supplementing the first choice trio of Amad, Cunha and Mbeumo in 2026.
Saha’s physicality and directness was used to provide a different option in games where Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez needed a little help. That’s exactly the same way Sesko is being used at present.
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The Michael Carrick factor
When Michael Carrick signed for Manchester United in 2006/07, Louis Saha was wearing the club’s iconic number nine shirt. They played alongside each other more than 50 times, with United winning two Premier Leagues and the Champions League.
So Carrick is well aware of the strengths of a striker like Saha, a physical vertical threat who can stretch defences, and how useful that can be to a midfielder looking to pick passes out.
Saha scored 42 goals for United, with his best season coinciding with Carrick’s arrival in 2006/07. He struck 13 goals, helping the team to end a mini-title drought.
20 years on, Carrick is managing Benjamin Sesko in a similar way to how Sir Alex Ferguson harnessed Saha, and is getting the best out of him right now.
Sesko has many years ahead to write his own story, but the similarities with Saha are striking, in terms of role and the qualities they possess. The Slovenian striker is a mobile threat who is difficult for defenders to pick up, always finding space, and he has shown he knows where the net is. And the best is yet to come.
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