AFP'He needs arrogance!' - Man Utd striker Benjamin Sesko urged to match Zlatan Ibrahimovic's 'aura' to silence critics at Old Trafford
AFPSesko was dropped for Manchester Derby
The Slovenia international has scored just five competitive goals since making the move to Old Trafford as part of an attacking recruitment drive last summer. Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo also moved to United, the pair arriving from Premier League pair Wolves and Brentford, respectively.
However, Sesko's addition drew the most fanfare, with the 22-year-old considered one of the best young strikers in Europe. Yet the former RB Leipzig man has been unable to transfer his Bundesliga form to England's top tier, having struck in just three of 16 league outings for the Manchester powerhouse.
And despite hitting the back of the net in back-to-back United outings, bagging a brace in the 2-2 draw with Burnley and then the 2-1 FA Cup loss to Brighton, Sesko was dropped for the Manchester Derby win over rivals City as Michael Carrick called upon Mbeumo to lead the charge in Saturday's 2-0 home win.
And Saha has been compared to another former United striker, Ibrahimovic, with the Frenchman of the opinion the Sesko needs to match the Swede's "aura" if he is to succeed under Carrick.
AFPSesko 'like a young Zlatan', says Saha
Speaking exclusively to Grosvenor Casinos, Saha said: "That's basically it, Benjamin Sesko is like a young Zlatan Ibrahimovic and he needs to grow the same way. Ibrahimovic was well known to work really hard, whether on or off the field. So Sesko has to do the same.
"He has to have that passion to believe that he's going to create some amazing moments for the fans, and have this arrogance to express it.
"Some things are going to come off, some not, and you have to accept it. The Ibrahimovic style is definitely that. It's about having that confidence in every match, Sesko needs to inspire himself.
"I think he has the quality. Technically, we have all seen that he is capable of doing a lot of things. Ibrahimovic was a terrific player and managed to be very, very consistent all through his career.
"That is the type of aura Sesko needs to express."
Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!
Getty Images SportUnited hitman 'needs arrogance' adds ex-United star
Saha, though, did state that he believes Sesko is starting to "understand" the Premier League having faltered in his opening weeks at United. "I think Benjamin Sesko is starting to understand the Premier League more, the movement, his teammates, the tactics he has to play under, sometimes with the pressing, sometimes not, sometimes just being a fox in the box," Saha added.
"He's an athlete, so those opportunities will come. The more games he's going to play, the more goals he's going to score. I think he needs to have that eye where he's like almost battling a defender and he wants revenge.
"He needs this kind of aggression a bit more, and arrogance. I think when we get that, Sesko is going to be one of the players who is really hard to play against. He just needs to be a bit more aggressive, not in a bad way, like tackles, but just believe in himself and have the guts to try and retry and not think twice.
"At this age, it's a very big task, but I think he has the opportunity to do it because there is not much competition for him upfront, so he has to do it.
"He has the opportunity to do it, but he has to do it because this is what the manager needs. He needs arrogance, a bit like Matheus Cunha can show sometimes, or Bryan Mbuemo.
"When you have all the players really express this kind of confidence and arrogance, this is where any defence will, I think, in some way, become fragile."
Advertisement
