Ruben Amorim accused of 'killing Benjamin Sesko's confidence' amid Man Utd striker's slow start to life at Old Trafford

The Manchester derby summed up Sesko’s struggles. On the biggest stage, he looked lost. He completed just eight passes all afternoon, won only three of his nine duels, and was hauled off in the 80th minute for Casemiro as United slumped to a 3-0 defeat against arch rivals Manchester City. For a striker meant to terrorise defences, it was a performance that did little to inspire confidence. 

Sesko did net his first goal for United on Sunday in the 3-1 defeat at Brentford, but doubts over his ability to mix it at the highest level remain. Former United winger Lee Sharpe has now come out to accuse Amorim of badly mismanaging his striker. Speaking to AceOdds.com, he said: "I think [Joshua] Zirkzee should be getting games. I'm a big fan of Zirkzee and I think he should have played instead of Amad [Diallo] in the No. 10 role. Or even play instead of Sesko because I don't think he's quite up to speed yet. I know he needs time to get up to speed with the Premier League and I think it could be killing his confidence, the way they've thrown him in at the moment."

Curiously, whispers from Carrington paint a very different picture of Sesko. Behind closed doors, the striker is reportedly thriving, described as “sharp” in front of goal and often drawing “ripples of applause” from team-mates with his finishing. Those training ground heroics, however, have yet to translate into the pressure cooker of Premier League football.

On October 4, United host Sunderland at Old Trafford, and Sesko will be desperate to silence his critics with another goal, ideally helping his team to a crucial win too. But if his inconsistency continues, the calls for Zirkzee will only grow louder, and Amorim’s faith in Sesko will look more and more misplaced.