Ruben Amorim must start Benjamin Sesko against Manchester City – opinion | OneFootball

Manchester United are set to face a stern test on Sunday when they go toe-to-toe with bitter rivals Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

Following a difficult start to the season, Man United seemed to find their groove in their latest match against Burnley, emerging as 3-2 winners.

Still, the team barely etched out a win, needing a stoppage-time penalty in order to secure three points.

While the team has managed to grab goals on occasion this season, they have been hard to come by, with United’s attempts on goal vastly exceeding goals that have been successfully converted.

There is one change that manager Ruben Amorim must make in order to change this.

The Sesko difference

The time has come for Amorim to give striker Benjamin Sesko an opportunity to start a Premier League match.

Across four matches in all competitions, Sesko has had just 170 minutes on the pitch, only ever starting the EFL Cup match against Grimsby Town. (Transfermarkt)

This, despite the high expectations that many have for Sesko to succeed.

Last month, several United players voiced their praise for Sesko, with Harry Maguire referring to him as a “unit” and praising his physicality.

Casemiro spoke of Sesko’s quality, voicing his belief that the Slovenian will be a prolific goalscorer for United.

If one looks at Sesko’s performance last season, it seems that his new teammates’ views are justified.

In 33 Bundesliga matches last season, the striker scored 13 goals and grabbed five assists, with an impressive 19% goal conversion.

His performance in last season’s Champions League was all the more impressive, with four goals in eight games and a 24% goal conversion rate. (Stats via Sofascore)

It is thus baffling as to why he has received so little playing time in the league so far.

Still, there is another reason why Sesko’s inclusion in the starting 11 on Sunday will be so crucial.

Maximising his teammates’ potential

By having a natural striker in his starting 11, Amorim will be able to avoid playing Sesko’s teammates out of position.

Sure, Matheus Cunha, who was starting striker against Burnley, is a capable goal scorer. The problem is that by playing him as a striker, Amorim is limiting Cunha’s time on the ball and thus his ability to exhibit his impressive ball-carrying ability.

In addition to his impressive dribbling, the Brazilian is also a surgical passer of the ball, meaning that these aspects of his game are missed when playing him as a target man.

Mason Mount has also been used as a striker, but he does not possess the imposing height and physicality that Sesko does, not to mention the Slovenian’s aerial ability.

Aside from not being a natural-born striker like Sesko, Mount is far more capable as a midfielder, meaning that when he is played up top, his passing ability and creativity are missed deeper on the pitch.

No matter which way Amorim spins it, Sesko needs to start a match, particularly if he is to successfully integrate into his new team.

While Man City are far from their best so far this season, United cannot afford to use players out of position against their bitter rivals, as this will only hamper their ability to come away with a victory. The time has come to give Sesko the nod so that he can do the job that the club signed him for.

Featured image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images

online polls

Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social