This summer was very much the transfer window of striker moves and Manchester United were involved heavily within that.
While Alexander Isak was at the centre of his spat with Newcastle United, eventually joining Liverpool, the likes of Joao Pedro, Hugo Ekitike, Yoane Wissa, Nico Woltemade, Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko were making big-money moves of their own.
For a host of those names, they’ve made impressive start to life at their new clubs.
With three goals in four matches, Gyokeres is already the division’s second-top scorer behind Erling Haaland while Pedro and Ekitike have scored two apiece in the Premier League. Woltemade even netted on his top-flight debut for the Toon on Saturday afternoon.
For Sesko, however, it’s been a troubled start. Perhaps the writing was on the wall when he was listed as United’s tenth penalty taker in the shoot-out defeat to Grimsby Town a few weeks ago.
His first start, which he was rewarded with in the Manchester derby on Sunday, also wasn’t filled with much glory.
Sesko first start for Man United in numbers
When United signed Rasmus Hojlund, he was listed as a project striker. When Joshua Zirkzee signed at Old Trafford, he was also listed as a project striker.
Therefore, what Ruben Amorim needed this season was a proven figure, someone like an Ollie Watkins who has been there and done it in the Premier League.
What did they do? Well, they splashed out £74m on Slovenia forward, Sesko. Acquired from RB Leipzig, the big centre forward has already been described as “the new Erling Haaland” and it’s easy to see why.
He’s got a strong shot on him, has lengthy strides and above all else, he’s got power in abundance.
The issue is, he’s still very raw, something that 13 Bundesliga goals last term sum up well.
Since moving to United, it’s been a tale of woe for the Slovenian who doesn’t look at the races at all. His display against City, albeit a formidable opposition, showcased that.
The Manchester Evening News noted how the young attacker was “quiet” in the second half, and while he did have United’s only attempts at goal in the first half, he was ultimately replaced on 80 minutes, having managed an expected goals tally of just 0.03.
Sesko only had one shot and completed just 54% of his passes, outlining a frustrated and isolated figure at the top end of the pitch.
To sum up his woes, he had fewer touches (19) than goalkeeper Altay Bayindir (37), a statistic that rubberstamps his dreary day at the office at the Etihad.
|
Sesko vs Man City |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
80 |
|
Touches |
19 |
|
Accurate passes |
7/13 (54%) |
|
Shots |
1 |
|
Key passes |
0 |
|
Dribbles |
0 |
|
Ground duels won |
0/1 |
|
Aerial duels won |
3/8 |
|
Stats via Sofascore. |
|
That said, he was rather starved of service and it wasn’t all his own fault.
Two Man United players were to blame for Sesko’s performance
Two of the bright sparks in this United team so far this season are new signings, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
While Cunha is yet to find the net since trading Wolverhampton for Manchester, Mbeumo has scored, bagging in the win over Burnley prior to the international break.
Mbeumo once again looked like one of very few bright sparks in Amorim’s side on Sunday but he and Sesko were arguably let down by a lack of service.
Indeed, with Mason Mount and Cunha absent through injury, it meant a rare start for Amad in the Premier League this term in a more advanced role.
The Ivorian has featured at right-wing back more often this season, a role unfamiliar to him. Yet, with Mbeumo having signed, a player who has similar traits and tendancies, it’s unlikely he’ll feature in an attacking role on too many occasions.
With Cunha absent, however, it gave the 23-year-old an opportunity to showcase his skills in the final third. Sadly, he did not showcase them very well. Listed as a left winger on the team sheet, on a regular basis in the second half Mbeumo and Amad ended up on the same wing.
Even when the former Sunderland loanee was on the left, he failed to create anything of note for Sesko. By full-time, he had failed with both of his dribble attempts, not completed an accurate cross and only provided two key passes.
Behind him, wing-back Patrick Dorgu also did very little to help their new striker who was eagerly waiting inside the area, with the two of them combining to lose possession a whopping 25 times.
Dorgu did provide three key passes but in the words of MEN’s Samuel Luckhurst, “he had chances to service Sesko but his crossing was abject.”
The goals will flow for the big-money signing at some stage but he will undoubtedly need a better supply line than he was given by Amad and Dorgu on Saturday.
Sesko was poor but it wasn’t all his own fault. Truth be told, the whole United side are being let down by Amorim’s system. That’s a story for another day, however.
