Ruben Amorim has admitted that Benjamin Sesko is finding life tough at Manchester United and confessed the young striker’s perfectionist nature is holding him back.
The United boss, who took over in the summer, says Sesko’s £73.7 million move from RB Leipzig has been a shock to the system. After scoring just twice in his first 11 games, the Slovenian forward has already felt the sting of Premier League pressure and the unforgiving glare of pundits.
Amorim is urging patience but made no secret of the challenge facing his 22 year old star. “I am relaxed. He is not relaxed,” the manager said. “He is going to struggle and that is normal. He has no experience here. Everyone said he was the next big thing and then he came to one of the hardest clubs in the world. When you do not perform every week, you are going to hear a lot from club legends and the media.”
Gary Neville was among the loudest critics last weekend, telling Sky Sports that Sesko was “miles off it” compared to other summer signings such as Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, the latter named Premier League player of the month for October.
Amorim insists such talk is part of life at Old Trafford. “You must understand that it is normal and still keep your confidence,” he said. “It is really hard for a young player, especially one who is a control freak. Ben wants to control everything, but he cannot. Nobody likes to hear that, but it is the truth. He has struggled a bit, and that is a fact. We embrace it. It is not personal. Opinions change every three weeks. What is true today might be false in three weeks.”
Sesko’s first goal for United came in the 3-1 defeat at Brentford in September, and he followed that with another against Sunderland a week later. Since then, though, the goals have dried up. Despite United showing signs of improvement, Sesko has looked short of confidence and rhythm in England’s top flight.
Still, Amorim believes his young striker has the mentality to turn things around. “It is hard to hear criticism, of course,” he admitted. “But I told Ben he will get used to it and soon it will feel normal, like a Monday morning. That is part of the process. We will help him and protect him because he works so hard and wants to succeed. And he will succeed.”