Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has publicly backed striker Benjamin Sesko, following criticism from former club captain Gary Neville. The 22-year-old, who arrived at Old Trafford this summer from RB Leipzig in a deal that could reach £73.7 million, has scored twice in his first 11 appearances for the Red Devils.
Neville, a prominent pundit for Sky Sports, voiced his concerns about Sesko's performances after United's recent 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest, stating that the young forward looked "awkward" and "well off it" compared to fellow new signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. United invested heavily in their attacking options this summer, spending up to £207.2 million to bring in the three new players after a poor goal scoring record last season.
Amorim, however, has defended Sesko, expressing confidence in the player's ability to succeed at Manchester United. "I'm relaxed," Amorim said regarding Sesko's start to his United career. "He's not relaxed. What I mean is that I understand how things are in football and he's going to struggle. That is normal".
Amorim acknowledged the pressure Sesko faces, explaining the challenges of adapting to a new league and the high expectations at a club like Manchester United. "He has no experience here and then the first impact when everyone says that 'you are so good, you are the next big thing', and you hear about that with Sesko," Amorim stated. "Then you come to one club that is the hardest club. If you don't perform every week, you are going to hear a lot of things from club legends, from pundits, from the media, and sometimes they are right".
The Manchester United manager believes Sesko needs time to adjust and learn to cope with the intense scrutiny that comes with playing for such a high-profile club. "To have the ability to understand that is normal and still maintain your level of confidence is really hard for a young kid, especially for a young kid that is a control freak, wants to control everything, and he's not going to control everything," Amorim added.
Amorim's response echoes his earlier comments from August, where he addressed the clamour to play Sesko despite the player needing time to adapt. At the time, Amorim emphasized the need for consistency and patience, stating, "Sesko has had two weeks for us, he is trying to understand everything. We need to wait a little bit to help the player". He also noted that Sesko was learning that the game is faster-paced than in the Bundesliga.
Despite Neville's criticism, Amorim remains optimistic about Sesko's future at Manchester United. He believes in the player's potential and is committed to helping him develop and succeed in the Premier League. "When I started training with Ben, he has more potential than I was thinking," said Amorim. "He's going to struggle and we need to understand how he likes to play also...". He also wants Sesko to embrace the criticism and learn from it. "Nobody likes to hear [that]," he said. "[Sesko has] struggled a little bit so let's embrace that... It's not personal – that's what I try to explain to the players. It's an opinion that [could] change in a few weeks. What is true today, in three weeks could be different".
