Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has publicly addressed the challenging start endured by summer signing Benjamin Sesko, admitting the young striker has 'struggled' but revealing he possesses even greater potential than initially anticipated.
A Difficult Start at Old Trafford
The Slovenia international, who joined the Red Devils in a high-profile £74 million deal from RB Leipzig, has found goals hard to come by in his early months at the club. The 22-year-old has managed to find the net just two times in 11 appearances across all competitions this season.
His performance in United's recent 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest drew particular criticism, with club legend and pundit Gary Neville stating that Sesko 'looks awkward' and was 'well off it'. The comments placed the young forward under intense media scrutiny.
Amorim's Vote of Confidence
Despite the external noise, Amorim remains unequivocal in his support. 'I'm relaxed, he's not relaxed,' the United boss said, acknowledging the psychological battle his player faces. 'I understand how things are in football and he's going to struggle. That is normal, he has no experience here.'
Amorim elaborated on the immense pressure that comes with being a marquee signing for a club of United's stature, where every performance is dissected. 'Then the first impact when everyone says that you are so good, you are the next big thing... 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.'
Unlocking Sesko's Long-Term Potential
The manager revealed a key insight from working with the player on the training ground. 'When I started training with Ben, he has more potential than I was thinking,' Amorim confessed, signalling a very positive internal assessment of the striker's raw abilities.
He framed the current difficulties as a standard part of a young player's development, especially one with a perfectionist mentality. 'To have the ability and understand that is normal and still maintain your level of confidence is really hard for a young kid and especially for a young kid who is a control freak.'
Addressing Neville's criticism directly, Amorim advised his player to develop a thicker skin. 'Of course, nobody likes to hear but he struggled a little bit and that is a fact, so let's embrace that... It's an opinion that is going to change in three weeks. Everything that is true today, in three weeks, could be a lie.'
Concluding with a firm long-term vision, Amorim stated, 'He is going to be our striker for the long term but he's going to have these struggles and these bumps during the ride. That is a normal thing in football... we are going to help him and we are going to protect Ben because he works really hard and we want to succeed. So, he's going to succeed.'
