Man United star Benjamin Sesko heavily criticised by Rio Ferdinand

Manchester United’s summer signing of Benjamin Sesko was supposed to be a statement of intent.

But the Premier League match against Chelsea has exposed worrying cracks in his adaptation, raising questions about his confidence, responsibility, and impact.

The young attacker has still not scored a goal for the Red Devils after five Premier League matches.

Adapting to the Premier League is not easy but considering how other signings have performed at their respective clubs so far, Hugo Ekitike at Liverpool and Viktor Gyokeres at Arsenal, questions are being raised about Sesko’s performances for the Red Devils.

Club legend Rio Ferdinand has now publicly called on Sesko to change his mindset, after criticising a startling statistic from the game against Chelsea.

Benjamin Sesko has struggled at Man United

During United’s 2–1 triumph over a ten-man Chelsea, Sesko was largely invisible in the attacking phases.

According to Ferdinand, he recorded just six touches in the first half, a damning number for a player expected to lead from the front.

‘In the first half, against 10 men, he’s had six touches,’ Ferdinand said on his YouTube podcast. ‘Six touches!’

‘I think the responsibility goes to the striker as well [as other players],’ Ferdinand added.

‘In today’s game there’s enough at your disposal technology-wise and clip-wise that you can get it in black and white on the iPad and say to your teammates, ‘You know when you got in that position, look where I am’.

‘Amad on the weekend, I thought he played well, was in a great position on the left-hand side and Sesko pulled off the defender in the 18-yard box and Amad just has to roll it to him.

‘It’s decision making in the final third that’s going to set him free or it isn’t, and he’s got to try and dictate to a lot of those players either through runs that make it so obvious or physically telling them after a game.

‘They’re the type of conversations he has to have because I know Ruud [van Nistelrooy] was having that.

‘I saw Ruud van Nistelrooy walk off the training field because Ronaldo did too many step overs and he wasn’t playing it when he wanted it.

‘You’ve got to find it from somewhere to make your teammates know, and that will be the making of him.’

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Sesko has been unable to stamp this authority

United paid around £74 million for Sesko during the summer transfer window, believing he would contribute goals and decisive moments consistently.

Yet, after six appearances, he’s still waiting for his first goal in a Red Devils shirt.

The lack of involvement was so stark that Sesko was substituted at half-time, a move that suggested neither the player nor the manager was satisfied with how he was influencing the game.

Sesko’s enormous transfer fee, potential, and expectations all add up to a bigger stage, where chances must be seized and visible action must follow.

For United, who have invested heavily and are battling both past expectations and current pressure, every player, especially those signed for big money, will be measured by how they impact matches.

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