Rio Ferdinand says he is ‘concerned’ Manchester United aren’t getting the best out of Benjamin Sesko and believes there is some confusion surrounding the striker’s role in Ruben Amorim’s system.
As he had done against Arsenal before, Sesko started on the bench as the Red Devils gave up a one-goal lead to draw 1-1 away at Fulham on Sunday.
Emile Smith Rowe wiped out Rodrigo Muniz’s earlier own goal in the capital, so even though Amorim substituted Sesko for Casemiro in the 53rd minute, United’s £74 million acquisition was unable to have a significant impact.
Speaking to reporters following the match at Craven Cottage, Amorim urged United supporters to have patience with Sesko, stating that the Slovenian international just “needed time” to get used to the Premier League’s fast-paced environment.
However, the United manager stated that he was “really happy” with Sesko’s performance on the training field and is certain that the forward’s skill will be evident as the season progresses.
However, in his analysis of the team’s most recent setback on his Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel, a somewhat perplexed Ferdinand queried what Sesko was expected to accomplish specifically when coming off the bench.
In his first season in English football, the former England defender also blasted United’s more experienced players for not helping their new teammate “find his feet.”
“Give him the ball.” It won’t be an easy day’s job with him. Ferdinand remarked, “Get it into him and make them defend.”
However, we are manipulating him. There are moments when it’s really simple, fundamental things.
We oppose getting it into someone who can cause issues. My primary worry was that you wouldn’t be able to see who he is.
“I would rather you play it into him and he look rubbish so we know what we have because, right now, I don’t know what he is or what he’s doing,” the six-time Premier League champion continued.
“I don’t mean to place blame, but you need to assist your teammates in establishing themselves on the team.”
Ferdinand claims that despite Fulham’s strong start to the game, the visitors let them “off the hook.”
He clarified, “We were scaring the living daylights out of Fulham and dominating their lives.”
Every Fulham supporter, player, and employee should have been asking, “What’s going on here? The top teams there punish the weak, and this isn’t the Manchester United we were hoping to witness.
“They put their put on their throat and tell them to stay there,” but we didn’t do that. We gave them a free pass.
Ferdinand never thought Amorim’s team had the upper hand in the second half, even after United seized the lead in the 58th minute.
He went on: “We went ahead 1-0, but we weren’t the team in control or dominating at the moment.”
When Fulham returned to the game, it somewhat deviated from the flow of play.
However, when I look at the team, I get the impression that if we don’t go out and win the game and score a goal while we’re playing well, it could throw us off balance when the opposition starts to play.
Because of the players’ lack of confidence from the previous season and the lingering effects of some of the events that occurred, I can see why.
“It’s not like you gain absolute confidence in yourself that you can handle some pressure or a shift in the game’s momentum.” You can bob and weave your way through it.
In certain situations, we lose our form, start chasing, and go on the defensive.
“Discipline must then take hold, and comfort in our identity must then become relevant.”
Gary Neville, Ferdinand’s longtime teammate, shares similar worries about Sesko and believes the former RB Leipzig forward is “nowhere near” being fit for games.
After the final whistle, the former United and England full-back stated on Sky Sports, “I said this last week and it’s a little bit worrying: Fulham got a lot stronger when they made their substitutions, I actually thought United got worse when they made theirs.”
“To put it simply, Sesko isn’t even close to being fit or coming up to speed right now.”
Neville would want to see Sesko start when United plays Grimsby in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night, even though the forward doesn’t seem to be too sharp.
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