Michael Owen Delivers Blunt Assessment of Manchester United's £74m Striker
Former Liverpool and England striker Michael Owen has delivered a stark verdict on Manchester United's record signing Benjamin Sesko, insisting the Slovenian international is "not the answer" for the club's long-term ambitions.
United invested £74 million last summer to secure Sesko from RB Leipzig, with the 22-year-old brought in to replace Rasmus Hojlund and solve the club's persistent striker problems. However, his early months at Old Trafford proved challenging, with just two goals scored during the first half of the season under former manager Ruben Amorim.
A Tale of Two Halves for Sesko at Old Trafford
The narrative has shifted dramatically since Amorim's departure in January. Under the guidance of caretaker manager Michael Carrick, Sesko has found impressive form, netting eight goals in his last eleven appearances. This resurgence has coincided with Manchester United climbing to third place in the Premier League table, firmly in contention for Champions League qualification.
Despite this marked improvement, Owen remains unconvinced about Sesko's capacity to lead the line for a club with title aspirations. In an interview with casino.org, the former Ballon d'Or winner expressed significant doubts.
"To me, he's not the answer long-term," Owen stated bluntly. "He's not the Manchester United centre-forward forever and ever. He's an expensive player who can get better and be a nice part of their squad, but equally, if United are playing in their biggest game of the season tomorrow, I don't think he starts."
Owen Questions Sesko's Big-Game Credentials
Owen elaborated on his position, suggesting that while Sesko's recent form is encouraging, it doesn't necessarily translate to him being the focal point of a title-challenging side.
"If Manchester United are wanting to get back to where they feel they belong and challenge for the title, I don't think he's the centre-forward that you go into the season with all your hopes pinned on," Owen continued. "Yes, he's doing better. It's great to see because it's not nice to see anybody struggling. That being said, I think there's an upgrade in there somewhere along the line in the next year or two."
The pundit acknowledged Sesko's positive impact but stopped short of declaring him the solution to United's attacking woes. "It's great now that he can be an influence on the team and the squad and score important goals. But I'm not saying, 'oh yeah, everything's great now and he's now going to shoot them to the league title'. He's improved them, he's confident again and he's an asset to the team all of a sudden, but there's still a long way to go."
Owen 'Astounded' by Carrick Appointment Debate
In the same interview, Owen also weighed in on the managerial situation at Old Trafford, expressing bewilderment that some oppose making Michael Carrick's role permanent. Carrick has emerged as the frontrunner for the job after taking temporary charge in January.
"I'm astounded by certain people saying no, they shouldn't appoint him. Astounded," Owen declared. "Why on earth is this even a question? I don't get it. I'm not saying, 'go and give him a 10-year contract, everything's perfect'. But bloody hell, what more can he do? You've just got to let this roll."
Owen pointed to the club's failed experiments with various managerial profiles over the past decade as reason to stick with Carrick. "They've tried virtually everything, and after a dozen years of trying and failing, you land on somebody that's getting a tune out of the players. They're winning games, they're looking progressive, some of the players are playing the best football they've played in years. How on earth can anybody say that he shouldn't continue?"
The former striker highlighted an impressive statistic to bolster his argument. "If the league started when Carrick took over, Manchester United would be top of the league. We're talking at this stage now, we'd be a third of the way through the season and Man United at the top of the league. You'd be thinking, well, can they win the league?"
Manchester United's momentum was slightly checked by a 2-2 draw at Bournemouth on Friday night, but the club remains in a strong third position. The debate over both the striker position and the managerial hot seat will undoubtedly continue as the season reaches its climax.
