Sesko's Striking Surge: How Carrick's Tactics Unleashed Manchester United's £70m Talent
The starkest improvement under interim manager Michael Carrick has been the Slovenian supersub's attacking potency, with Benjamin Sesko beginning to look more like a £70 million striker since Ruben Amorim was sacked.
A Tale of Two Periods: Sesko's Career Transformation
Benjamin Sesko's career at Manchester United breaks into two distinct periods. In the first, he played 1,404 minutes of football and scored only two goals. In the second, he has played 274 minutes and scored six goals, translating to 702 minutes per goal initially and then a remarkable 45 minutes and 40 seconds per goal.
There's a very obvious explanation for this dramatic shift. On January 4, Sesko toiled in a 1-1 draw at Leeds, failing to manage a shot on target, completing only 76% of his passes, and losing possession five times without attempting a dribble. On January 5, Ruben Amorim was sacked.
The Immediate Impact of Amorim's Departure
On January 6, Sesko scored both goals in a 2-2 draw at Burnley, marking an immediate thaw in his performance akin to the removal of the White Witch from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The snows melted, flowers blossomed, and creatures turned to stone became flesh and blood once again.
United have been here before with an upturn under a beloved former player, such as Ole Gunnar Solskjær, leading some fans and pundits to argue Michael Carrick should not be given the job permanently regardless of achievements. However, this situation differs qualitatively from 2019, when players were diminished by José Mourinho's toxicity, whereas this season raised doubts about the squad's quality altogether.
Carrick's Managerial Magic: Positioning and Confidence
It turns out a manager can make a huge impact by picking players in their best positions, restoring a promising young midfielder ostracised for not fitting a specific profile, and imbuing charges with confidence. After Sesko scored the winner at Everton, he emphasized the importance of feeling that everyone believes in me, raising questions about why this wasn't true under Amorim.
This transformation isn't due to Carrick being a specialist Sesko-whisperer; the post-Amorim change was immediate, with the Slovene scoring three goals in two games under Darren Fletcher as interim manager. Every day since Amorim left has made his appointment look worse, but the fault lies with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the process that imposed him on a squad unsuited for his rigid 3-4-2-1 system, over warnings from former sporting director Dan Ashworth.
Sesko's Stark Improvement Amid Summer Signings
United's upturn doesn't justify spending £200 million on three forwards last summer when other areas had deficiencies, but it now appears that money was spent on players like Sesko who may be part of a successful future. While Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have clicked up a level under Carrick, Sesko shows the starkest improvement.
Last summer saw Premier League clubs spending big on orthodox strikers with mixed results, but until early January, Sesko looked the most questionable. At only 22, his early appearances showed a heavy touch and poor movement, but confidence and a coherent system have made all the difference.
Unleashing Sesko's Strengths: Movement and Instincts
A simple video session with Fletcher before the Burnley draw restored Sesko's basic faith in his career. He excels at making runs in defenders' blind spots, as seen in both goals that day: the first from Bruno Fernandes's through ball and the second from Patrick Dorgu's cross. His movement is perhaps his greatest gift, complemented by physical attributes like aerial ability and speed, evident in his breakaway winner against Everton.
He's less effective when given time to think, but at his age, that may develop. In his instincts to find space and finish, he's already a hugely exciting talent, even if used mainly from the bench. It's remarkable what happens when a manager uses a player to accentuate strengths rather than conforming to a strict tactical blueprint.
While background problems persist, the tactical winter is over, and Sesko is the frolicking avatar of the post-Amorim spring at Manchester United.
