MANCHESTER, England — Ruben Amorim has admitted Benjamin Sesko has “struggled” since his summer move to Manchester United, following criticism directed at the striker from former defender Gary Neville.
Sesko has scored two goals in 11 games following his £73.7 million ($97m) move from RB Leipzig.
After a frustrating game in the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest, during which the 22-year-old managed just 21 touches in 90 minutes, Neville said he “wants to see more” from the Slovenian, who he also described as “awkward.”
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Asked about the comments, Amorim accepted Sesko has found it tough at United. But, ahead of the trip to Tottenham on Saturday, he says he’s confident the youngster will be a success in the Premier League.
“Of course, nobody likes to hear, but he struggled a little bit and that is a fact,” said Amorim.
“So let’s embrace that. It’s not personal, it’s not nothing. That is what I try to explain to the players.
“That is not personal. It’s an opinion that is going to change in three weeks. Everything that is true today, in three weeks, could be a lie. So of course, it’s hard to hear.
“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.”
Sesko was one of the most highly-rated young strikers in Europe during his spell at RB Leipzig, where he scored 39 goals in 87 games across two seasons.
His form attracted interest from Arsenal and Newcastle during the transfer window before his switch to Old Trafford.
Amorim says Sesko could not have picked a more difficult club to represent given the intense spotlight on United.
And he urged him to understand that it will take time to adapt to a new team and new country.
“I’m relaxed. He’s not relaxed,” said Amorim.
“What I mean is that I understand how things are in football and he’s going to struggle. That is normal. He has no experience here, and then the first impact when everyone says that you are so good, you are the next big thing, and you hear about that with Sesko, and then 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, and sometimes they are right.
“To have the ability to understand that is normal and still maintain your level of confidence is really hard for a young kid. He is going to be our striker for the long term.
“He’s going to have these struggles and these bumps during the ride, and that is a normal thing in football.”
