At a Glance
- Manchester United’s Sesko wins PFA award
- The Slovenian was in red-hot form in February
- Carrick has helped unleash the frontman
Benjamin Sesko has won his first Players’ Football Association Fans Player of the Month award for February, a month in which he played just 84 minutes across four games, but scored thrice, as he helped Manchester United pick up 10 points.
The Slovenian has hit the best form of his United career since Ruben Amorim departed, but under Michael Carrick’s stewardship, he has taken on a different role. Sesko has become United’s go-to option from the bench, coming on six times and scoring in four of those appearances.
Across February, Sesko played fewer than 90 minutes in total, yet still left his mark as a super-sub. He scored three goals in four appearances, directly earning the Reds two wins and a draw.
Has Sesko found his new role?
Peter Schmeichel weighed in on the Sesko debate after United’s 3-1 win over Aston Villa. He said: “I’m not sure he’s completely ready to be a starting number nine in every game so I thought it was quite good of Michael Carrick to keep him on the bench and keep him hungry. He has come on and he is enthusiastic.”
Sesko may believe he deserves a start, but the data points the other way—he is more impactful off the bench than from the outset.
The data below reflects matches under interim manager Michael Carrick:
| Sesko starting | Sesko on the bench |
| Games – 2 | Games – 6 |
| Minutes – 165 | Minutes – 108 |
| Goals – 1 | Goals – 4 |
| Minutes per goal – 165 | Minutes per goal – 27 |
| Points earned per goal – 3 | Points earned per goal – 7 |
While the sample size remains small, the contrast is stark. Sesko has been far more effective off the bench than as a starter. He averages a goal every 27 minutes as a substitute—over six times more frequent than the 165 minutes per goal when starting.
The only time the striker has found the net was when United faced Crystal Palace on the 1st of March. The Slovenian scored a powerful header in the 65th minute to win the Red Devils the game, yet again.
Sesko again made his impact felt in his most recent outing, coming off the bench in the 75th minute and scoring just six minutes later to put the game beyond Aston Villa’s reach.
It will not go down as a match-winner, but the goal effectively ended the contest. His goal helped push both United clear on the day and in the table as they opened up a three-point gap on the Midlands club.
What’s next for Sesko?
With United heading down to Bournemouth to face the south-coast side on Friday evening, there will be a heavy debate amongst fans and pundits over whether Sesko should start.
The Slovenian has proved he is more than capable of leading the line for Michael Carrick’s side, but has he not worked better as a sub?
It seems that Carrick prefers his front four to consist of Cunha, Bruno Fernandes, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo, rather than swapping out one of Amad or Mbeumo to facilitate his 6ft 5in striker.
It would not be a surprise to anyone if Sesko is named to the lineup for Friday’s matchup, nor would it shock anyone to learn he is on the bench. As long as he keeps scoring, he will give Carrick an internal debate that refuses to go away.
