At Craven Cottage on 24/8, similar to the 0-1 loss against Arsenal, manager Ruben Amorim only used Sesko in the second half. The 22-year-old new signing then had a quiet game, making only 9 passes, with no shots, dribbles, or successful tackles.
Neville, a two-time Champions League and eight-time Premier League winner with Manchester United, believes Amorim should have given Sesko more playing time to adapt to the Premier League. "Sesko is nowhere near full fitness or the pace of the game," he said. "Clearly, many people have been calling for him to get on the pitch. Even last week I said he should start. You can't keep a player of his value and potential on the bench."
 |
Sesko during the Fulham 1-1 Man Utd match on 24/8. Photo: Reuters |
Sesko during the Fulham 1-1 Man Utd match on 24/8. Photo: Reuters
Neville also questioned Amorim's persistence with Mason Mount. The former Chelsea player started his second consecutive match for Manchester United. Even when Sesko was brought on, Amorim chose to substitute Casemiro before Mount.
"Amorim's problem is wanting to keep Mount on," Neville said. "When Sesko came on, he moved Mount to midfield and took off Casemiro. That opened up the team, and gave Fulham more chances to score."
The former Manchester United defender also questioned Amorim's decision to substitute defenders Leny Yoro and Luke Shaw with only 5 minutes left. He called it strange, as that was when Manchester United needed defensive stability.
Manchester United started better against Fulham, but missed several chances. Matheus Cunha disappointed with two shots hitting the post and one saved by the goalkeeper, while Bruno Fernandes missed a penalty in the 37th minute. Manchester United took the lead through a Rodrigo own goal in the 58th minute, but couldn't hold onto the advantage. In the 73rd minute, capitalizing on a mistake by Diogo Dalot, Fulham launched a flank attack, crossing for Emile Smith Rowe to equalize, making it 1-1.
During the summer transfer window, Manchester United spent over 260 million USD to acquire Sesko, Cunha, and Bryan Mbeumo. Conversely, Amorim listed several attacking players for sale: Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Jadon Sancho, and Marcus Rashford. However, only Rashford has successfully transferred, joining Barca on loan.
Thanh Quy (via Youtube)
