Gary Neville criticizes Sesko: 11 games, 2 goals for Man United

Gary Neville has raised serious questions about Benjamin Sesko following a series of unconvincing performances for Manchester United. Speaking on NBC Sports, the former player said the Slovenian striker looks awkward, especially in aerial duels, and has only scored two goals in 11 appearances – far too few for an expensive signing.

Neville: Sesko remains a question mark after 5 goalless games.

Following the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest, Sesko went five consecutive games without scoring. Neville stated frankly: “I haven’t made any progress in evaluating him yet. For me, everything is still up in the air.”

Compared to impressive new signings like Matheus Cunha or Bryan Mbeumo, Neville believes Sesko is falling behind: “He looks very awkward. There are a few aerial balls where Sesko doesn’t control the tempo or touch the ball well. With an £80 million signing, you could say he’s young and needs time to adapt, but I still expect to see more.”

Match summary: MU's winning streak crumbles, Sesko is lackluster.

Against Nottingham Forest, Manchester United took an early lead thanks to Casemiro's opening goal, but allowed their opponents to come back with goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and Nicolo Savona. It wasn't until the end of the match that Amad Diallo saved MU with an equalizer to make it 2-2.

In that context, Sesko – expected to be the spearhead of the attack – failed to make a significant impact, despite having a few chances in the first half. His presence in the penalty area was not sharp enough to make a difference.

Tactical analysis: bottlenecks in air combat and connectivity.

Neville's points reflect two core issues: handling aerial situations and first touch. Without good control of the ball's trajectory and tempo, the striker will struggle to maintain control in 50-50 situations, thereby diminishing their ability to hold up the ball or draw away opposing defenders. For a team heavily reliant on transitions, each touch from the center forward can determine the speed of the build-up play.

In terms of connectivity, Sesko needs to improve his integration with the midfield and attacking players around him. First-touch coordination – from positioning to receiving the ball to releasing it with the right momentum – is a crucial piece of the puzzle in creating space for teammates. The "awkwardness" that Neville described makes attacking moves easily broken down before Manchester United can get the ball into dangerous areas.

Pressure from transfer fees and comparisons of new signings.

Sesko joined Old Trafford from RB Leipzig for a fee of £74 million. Expectations that came with that figure were always high, while Neville, in his statement, mentioned "£80 million" to emphasize the pressure. A comparison with Matheus Cunha or Bryan Mbeumo shows that the standards of evaluation in the Premier League are very clear: immediate effectiveness and rapid adaptation.

Notable statistics

• He made 11 appearances for Manchester United, scoring 2 goals.
• Five consecutive matches without scoring a goal.
• Having moved from RB Leipzig for a fee of £74 million, Neville mentioned "£80 million" in a statement on NBC Sports.
• Manchester United are currently 7th in the Premier League.
• Nottingham Forest drew 2-2: Casemiro opened the scoring; Morgan Gibbs-White and Nicolo Savona scored for Forest; Amad Diallo equalized late in the match.

Impact on the race and a challenge for MU's attack.

The draw meant MU missed the opportunity to extend their winning streak to four matches. Ahead lies a grueling schedule – including a clash with Tottenham – further increasing the pressure on Sesko. Coach Amorim and the fans expect more from the 22-year-old striker, not just goals, but also integration into the team and the ability to create breakthroughs.

If Sesko doesn't soon improve his ball control and impact on the game, he risks becoming a disappointing signing at Old Trafford – where expectations always go hand in hand with pressure.