Wayne Rooney has jumped in to the defence of Man United summer signing Benjamin Sesko.
Sesko has two goals and one assist to his name in 11 games in the Premier League this season.
Rooney believes the 22-year-old has been unfairly targeted by criticism over the past few weeks despite showing encouraging signs of progress.
The United icon said (via The Overlap): “He is going through a bit of a tough time in terms of goals scored. But, what we are seeing now is he can compete, he does hold the ball up better than Hojlund does.
“We are seeing as the ball is going up to him, Mbeumo, Cunha, Mount making runs in behind.
“I think he has been better than what people are maybe suggesting, but I still think he needs to just get the ball, get hold of it, lay it off and get in the box and hope that the chances are created for him. I think he has been OK and will come good.”
Sesko has quietly impressed with his ability to hold up play and link seamlessly with his attacking teammates.
It should be also considered that he has been named in the starting XI in only six of his total appearances.
He did not feature in a few matches early in the campaign as manager Ruben Amorim wanted him to build chemistry with his teammates.
He was benched for the clash against Liverpool, a tactical move rather than a reflection of form.
Amorim recognised that Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate would dominate aerial duels, so he designed a setup focused on second balls and quick transitions.
With United adopting a more direct approach in recent weeks, Sesko has thrived as the focal point up front.
The Slovenian often drops deep to flick passes into the path of runners behind him.
One of those clever touches led to the Chelsea goalkeeper’s red card, when his glancing header released Bryan Mbeumo clean through on goal.
Sesko must avoid the noise from outside and focus on answering his critics on the pitch.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
