Former Manchester United striker Michael Owen has voiced his support for Michael Carrick's decision to leave Benjamin Sesko on the bench for the clash against Manchester City. Owen feels that the 23-year-old forward has yet to reach the necessary level to be an unquestioned first-choice striker for United.
Sesko had found the net in the two previous matches but made his appearance in the derby only in the 67th minute during the 1-0 defeat. Carrick’s decision drew criticism, but Owen stated he would have made the same choice as the United manager.
Owen commented:
Manchester United have a plethora of attacking options, which is positive. I believe Sesko still needs to develop to become a truly top footballer.
Clearly, Manchester United want to reclaim their status as the best team in the country and win the Premier League. For that, in my opinion, they need a central striker who ranks among the best in the world.
Is Sesko among the top ten central forwards in the world? No, I don’t think so.
How can we help him get there? Perhaps he needs to be given more starts to gain experience. Maybe that’s the way to go.
But at this moment, if I were picking the team for the derby, I would have acted just as Michael Carrick did. I doubt that decision keeps him awake at night.
In my view, Sesko is a great fit as an impact player from the bench. If someone gets injured and he’s called up to the starting eleven—no problem. He’s already scored when starting and coming on as a sub.
He’s a solid player for the team, but I don’t think we should suddenly demand he be a guaranteed starter after just one game without goals.
Manchester United's next match is against Brighton on Wednesday in the third round of the League Cup, after which Carrick's side will face Fulham in the Premier League.
