Wayne Rooney has delivered an honest verdict on Benjamin Sesko while also pointing out the player who "simplified things" in Manchester United's 2-0 win over Sunderland. After a turbulent start to the campaign that has piled pressure on manager Ruben Amorim, United finally looked alive again at Old Trafford on Saturday. The win not only lifted them to tenth in the Premier League table but also brought a breath of optimism back among a frustrated fanbase.
Getty Images SportSesko strikes back: Relief and redemption for United’s £74m man
After Mason Mount opened the scoring against Sunderland, Sesko doubled the lead just after the half-hour mark with a clever close-range finish. That goal took Sesko’s tally to two in eight appearances, and it was a major boost to his morale. The Slovenian has faced fierce scrutiny since his £74 million ($99m) summer move from RB Leipzig, struggling to adapt under the weight of expectation. Yet against Sunderland, he looked sharper, hungrier, and finally like the player United fans were promised.
AdvertisementRooney hails Sesko after Sunderland heroics
United's all-time record goalscorer Rooney said while assessing Sesko's performance on : "I think he’s a handful and I think he uses his body well, he challenges for balls. It makes it easier for [Bryan] Mbeumo, [Matheus] Cunha when he’s on, or Mount to make runs in behind him, so I think that’s clearly something they’ve worked on. Obviously getting another goal will help him so the win was massive for all the players and for the manager and it was much-needed."
Getty Images SportLammens makes his mark: Simple, sharp, and solid
While Sesko grabbed the headlines up front, it was Senne Lammens, United’s summer signing between the sticks, who quietly impressed at the back. Making his debut, the 23-year-old Belgian kept a clean sheet and showed composure beyond his years, even after a nerve-wracking moment when he misjudged a charge outside his box. Rooney was quick to notice and said: "The goalkeeper did well. He obviously had the misjudgement where he’s come out the box and that could end up a different way. But I thought, in the main, he simplified things and that’s not a bad thing for a keeper. He didn’t take too many touches on the ball, he got the ball forward quickly and it was effective."
Amorim gets the tactics right
Amorim’s slight tactical tweak also earned plaudits. United pressed with intent, their attack finally showing balance and bite. Sunderland, unable to live with the tempo, were forced to change shape early in the first half, never truly recovering.
"Sesko has been good at winning headers and [Bryan] Mbeumo running in behind him so I actually thought United got their tactics right," he said. "Amorim slightly changed his tactics and went with two forwards up top and it worked, certainly for the first 30 minutes. Sunderland had to change it early on in the first half and they saw the game out well from there. Sunderland didn’t really cause that many problems."