(Credit: Manh Tung, Breaking Media, Imago)

Evan Shaw

Fri 20 March 2026 13:00, UK

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Manchester United manager Michael Carrick is using striker Benjamin Sesko perfectly despite calls from supporters for him to start more often.

Sesko is gaining a growing reputation as the Red Devils’ super sub, having scored after being introduced from the bench in four of his last seven Premier League appearances.

That has seen fans call for Carrick to throw him in from the start more often, as they are keen to see what the frontman could produce across a full 90 minutes on the pitch.

The boss is blessed with a wealth of options to play the leading striker role, with the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha having also been used regularly as the spearhead to the attack.

Man United’s next game sees them travel to Bournemouth on Friday night, and stats have shown that Carrick should resist the calls to throw Sesko in from the off once again.

Benjamin Sesko’s link-up play not enough at the moment

Sesko has endured a mixed campaign following his initial £66million move from RB Leipzig last summer, but he has now started to find his feet in the Premier League.

The 22-year-old’s recent exploits appear to have built his confidence, despite the fact that some of his most crucial goals have come when he hasn’t started games.

Check out Benjamin Sesko’s live ratings, heatmap, and full 2026 scout report here.

Carrick is facing increasing pressure from the supporters to throw the youngster back into the side on a regular basis and use Cunha and Mbeumo in the wings, but stats show that he is still not ready for what United need at the moment.

Sesko is has been far less involved than Cunha and Mbeumo so far this season, given that the duo are both averaging significantly more successful passes and touches per 90 than the striker.

Sesko also lags behind in terms of chances created and duels won, although his finishing stats are superior.

United are not yet in a position as a team where they can afford to carry a striker who may go unnoticed for large parts of the game before popping up with a goal, and as a result, the movement of Cunha and Mbeumo, combined with their ability to interchange with the midfield, makes them better options to start.

Carrick has found a perfect situation at the moment where Sesko is impacting a game almost every time he comes on from the bench, and as a result, it is surely not worth him trying to change a winning formula.

Sesko pushing for Michael Carrick appointment at Man United

Former United chief scout Mick Brown recently told Football Insider that Sesko is among a number of senior players who are pushing for Carrick to get the manager’s job on a full-time basis.

The former recruitment chief labelled the starlet’s progression under the interim boss as “amazing,” and added that he will undoubtedly be keen to see the temporary appointment stick around.

Brown suggested that he has heard from inside Old Trafford that the players are all hugely satisfied with the work that Carrick has done so far, and are keen to see him stay on for next season at least.

It is becoming increasingly likely that the 44-year-old will be handed the job on a full-time basis at the end of the season, and that could only be thrown into disrepute if the team suffers a drastic downturn in form.