United head to Anfield looking for an extremely rare win.

United desperately need a positive performance today.

United host the Black Cats at Old Trafford this afternoon.

Ruben Amorim has been urged to tinker with his regular starting lineup (Picture: Getty)

Owen Hargreaves believes Manchester United should deploy Bryan Mbeumo as a striker to reignite Bruno Fernandes’ attacking instincts.

It has prov…

Paul Merson is already questioning whether Benjamin Sesko will be a success at Manchester United following his £74m summer move to Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim was desperate to sign a new striker during the last transfer window to replace the struggling Rasmus Hojlund, who has since left to join Napoli.

Amorim’s first-choice target appeared to be his former Sporting star Viktor Gyokeres but United turned to Sesko after the Sweden international joined Arsenal.

Sesko, 22, is one of the most highly-rated young players in Europe, having scored 39 goals across his last two seasons at RB Leipzig.

The former Bundesliga star is yet to show that level of form at Old Trafford, however, scoring just one goal in his first seven appearances for the Red Devils.

Sesko has in fact only started half of United’s Premier League games as he gets up to speed with his new teammates and improves his fitness.

Merson is already concerned Sesko will be yet another Manchester United transfer flop and believes his service will be an issue in Amorim’s 4-3-3 system.

The Arsenal legend also claims Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta would have been a better signing as he is ‘much better’ than Sesko.

Mateta, who completed a £9m permanent move to Selhurst Park in 2022, has scored 32 Premier League goals since the start of the 2023-24 season.

‘Manchester United went out and signed the lad Sesko,’ Merson said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast. ‘He’s never going to score a goal because no one is crossing it to him.

‘He’s got two players behind him [Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo] that play off the cuff. He’s never going to get balls in from wide so I feel sorry for him.

‘I said last season on transfer deadline day that Man United needed someone like Jean-Philippe Mateta. Big, strong, leads the line, he’s a threat and causes problems.

‘But they’re not going to buy him because he plays for Crystal Palace, he’s not fashionable enough.

‘But he’s a much better player than Sesko, much better. And he’s doing it in the Premier League week in week out. As a player you would love Mateta in your team.’

Sesko opened his account in the Premier League over the weekend but that was not enough to prevent Manchester United from falling to a 3-1 defeat to Brentford.

Amorim was hoping to win successive league games for the first time since replacing Erik ten Hag as manager but United returned to Old Trafford empty-handed.

Club legend Wayne Rooney admitted he had no faith in Amorim following the defeat, which leaves Manchester United 14th in the Premier League after six games.

‘I am not seeing anything which is giving me any confidence, there needs to be big changes in my opinion,’ Rooney said on his BBC podcast.

‘Manager, players, whatever that is. Whatever it takes to get Manchester United back. There needs to be a clear message from the owners.

‘Whether that is the Glazers, [minority owner] Sir Jim Ratcliffe, there has to be a message of where this club is going. At the minute we are all sitting there waiting for it to crumble.

‘The culture of that football club has gone. I see it on a daily basis. I see staff losing jobs, people walking out of jobs.

‘I’ve got two kids [in the academy] at that football club and I really hope this doesn’t affect what they’re doing. What I’m seeing at that football club is not Manchester United.’

Amorim’s side return to Premier League action on Saturday with a must-win match against newly-promoted Sunderland.

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United host the Black Cats at Old Trafford.

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Gary Lineker says he is ‘really worried’ by Ruben Amorim’s treatment of Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo.

Two seasons ago Mainoo was regarded as a key member of United’s first team and one of the most promising young players in world football.

Mainoo enjoyed a breakout season at Erik ten Hag in 2023-24 which culminated in a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the Euros.

A 19-year-old Mainoo even started the Euro 2024 final against Spain but his career has stagnated since then and he currently finds himself out of the United team.

Mainoo is yet to start a Premier League game this season and a lack of minutes led him to ask to leave Manchester United on loan towards the end of the summer transfer window.

United blocked Mainoo’s exit, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe believed to be particularly keen for him to stay put, but the youngster is still on the margins of Amorim’s squad.

Sunday’s Manchester derby looked like a chance for Mainoo to sure up United’s midfield in the absence of the injured Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount, but he was once again only used as a second-half substitute in the humbling 3-0 defeat.

Ex-England striker Lineker admits he is ‘slightly baffled’ and ‘really worried’ by Amorim’s stance on Mainoo.

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker said: ‘I don’t think he’s going to change his system now. He’s been very stubborn so far, why change now?

‘It really worries me the way Kobbie Mainoo has been kind of dismissed. Such an incredible, young talent, a local boy as well doing really well.

‘I thought when he came on he did really quite well. I don’t get it, I don’t know if there’s something we don’t know about but it’s slightly baffling to me.’

While Mainoo was used from the bench, £74m summer signing Benjamin Sesko, who joined from RB Leipzig, was handed his first Premier League start.

United signed Sesko to help solve the team’s issues in front of goal and replace new Napoli signing Rasmus Hojlund but the Slovenia international is yet to score in five appearances.

Discussing Sesko’s performance against Man City, Lineker added: ‘He was absolutely starved of any real service.

‘He does look quick for a big guy and I watched him specifically for a lot of the game and his movement was decent.

‘I felt for him a little bit because it’s tough when you’re not getting any service.’

Premier League record goalscorer Alan Shearer added: ‘I saw him last year a few times, I did think it was a lot of money United spent to sign him.

‘It’s a massive ask for him to go into a club and a team under huge pressure. I think it’s a huge ask for him to go into and be successful this season, I really do.’

Manchester United’s task will not get much easier next weekend when they return to Premier League action against Club World Cup champions Chelsea.

Man City, meanwhile, begin their Champions League campaign on Thursday against Napoli before facing Arsenal at the weekend.

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Benjamin Sesko struggled to make an impact in Manchester United’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City (AFP via Getty)

Peter Schmeichel claims Manchester United did not need to sign Benjamin Sesko this summer and claims two other transfers …

Benjamin Sesko struggled to make an impact in Manchester United’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City (AFP via Getty)

Peter Schmeichel claims Manchester United did not need to sign Benjamin Sesko this summer and claims two other transfers …

The Manchester derby takes centre stage in the Premier League today.

The first Manchester derby of the season awaits.

Sesko is still waiting for his first league start.

‘He has potential. He will develop in the next one and two years, I’m sure.’

The first Manchester derby of the season awaits.