Michael Carrick has been sacked as Manchester United interim manager, with his ambitious prediction for forward Benjamin Sesko failing to work out. After weeks of speculation, Carrick was relieved of his duties on Thursday morning, and Mauricio Pochettino is on the verge of replacing him.
Carrick's High Hopes for Sesko
Carrick inherited the squad in January after taking over from Ruben Amorim. One player he had high hopes for was Benjamin Sesko, the £74 million signing from RB Leipzig. Partly due to injury, Sesko has yet to live up to his price tag.
Sesko had a purple patch early in Carrick's spell as interim boss, scoring eight goals in 10 games. After the win at Everton in February, when Sesko scored the winning goal after coming off the bench, Carrick told Sky Sports: "He's in a good place at the moment."
Injury Disruptions Continue
Carrick added: "We've had some really good talks about it. Patience [by starting some games on the bench] is one thing from him. Waiting and developing as a player here. He understands that. He's going to be a big player for us for a long period of time, I'm sure of that. We've got to manage that. We've got some top forward players. He's made a big difference for us when he is on the pitch."
This season has been another tale of frustration for the Slovenian star. He endured a delayed start to the campaign after picking up a shin injury in May. When available, Sesko scored an equaliser against Everton in the Premier League and netted in the 4-0 Champions League win over Sabah. However, after starting a Carabao Cup loss to Brighton in September, he suffered another shin injury expected to keep him out until January.
What's Next for Sesko
With Carrick gone, Sesko will face the challenge of impressing Pochettino, who will likely be keen to strengthen his attacking options at the first opportunity. While all is not lost for the 23-year-old's Old Trafford career, he has a long way to go before realising Carrick's belief in him.
