Michael Carrick urged to start Matheus Cunha over Benjamin Šeško as debate around benjamin šeško grows
Former Liverpool and England striker Emile Heskey has urged Michael Carrick to start Matheus Cunha ahead of benjamin šeško for Manchester United’s trip to Everton. Carrick remains interim head coach until the end of the season and has overseen four wins and a draw in his first five matches in charge.
Heskey's call to start Cunha
Heskey said the centre-forward situation at Manchester United is difficult and that, while he rates Benjamin Sesko and would like to see him start because he is a more traditional striker, the practical problem is how to fit Matheus Cunha, Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo into the same first team. "If I were Michael Carrick, I’d start Cunha up front over the other options, " Heskey said, adding that Cunha gives the attack more mobility and has begun strongly at the club. He described Cunha as his pick from the selection of forwards United have at their disposal.
Benjamin Šeško's recent scoring run
benjamin šeško has surged since Carrick’s appointment, scoring five goals in his last six appearances. The 22-year-old signed from RB Leipzig in the summer and has now taken his season tally to seven goals — six in the league and one in the FA Cup — in his debut season in England. He is a 45-capped Slovenian international and has delivered injury-time goals in the 3-2 win over Fulham and the 1-1 draw with West Ham, including a late equaliser past Mads Hermansen that secured a vital point in the club’s top-four race.
Carrick's record and selection caution
Carrick was appointed interim head coach after Ruben Amorim was sacked last month, following Amorim’s uneven start and the club’s inconsistent form from the previous season. There was a brief caretaker spell by Darren Fletcher in between. Carrick is in place until the end of the season as the club bides its time over a decision on a permanent manager, and there have already been calls to keep him on past the summer. In five matches in charge, Carrick has made just one change to his five starting line-ups and has largely followed a "if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it" approach.
Patrick Dorgu hamstring and Cunha
The solitary enforced tweak came when Matheus Cunha replaced Patrick Dorgu after the Dane suffered a lengthy hamstring injury that is expected to keep him sidelined for a total of 10 weeks. Prior to that setback, Dorgu had been enjoying his most eye-catching form in a United shirt and had just scored in consecutive games against Arsenal and Manchester City. Cunha has since filled the void and, the summer signing is now on six goals and two assists in 23 league appearances for the club.
Squad spending, transfer values and scrutiny
Manchester United spent over £200m on five new players in the summer transfer window, bringing in Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha, Diego Leon and Senne Lammens. Coverage has cited figures of £74m and, in another instance, £62. 5m for Sesko’s transfer fee, and many pundits questioned the £74m deal. Under Ruben Amorim, the former RB Leipzig forward only scored two goals in 21 appearances, a poor start that many observers pointed to before his recent run of form under Carrick.
Fixture context: Everton and Hill Dickinson
United head to the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday for what is described as the club’s maiden trip to that venue. Manchester United sit fourth in the Premier League heading into the match, while Everton are eighth. Everton beat Amorim’s United 1-0 at Old Trafford in the corresponding fixture despite playing with ten men for the majority of that match. David Moyes’ Everton have failed to win in three of their last five outings, a run that could affect confidence as they prepare to host Carrick’s revitalised side. When United were on the verge of losing their unbeaten run last week, neither Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Bruno Fernandes nor Amad Diallo were able to find the net before benjamin šeško’s late intervention.
Heskey also reflected on the pressure at Manchester United, saying Sesko has found things difficult but that he likes him. He noted Sesko is technically very good but that the pressure and expectation at the club create a "must win" mentality for every game and for trophies.
Selection for Monday’s match will test Carrick’s philosophy: maintain the settled line-up that has brought four wins and a draw in five or make the first proactive change since his appointment by starting Cunha and shifting the roles of the striking options.
Unclear in the provided context: the exact starting XI Carrick will name for the Everton match and whether the interim appointment will be extended beyond the end of the season.
