Benjamin Sesko's expectations at Man Utd already collapsing as penalty speaks volumes

Summer is yet to pass but Benjamin Sesko's debut campaign at Manchester United is already showing signs of fracture. The Slovenian, 22, was given his first start in the League Cup second round clash against Grimsby Town.

It proved to be a nightmare first outing as Ruben Amorim's side drew 2-2 with the League Two outfit before losing 12-11 on penalties. The humiliating exit at Blundell Park is not what the striker would have envisaged when he snubbed Newcastle United to join the Red Devils from RB Leipzig in a deal which could be worth as much as £74million.

As well as being unable to beat Town goalkeeper Christy Pym , more alarmingly Sesko was the 10th player for United to take a penalty in the shootout, with only Andre Onana behind him. While he did convert his spot-kick, his placement in the order spoke volumes, as it suggests either he or Amorim was not particularly confident he would score from 12-yards.

The defeat to the Mariners is certainly not what Sesko envisaged when he opted against playing Champions League football at St James' Park. The young forward said he was looking forward to competing for the biggest trophies in football when he arrived.

He said: "The history of Manchester United is obviously very special but what really excites me is the future. When we discussed the project, it was clear that everything is in place for this team to continue to grow and compete for the biggest trophies again soon."

That hope already appears to be over, as United now only have two trophies left to compete for: the Premier League , which does not appear within their grasp anytime soon, and the FA Cup . The forward also said there was a positive buzz at Old Trafford - if there was, last night's result and their poor start to the season would have done plenty to extinguish it, particularly judging by Amorim's words after the match.

Sesko added: "From the moment that I arrived, I could feel the positive energy and family environment that the club has created. It is clearly the perfect place to reach my maximum level and fulfil all of my ambitions.

"I cannot wait to start learning from Ruben [Amorim] and connecting with my team-mates to achieve the success that we all know we are capable of together.”

If the visible stress on the faces of Amorim and his team-mates are anything to go by, then the "positive energy" Sesko spoke off has evaporated. The future was looking positive after United's respectable showing in their 1-0 home loss to Arsenal .

New signings Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha have looked impressive this season, yet the duo, who cost close to £125m, both missed in the shootout. Sesko's hopes of learning from Amorim may have also taken a hit, as the Portuguese boss' post-match interview suggested the club's consistently poor performances have driven him to the edge.

He cryptically said: "I know that the best team won, the only team that was on the pitch. I think the team and the players spoke really loud today. So that's it.

"We lost, the best team won. I think it was really clear for everybody what happened today. It's not just the space (we gave them), but the way we started the game without any intensity - we were completely lost.

"It's hard to explain. That's why I think they spoke really well. I think they gave the response on the pitch today. When you see something that, like today, it's hard to talk."

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