Manchester United may have pulled off a brilliant result at Anfield last time out, but Dwight Yorke wants Ruben Amorim to change his team this weekend.
The Red Devils beat Liverpool 2-1 on Sunday, with Bryan Mbeumo scoring within two minutes and Harry Maguire the hero with a late winner after Cody Gakpo had equalised.
There was something of a surprise in Amorim’s team selection as striker Benjamin Sesko was on the bench on Merseyside.
It was an unlikely choice as the summer signing had scored in his last two appearances for Manchester United, in defeat at Brentford and in a win over Sunderland.
Mason Mount replaced the Slovenian in the starting line-up, but Yorke thinks Sesko should be reinstalled to the starting XI on Saturday when Brighton visit Old Trafford.
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‘I think Benjamin Sesko needs to be Manchester United’s starting striker,’ Yorke told Escapist Magazine.
‘We’ve seen the likes of Mason Mount and Matheus Cunha play in the position this season, but I think if you invest all this money in a striker, then you need to give him as much time as possible to adapt to the Premier League. I think he’s a fabulous player and works extremely hard.
‘He’s playing in a team that isn’t scoring as regularly as they want, so there’s going to be times where he’ll find it tough going, but I think United should stick with him because he’s the best option for them in that position.’
Amorim explained the selection after the dramatic win at Liverpool, saying: ‘Especially in the bad moments, you have to go with your guts and I always go by that, no matter what.
‘I think it’s the most important thing for the manager, right or wrong sometimes, but that is, for me, the key point of being a manager.
‘And then sometimes you have a player in the good moment, but the characteristic of the game is not for him, so it’s better to go with a player and understand that is not for him and then take him out to the game.’
He added: ‘Sometimes the characteristics of the game change the way you are going to approach the game.
‘So I think for example, [Matheus] Cunha, in the middle, if we put Ben [Sesko], I think it’s easier for this kind of centre-backs to control our striker.
Benjamin Sesko Premier League stats
Apps: 8
Goals: 2
Assists: 0
‘So we try to do that, but when you win is so smart, the coach, is amazing, and then when you lose, it is something wrong with the manager. I understand that.
‘That’s why I’m going always what I think is the best for the team.’
Yorke had praise for United’s match-winner on Merseyside, but is not sure Maguire is going to battle his way back into the England team for the World Cup next summer.
‘I like what Harry Maguire is doing for Manchester United at the moment and I hope he continues to do that, but I don’t think he’s ready to get back into the England setup yet,’ said the former Red Devils striker.
‘Unless he turns out to have an incredible season between now and next summer, I think Thomas Tuchel should give the spots to younger players like Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa.
‘I think he has shown real resilience this season and looks to be getting the most out of himself for the club. He put in a huge performance against Liverpool on Sunday and we’ll see how the rest of the season unfolds, but when it comes to England selection, I think Tuchel may look towards younger options next summer.’