Manchester United explains why Shevchenko took the penultimate penalty! Cramping against a League Two team, player morale criticized

Manchester United’s elimination by League Two’s Grimsby in the League Cup raised questions about the attitudes of both the manager and players. For example, the €85 million newcomer striker Benjamin Šeško was only the 10th penalty taker, just before goalkeeper André Onana!

Although Šeško held his nerve and scored his penalty, Oliver Holt of the Daily Mail still harshly criticized the decision: "The most shocking part of Manchester United’s exit is that the club’s new striker was unwilling to take responsibility for a penalty. This perfectly illustrates the fear and weakness culture at Old Trafford."

However, insiders revealed the reason behind this choice was that Šeško had played a full 90 minutes for the first time since April 19, which caused him to cramp. Still, this explanation failed to quell doubts. If Šeško cramps after playing 90 minutes against a League Two team, showing a Chinese Super League-level fitness, how can he cope with stronger Premier League opponents?

The 22-year-old Slovenian striker also faced criticism for other aspects during the match, such as attempting a difficult bicycle kick when contesting a high ball, only to completely miss and fall awkwardly. Šeško needs to focus on mastering his fundamentals before trying risky moves. Later, when he chose to head a cross, he created a more significant threat.

It is clear that Manchester United players lacked the fighting spirit and aggressive challenge shown by their lower-league opponents, including Šeško, who was physically dominated by defenders from the fourth tier.

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney compared the current team to the squads he played in: "In the past, when other teams came to Old Trafford, tactics weren’t even discussed. You just knew that persistence would outpace and overpower them. That’s why United always scored late winners because opponents were exhausted. Now, they don’t do that every game, not even at the Theatre of Dreams. It’s crazy. I think the players are somewhat lost, continuing last season’s problems. If this goes on, sadly, I don’t see a future for the team."

After the match, United manager Amrabat seemed to sarcastically praise the players, saying they "performed very well today" and "voiced their desires loudly." British media experts interpreted this as mocking the players’ lack of the character needed and their unwillingness to sacrifice for the tactics.

Šeško’s first start for Manchester United drew criticism even from his homeland’s football community, who believe he now faces greater pressure to justify his hefty transfer fee.

"Šeško needs time to adapt, but from yesterday, that time is over! The countdown for his goalless period officially begins," commented Slovenia’s Football Mania. "The pressure he faces at Manchester United is higher than if he had transferred to Newcastle. At Newcastle, fan and football world pressure would be much less, and he’d have more time to settle in."

To silence critics, words won’t suffice; Šeško must score quickly, such as netting a goal against Burnley to quell early doubts. Arsenal’s new striker Zinckernagel is a prime example—mocked in the first round for zero shots and just playing with his hair, but in the second Premier League game, he scored twice and celebrated by smoothing back his hair as a retort.