Benjamin Sesko has become the latest victim of football’s relentless cycle of instant judgment and meme-driven commentary. With every performance dissected and stripped of nuance, the Manchester United striker has been thrust into the social media spotlight, where context is the first casualty.
The pattern is familiar. A smiling photo of Rasmus Højlund in a Napoli shirt placed beside a dejected image of Sesko in United colours, paired with simplistic goal statistics and mocking emojis. The truth — that their circumstances, teams, and competitions differ vastly — is conveniently ignored. What matters is engagement, outrage, and virality.
This has become the defining rhythm of modern football media. Pundits and platforms churn out definitive verdicts after just a handful of games, as though every week must deliver a new failure or redemption arc. In Sesko’s case, four league starts and two goals have somehow become material for sweeping conclusions about his future. He’s been labelled a “flop” by online polls and called a “weird signing” in clipped headlines stripped of context.
At RB Leipzig, Sesko thrived as an explosive forward in a system that encouraged risk-taking and tolerated mistakes. United, however, feels like a harsher environment — a club where patience is in short supply and every touch becomes a talking point. The gap between what Sesko needs to develop and the pressure he faces is immense.
This isn’t only a United problem but a symptom of football’s wider ecosystem. The endless scroll of reaction — from influencers, pundits, and fan accounts alike — fuels a culture of provocation. Players become content, their performances reduced to numbers and memes. As fans, we too are caught in this loop, refreshing feeds for the next outrage or punchline.
Sesko’s upcoming clash with Liverpool encapsulates the absurdity of this landscape. Both clubs are judged in extremes: either in crisis or destined for glory. The game itself almost feels secondary to the narratives swirling around it.
In truth, it’s far too early to judge Sesko’s time at Old Trafford. But the modern game leaves no room for patience. Every player, every pass, is instantly packaged for consumption. And while Sesko may be the current target, the real loss belongs to everyone — as the joy of football gives way to the noise of endless takes.
