Poulsen on friendly competition with Sesko: "I try to pass onto him what I've learned."
Speaking to German journalist Oliver Hartmann of Germany's Kicker Magazine, RB Leipzig trainer Marco Rose and striker Yussuf Poulsen both issued comments on the developmental trajectory of young Slovenian striker Benjamin Sesko.
On Saturday evening against Gladbach, it was once again veteran Danish striker Yussuf Poulsen's turn to feature in RB Leipzig head-coach Marco Rose's starting XI. The 29-year-old veteran has earned a surprising number of starts this season in Rose's preferred 4-2-2-2 constellation. Entering the season, few wold have expected to see the RB mainstay to accrue so much playing time on a team that featured German national team striker Timo Werner and high-priced summer acquisition Benjamin Sesko.
Werner's continued slumping form, combined with the 20-year-old Sesko's relative inexperience, have nevertheless seen Rose turn back to the Dane. Poulsen has scored three goals and registered five assists in 29 appearances across all competitions this year. Saturday's league deployment gave Poulsen 204 total top flight appearances and 388 overall competitive appearances for the German Red Bulls. The 75-times-capped Danish international returned to the starting lineup for the first time since match-day 16.
Sesko started the last five league games alongside Belgian striker Loïs Openda on Rose's top attacking axis. The Slovene did not do too terribly, scoring goals in his last three league fixtures. The ongoing Leipzig results crisis still compelled the RB trainer to shake things up a bit in this Saturday evening's "Top-Spiel". By all accounts, the personnel change worked. Poulsen registered an assist on Xavi Simons' 1-0 in the 14th. Poulsen called the tally "a super goal from start to finish" before addressing the competitive situation.
"Sometimes it's his turn, sometimes it's mine," Poulsen said, "It's all good. That's how it should be. If we want to play at the top, we don't just need eleven players who perform. I know that I'll get my time. I have to be ready and I have to be strong."
"His [Sesko's] skills as a center-forward are exactly what every club is looking for," Poulsen continued, "He's tall, quick and technically strong. He has more or less everything. He's a super guy who is also willing to learn. Not everyone is. I just try to pass on to him what I've learned over the last eleven years."
"Yussi has an incredibly good relationship with Benny and has also contributed to his development," Rose added, "Benny can learn a lot from him. "Yussi is a bit behind at the moment because the other two are scoring. But he's still just as important for us.
"Sesko runs over twelve kilometers in every game and averages 30 sprints," Rose - in a strong indication that Sesko's benching was just temporary - also said, "Those are exceptional figures."