Casemiro will leave Manchester United at the end of this season. (Image: Getty Images)
First loans are notoriously difficult for young players. They leave the safety of their parent club for the first time and often find themselves toiling in some of the toughest professional environments they have ever faced. The Manchester United loanee revealed to the Manchester Evening News that the academy could resemble a “bubble”. Going on loan for the first time can burst that bubble, and that’s what Sekou Kone is currently experiencing.
In the winter window, Kone will be loaned to FC Lausanne Sport for the remainder of the season, with United commenting on the deal: “Kone will benefit from the possibility of participating in the UEFA Conference League.” A few days after Kone’s loan move was announced, he was left out of Lausanne’s Conference League squad.
However, he also accompanied the team on its trip to the Czech Republic. Lausanne coach Peter Zeidler emphasized: “We want him to integrate into the group.”
Lausanne were eliminated at the play-off stage, so Kone did not miss out on much success, but this did not do the youngster any favors. So far, the game in Switzerland has not gone as far as United would have liked.
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Kone traveled to the United States for pre-season after performing well on the post-season tour in May, but only made four substitute appearances in Lausanne and was sent off at half-time in his only start.
On paper, the loan met a number of conditions. Since INEOS took over the reins of football operations, United have forged a strong relationship with Lausanne, with academy staff visiting their training facilities and Kone being given the opportunity to train with the Swiss side before joining on loan.
The midfielder took time with Lausanne to assess whether the arrangement would be mutually beneficial. That trial period proved fruitful, but it hasn’t translated into regular pitch time for Cohn.
It was a testing period for Cone, who suffered a fractured orbit in his first appearance for the Under-21s this season against Tamworth in August.
Cohn was treated in an ambulance, but the equipment was later abandoned. A replacement ambulance was required, resulting in a delay and the match was abandoned. The boy spent the night in the hospital and was discharged the next morning.
The Mali youth international returned in November and made his first full appearance of the season against Borussia Dortmund at Old Trafford before Christmas, setting the stage for a loan move.
Kone has effectively missed the first half of the season through injury and will face a different battle in the second half of the season as he looks to cement his place in Lausanne’s starting XI.
United staff insist there is no such thing as a bad loan, as young players always learn something from experience, regardless of their playing time. But Kone will probably be relieved to forget this special season.
It remains unclear what lies ahead for Kone. United paid £1m to sign him from Guidders FC two years ago, making it a low-risk deal with the potential for big rewards.
Sekou Kone during Manchester United’s pre-season. (Image: Getty)
The ideal outcome would be for Kone to develop into a player who can fill Casemiro’s role in the first team. A less favorable outcome is that he does not meet the required standards and is transferred, ideally with benefit.
United academy director Stephen Torpey was recently asked about the development of the club’s defensive midfielders. “They’re all different. They may wear the number six shirt, but the way they play may be different for each player,” he told MEN.
“There are factors you have to be careful of. Jim Thwaites’ style is different to Sekou’s style and that’s OK. The important thing is to be aware of what we’re doing and how we ask people to play that position within that set-up.”
“And what we do every day on the training field, what the training content is, what the individual work they are doing, what are the evaluations and clips that we are receiving.
“Sometimes these players have weaknesses that are unacceptable for promotion to the first team. We have to make sure they are our top priority to eradicate and reduce that risk.”
“But let’s not forget what they’re really good at, because that’s what makes them stand out. That’s what you’re going to know about them.”
“There are other flaws, and every player has them. We have to recognize whether some of those flaws are acceptable or unacceptable, and they can be prevented.”
When Kone arrived in Manchester, his main weakness was his physical conditioning. He was assigned a gym program to develop muscle mass, while United arranged English lessons to speed up his language acquisition.
Travis Binion (former U21 manager, now on the first-team coaching staff) and Tommy Rowe (former U21 player and coach, now U15 lead coach) also took French lessons to better communicate with Cone.
Subsequent stages included coaching to improve Kone’s understanding of the position, teaching him when to be disciplined as a defensive midfielder and when to be allowed to move forward. In certain matches early on, he got too eager and found himself close to the opponent’s penalty area.
There is a lot of work left to complete before Kone reaches the first team.
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