One Southampton ace has really caught the eye of Russell Martin lately.
Southampton were held to a score draw on Friday, as Middlesbrough struck late to earn a point at St Mary’s.
It was a frustrating game for fans, who watched the hosts miss countless big opportunities to put the game to bed.
Che Adams, in particular, was profligate and may be dropped ahead of the clash against Ipswich Town on Monday evening.
Whilst the result was disappointing, one player stood out to Rusell Martin and has been ‘outstanding’ in training lately.
Russell Martin impressed with Kamaldeen Sulemana in training
The Saints boss handed Kamaldeen Sulemana his first start since November and he certainly had his moments throughout his 63 minutes on the pitch.
His inclusion in the line-up raised many eyebrows among Southampton supporters but Martin insisted he deserved it after impressing in training.
“He trained really well. He deserved to play. He did some really good stuff and did some stuff that he needs to improve on but he hasn’t played for a long time,” the 38-year-old said.
“I’m pleased he was out there and did the things that he did. There are some really brilliant bits in there. The way he’s trained over the last month or two has been outstanding. So hopefully today will be good for him moving forward.”
The club’s record signing has struggled to hit form since arriving on the South Coast in January 2023 but if he can translate his performances in training onto the pitch, he can make a real impact in the promotion run-in.
Kamaldeen Sulemana just needs a goal
Sometimes with players you just feel they need one goal to really kickstart their career, and that seems to be the case with Sulemana.
Just one goal, no matter how it comes, could lift his confidence and then we may start to see the best of him in a Southampton strip.
He’s got all the attributes in abundance to be a top winger, but it’s just a case of putting it all together and polishing his end product.
Martin may award him the chance to start from the off against Ipswich and if he does, it could be a perfect game for him to open up his account this term.
Ipswich, the league leaders, won’t be shy of really throwing players forward in search of a goal which could leave space in the channels for Sulemana to exploit.
Often, Saints are the team in control and opposing teams assume a low block to combat their quality, which makes it tricky for flair players like the Ghanaian forward.
Town won’t do that, so we may see a few transitional attacks from the visitors, with the former Stade Rennais winger at the centre of them.