Kamaldeen Sulemana

[Saint_clark]

From what I can tell the biggest draw for this guy is his dribbling ability, but looking at the stats his "successful dribbles per 90" (so how many times he goes past someone) is 1.1 which puts him 125th in Europe. Amusingly, 2 places above him in 123rd? Moussa Djenepo.

The guy is only 20 so maybe there's something there but bloody hell, it's a lot of money for someone who hasn't even performed in the French league and can't even get in the Ghana team ahead of Jordan Ayew.

[AlexLaw76]

Where is this lad going to play? Left wing back in the first half of games?

[Nolan]

2 hours ago, Saint_clark said:

From what I can tell the biggest draw for this guy is his dribbling ability, but looking at the stats his "successful dribbles per 90" (so how many times he goes past someone) is 1.1 which puts him 125th in Europe. Amusingly, 2 places above him in 123rd? Moussa Djenepo.

The guy is only 20 so maybe there's something there but bloody hell, it's a lot of money for someone who hasn't even performed in the French league and can't even get in the Ghana team ahead of Jordan Ayew.

dont know where your stats are from, but these are on FBRef for the past year...

 

[CB Fry]

15 hours ago, The Kraken said:

Was just in the car listening to the radio, they had their French expert talking about the transfer. He’s said that Rennes will be happy to cut their losses and effectively get back what they paid for him as he hasn’t hit expectations. Said he’s maybe one for the future but will take time.

Not overly optimistic in the short term about this one, given that, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Oof - Not quite what you want to hear for our record breaking transfer.

Still, a bit of pace if nothing else may give us another dimension.

Good luck to the lad.

[tajjuk]

Don't basically this guy, Orsic, Djenepo and Edozie all want to play in the same position? Right footed, cutting in from the left. Seems a slight miss we didn't sign a left footer to play on the right. 

We've also signed a 6' 7" striker, but don't really have many people who cross the ball. 

[Chez]

33 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

Oof - Not quite what you want to hear for our record breaking transfer.

Still, a bit of pace if nothing else may give us another dimension.

Good luck to the lad.

Absolutely not what you want to hear. Feels like we have been mugged due to our desperate situation. That said, our wide players are offering little right now so there is a great opportunity for him to show what he can do.

[Convict Colony]

From the atheletic this morning

Previously Ajax and Manchester United had held an interest in the Ghana international with extensive scouting reports, simiarly to Southampton, indicating his goalscroing record belies his potential.

A case in point comes through analysing the underlying data. For instance, Sulemana’s successful carried actions (dribbles that lead to a shot attempt) is in the top 14 per cent of Europe’s top five league. Sulemana’s directness opens up possiiblities and a goalscoring threat that he doesn’t nesseccarily benefit from, but team-mates do.

 

Edited 1 February, 2023 by Convict Colony

[Ashby Saint]

42 minutes ago, Convict Colony said:

From the atheletic this morning

Previously Ajax and Manchester United had held an interest in the Ghana international with extensive scouting reports, simiarly to Southampton, indicating his goalscroing record belies his potential.

A case in point comes through analysing the underlying data. For instance, Sulemana’s successful carried actions (dribbles that lead to a shot attempt) is in the top 14 per cent of Europe’s top five league. Sulemana’s directness opens up possiiblities and a goalscoring threat that he doesn’t nesseccarily benefit from, but team-mates do.

 

He is next to Boufal in the chart. Is that the same Boufal, who at Saints, had flashes of potential but no end product?

[davefizzy14]

Welcome onboard Kamaldeen, looking forward to seeing you play

Edited 1 February, 2023 by davefizzy14

[SuperSAINT]

50 minutes ago, Convict Colony said:

From the atheletic this morning

Previously Ajax and Manchester United had held an interest in the Ghana international with extensive scouting reports, simiarly to Southampton, indicating his goalscroing record belies his potential.

A case in point comes through analysing the underlying data. For instance, Sulemana’s successful carried actions (dribbles that lead to a shot attempt) is in the top 14 per cent of Europe’s top five league. Sulemana’s directness opens up possiiblities and a goalscoring threat that he doesn’t nesseccarily benefit from, but team-mates do.

 

He’s going to set up at least 3 one-on-ones for us to miss. 

[Toadhall Saint]

Welcome aboard!

[S-Clarke]

I was worried he was going to be our only attacking addition – luckily not!

But this signing in isolation is still someone we needed. We have lacked quality and pace in the attacking third all season (and longer than that). We've had to put up with Moussa, Ely and co and they're just not good enough - add to the fact that Stu is crocked, so we have nothing. 

This guy will add immediate pace which we lack through the lines, looks direct and will win free kicks and all that stuff. It looks like a big fee, but it's an average PL transfer fee nowadays!

[JustinR]

From same Athletic article...

Similar groundwork was made prior to signing Sulemana.

The club first started tracking the 20-year-old Ghanaian during his time at another Danish club, Nordsjaelland, and have paid close attention to his development since.

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Sulemana joined Nordsjaelland from the Right To Dream academy in his homeland in 2020 and, having been directly involved in 18 goals in his first full season and several noteworthy performances, signed for French club Rennes in the summer of 2021 for a fee rising to €20million (around £17.5m/$20.8m today).

From Southampton’s standpoint, he is the “Mane type” player. Sulemana can operate across the front line and while his goals record this season — one in 14 league appearances — is lukewarm to say the least, outside recruitment sources, who wished to speak on the condition of anonymity to protect their jobs, said the move reaffirmed that Southampton were “sticking to their principles”.

Across Europe’s top five domestic leagues, Sulemana ranks in the top two per cent of forwards for dribbles completed per 90 minutes (4.71) and is in the top 15 per cent for assists (0.34) per 90. As demonstrated in his prolific ball-carrying volume — where he had one of the highest rates in Ligue One last season — Sulemana is direct and, as Southampton made efforts to do in the second half last night, a constant challenge with his runs in behind defences.

 

Ajax and Manchester United had previously held an interest in the 15-cap Ghana international, who played in two of their three games at the recent World Cup, with extensive scouting reports, similarly to Southampton’s, indicating his goals record belies his potential.

A case in point comes through analysing the underlying data.

For instance, Sulemana’s number for successful carried actions (defined as dribbles that lead to a shot attempt) is in the top 14 per cent across Europe’s top five leagues. His directness opens up possibilities and a goalscoring threat that he doesn’t necessarily benefit from directly, but team-mates do.

Aside from Edozie and Moussa Djenepo to some extent, Southampton have scant options when it comes to one-v-one dribbling quality. More incision from wide areas should lead to better productivity, in turn offering better to service to particular players in the box — namely, fellow newcomer Onuachu.

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“We’re very excited, because they’ll give us different threats,” Jones said after the defeat at Newcastle.

Southampton made addressing the forward positions the priority this month. And, despite several setbacks and challenges, they placated those desires in the final hours of the window.

[goodymatt]

Nice goals tbf, clearly consistency is the question from his time in France but he has an xfactor.

[goodymatt]

Do we think this guy was second choice to Nicolas Jackson, having lost out to Bournemouth before his failed medical. Or did we drag that out as we had other irons in the fire such as Sulemana? 

[goodymatt]

 

[Dark Munster]

If he's a great dribbler I would like to see him use that to win lots of free kicks in JWP territory.

[S-Clarke]

3 minutes ago, Dark Munster said:

If he's a great dribbler I would like to see him use that to win lots of free kicks in JWP territory.

This is one of the 'ugly' benefits I'm hoping/expecting to see from this guy and Onuachu, and I'm sure it was heavily factored into the scouting when we take JWP's set pieces into consideration. Indirect assists. Lots of fouls in and around the box as defenders hack this guy down, and additionally foul Ounoucu as they can't get to him to win the ball by conventional means.

Clubs have to play on situations that will give them a chance to showcase their biggest weapon, and as of today that's JWP.

Edited 1 February, 2023 by S-Clarke

[Saint_clark]

19 hours ago, Nolan said:

dont know where your stats are from, but these are on FBRef for the past year...

 

Interesting. I got my stats from whoscored which says it's taken from Opta - same as FBRef. I think I'm just going to disregard all of it and wait to see him play as FBRef says that he has completed more dribbles per game than Mbappe and Messi, which I find hard to believe. 

[Saint_clark]

18 hours ago, tajjuk said:

Don't basically this guy, Orsic, Djenepo and Edozie all want to play in the same position? Right footed, cutting in from the left. Seems a slight miss we didn't sign a left footer to play on the right. 

We've also signed a 6' 7" striker, but don't really have many people who cross the ball. 

Jones also likes to play a right footer at left back and his new championship buddy with crossing to match on the right. Not many good crosses for Onuachu to get on the end of unless he starts playing Perraud and KWP. 

Edozie has been played on the right wing more recently, I think we're trying to train him to get to the byline and cross rather than cut inside. 

[STEVEADAMS]

There’s an article already on news now about him moving to Liverpool in the summer already FFS, he’s been here a bloody day 

[baggytrousers]

13 hours ago, goodymatt said:

Do we think this guy was second choice to Nicolas Jackson, having lost out to Bournemouth before his failed medical. Or did we drag that out as we had other irons in the fire such as Sulemana? 

Don’t think you’d ever consider Sulemana second choice to Nicolas Jackson.

Who knows what went on behind the scenes but there’s no doubt we got the better player.

Just listened to the EPL Index podcast where they dissected each clubs transfer window and they rated Sulemana as the best bit of business done by any club in the window.

[tajjuk]

6 hours ago, Saint_clark said:

Interesting. I got my stats from whoscored which says it's taken from Opta - same as FBRef. I think I'm just going to disregard all of it and wait to see him play as FBRef says that he has completed more dribbles per game than Mbappe and Messi, which I find hard to believe. 

Might be just because of him attempting more and how he plays, the piece on him was saying how in Denmark they set up to get him lots of 1v1s. Mbappe is more of a striker and is more about running in behind. Messi doesn't dribble as much these days, doesn't really have the explosiveness anymore, he's shifted to more of a playmaker type role. 

[goodymatt]

2 hours ago, baggytrousers said:

Don’t think you’d ever consider Sulemana second choice to Nicolas Jackson.

Who knows what went on behind the scenes but there’s no doubt we got the better player.

Just listened to the EPL Index podcast where they dissected each clubs transfer window and they rated Sulemana as the best bit of business done by any club in the window.

That sounds promising!

[Osvaldorama]

Football ranks podcast also reckon he’s a great signing. They’re pretty knowledgeable on there usually. 

Seems an exciting signing, but I’ve been hurt so many times its hard to get too excited until we see him in a saints shirt. 

[Saint86]

Been skimming over his highlight reels and looking into his stats a bit more. Think he's going to be a class signing, but he is still raw and will be frustrating. Fans will need to remember he is young and will make the wrong decisions a reasonable amount - still a very exciting player. Can see us lining up with Him, Edozie, or Orsic as our wingers and offering a lot more threat going forward. JWP should be getting a lot more set piece opportunities this coming half of the season thats for sure!

We actually have a rather solid team now, even with the injuries.

Baz is okay despite what some say.

KWP, Perraud, and Bree is a decent enough set of fullbacks, with cover from salisu/lyanco and tino to hopefully make it back at some point.

Sali, ABK, DCC are three good CB's for midtable prem sides, and Jan and Lyanco give good enough cover ultimatley.

Lavia is class

JWP is class. And between Alcaraz, stu, and diallo we have reasonable depth at CM.

Edozie, Sulemana, Orsic are decent wingers. Aribo, Armstrongs, Ely offer decent depth.

Che and Onachua will be enough in the CF role.

Shame we wasted a month to get here, and it may be tight, but i think we'll stay up now.

Edited 2 February, 2023 by Saint86

[Whitey Grandad]

1 hour ago, Saint86 said:

Been skimming over his highlight reels and looking into his stats a bit more. Think he's going to be a class signing, but he is still raw and will be frustrating. Fans will need to remember he is young and will make the wrong decisions a reasonable amount - still a very exciting player. Can see us lining up with Him, Edozie, or Orsic as our wingers and offering a lot more threat going forward. JWP should be getting a lot more set piece opportunities this coming half of the season thats for sure!

We actually have a rather solid team now, even with the injuries.

Baz is okay despite what some say.

KWP, Perraud, and Bree is a decent enough set of fullbacks, with cover from salisu/lyanco and tino to hopefully make it back at some point.

Sali, ABK, DCC are three good CB's for midtable prem sides, and Jan and Lyanco give good enough cover ultimatley.

Lavia is class

JWP is class. And between Alcaraz, stu, and diallo we have reasonable depth at CM.

Edozie, Sulemana, Orsic are decent wingers. Aribo, Armstrongs, Ely offer decent depth.

Che and Onachua will be enough in the CF role.

Shame we wasted a month to get here, and it may be tight, but i think we'll stay up now.

Yes, it’s a good squad of players. All we have to do now is get them playing as a unified team.

[Ldnsaint]

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12801261/kamaldeen-sulemana-to-southampton-why-dribbling-sensation-could-be-unstoppable-in-the-premier-league

[Saint_clark]

3 hours ago, Saint86 said:

Been skimming over his highlight reels and looking into his stats a bit more. Think he's going to be a class signing, but he is still raw and will be frustrating. Fans will need to remember he is young and will make the wrong decisions a reasonable amount - still a very exciting player. Can see us lining up with Him, Edozie, or Orsic as our wingers and offering a lot more threat going forward. JWP should be getting a lot more set piece opportunities this coming half of the season thats for sure!

We actually have a rather solid team now, even with the injuries.

Baz is okay despite what some say.

KWP, Perraud, and Bree is a decent enough set of fullbacks, with cover from salisu/lyanco and tino to hopefully make it back at some point.

Sali, ABK, DCC are three good CB's for midtable prem sides, and Jan and Lyanco give good enough cover ultimatley.

Lavia is class

JWP is class. And between Alcaraz, stu, and diallo we have reasonable depth at CM.

Edozie, Sulemana, Orsic are decent wingers. Aribo, Armstrongs, Ely offer decent depth.

Che and Onachua will be enough in the CF role.

Shame we wasted a month to get here, and it may be tight, but i think we'll stay up now.

Bazunu is not OK and to claim he is amounts to burying your head in the sand. 

[kristian]

"This season, he is completing 4.27 dribbles per 90 minutes, well clear of the 3.77 by Allan Saint-Maximin, the Premier League's top dribbler. Last season at Rennes, Sulemana beat his opponent more often than any other player in France - and it was not close."

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12801261/kamaldeen-sulemana-to-southampton-why-dribbling-sensation-could-be-unstoppable-in-the-premier-league

[goodymatt]

 

[pimpin4rizeal]

WOW now I’m excited watching this video of our kamaldinho in Denmark he looks one hell of a exciting player.. kinda cross between sterling Ronaldinho neymar type hybrid 😍.. end product might not be there but he’s a hell of a talent! Also exciting that Rennes fans prefer him to doku 

MUST WATCH!!

 

[CeeBee]

Certainly got some speed about him. Finishing needs a little refining, but promising.

[Nordic Saint]

On 01/02/2023 at 07:47, Convict Colony said:

From the atheletic this morning

Previously Ajax and Manchester United had held an interest in the Ghana international with extensive scouting reports, simiarly to Southampton, indicating his goalscroing record belies his potential.

A case in point comes through analysing the underlying data. For instance, Sulemana’s successful carried actions (dribbles that lead to a shot attempt) is in the top 14 per cent of Europe’s top five league. Sulemana’s directness opens up possiiblities and a goalscoring threat that he doesn’t nesseccarily benefit from, but team-mates do.

 

His proximity to Djenepo and Boufal in stats indicates the type of player he is. Hopefully, he will be more successful here.

 

7 minutes ago, CeeBee said:

Certainly got some speed about him. Finishing needs a little refining, but promising.

I can't recall many players having their finishing refined at Southampton in recent years. If anything, it usually gets worse.

[Convict Colony]

8 hours ago, pimpin4rizeal said:

WOW now I’m excited watching this video of our kamaldinho in Denmark he looks one hell of a exciting player.. kinda cross between sterling Ronaldinho neymar type hybrid 😍.. end product might not be there but he’s a hell of a talent! Also exciting that Rennes fans prefer him to doku 

MUST WATCH!!

 

I wonder what the nutmeg record in a season is in the premier league - reckon Kamaldeen is gonna smash it 

[tajjuk]

On 01/02/2023 at 20:12, S-Clarke said:

This is one of the 'ugly' benefits I'm hoping/expecting to see from this guy and Onuachu, and I'm sure it was heavily factored into the scouting when we take JWP's set pieces into consideration. Indirect assists. Lots of fouls in and around the box as defenders hack this guy down, and additionally foul Ounoucu as they can't get to him to win the ball by conventional means.

Clubs have to play on situations that will give them a chance to showcase their biggest weapon, and as of today that's JWP.

This kind of reminds of the 'he gets on base' bit of moneyball where all the old scouts are dismissing a player but the stats guy and Billy Beane are getting him because he does plays that will ultimately help the team win more.

Like he might have the most high level of assists and goals, the base old school assessment of a winger/wide attacker, but clearly if you delve deeper into the numbers the guy causes constant problems to opposition defences, which in turn will create more opportunities for us, more space for others, more freekicks round the box etc. etc.  This is our stats based approach, let's hope it works! 

[saintant]

This guy is a running machine full of tricks. He is powerful and strong too. Is there any way he can become a Mane type player? I guess that is down to our coaches. From watching videos he seems to currently play on the wing and maybe that's not where he is most dangerous. Could he play more central off of Onuachu? Or would he get easily crowded out? There is bound to be an optimum way to play him to get the most out of his attributes and I hope our coaches can find it because if they do he is going to be a real handful for any defence. If he can find pockets of space and use his explosive pace like Mane we may have a gem on our hands. Let's see.

[verlaine1979]

On 02/02/2023 at 17:18, pimpin4rizeal said:

WOW now I’m excited watching this video of our kamaldinho in Denmark he looks one hell of a exciting player.. kinda cross between sterling Ronaldinho neymar type hybrid 😍.. end product might not be there but he’s a hell of a talent! Also exciting that Rennes fans prefer him to doku 

MUST WATCH!!

 

Sterling I can see. Ronaldinho? Not even a little.

[Disco Stu]

He made a decent account of himself on his debut given the circumstances. In an otherwise monotonous attack, I thought he was a bit of a live wire for us, looking to be positive and make forward plays. I hope he will be utilised well in an effective system.

[Pilchards]

Surprised to see him outside staplewood this afternoon waiting for a lift. Probably too scared to drive on our roads.

 

[Convict Colony]

11 minutes ago, Pilchards said:

Surprised to see him outside staplewood this afternoon waiting for a lift. Probably too scared to drive on our roads.

 

Did you offer him one ?

[saintant]

13 minutes ago, Pilchards said:

Surprised to see him outside staplewood this afternoon waiting for a lift. Probably too scared to drive on our roads.

 

Probably been quicker to run home.

[Pamplemousse]

In what was a depressing day, Sulemana's performance was one bright spark. Don't think he'll be with us for long.

[S-Clarke]

4 minutes ago, Pamplemousse said:

In what was a depressing day, Sulemana's performance was one bright spark. Don't think he'll be with us for long.

Exactly the sort of player I've wanted us to sign for years, very Allan Saint-Maximin-esque.

[austsaint]

3 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Exactly the sort of player I've wanted us to sign for years, very Allan Saint-Maximin-esque.

Sulemana is/will be a joy to watch.   I see a bit of early Sadio Mane in him.

[The Cat]

Fair play to him for messing up the 1v1 which would have put us 2 up and meant we would have won and led to Jones staying in his job. 

[JRM]

11 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Exactly the sort of player I've wanted us to sign for years, very Allan Saint-Maximin-esque.

Early signs are good, exciting player to watch , need the right players alongside him 

[LeBizzier69]

Be interested to know if he’s (or any other new signings) have relegation clauses. I’m hoping not.

 

[S-Clarke]

2 minutes ago, LeBizzier69 said:

Be interested to know if he’s (or any other new signings) have relegation clauses. I’m hoping not.

 

I'd suggest it would have been negligent to not have included a clause, given the position we were in when they signed.

But given we had a track record of negligent decisions then who knows.

[LeBizzier69]

1 minute ago, S-Clarke said:

I'd suggest it would have been negligent to not have included a clause, given the position we were in when they signed.

But given we had a track record of negligent decisions then who knows.

Guess so….and as they were signed to keep us up it would make sense from their side to put a clause in.