Salisu voted Southampton man of the match after colossal display
By Marc Walker
Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu was voted as man of the match by fans after his colossal display against Newcastle.
A 2-2 draw was the least that Saints deserved to take from St James’ Park having created most of the best openings during the 90 minutes but perhaps a point would not have been achievable without an almost perfect performance from Salisu.
Via whoscored.com, the 22-year-old Ghanaian made a team high in three different categories with six successful tackles, three clearances and four aerial duels won.
He was also tidy in possession and completed 85% of his 73 passes. Only Kyle Walker-Peters and James Ward-Prowse attempted more.
Southampton have found their new defensive rock in Salisu
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This performance was just another step forward for Salisu and he looks set to be a future star once he has two or three seasons of Premier League football under his belt.
Despite being young at this stage, he is still a dominant presence who is capable of completely nullifying the opponent he is facing. He will surely be a player who provides Saints significant profit on their initial £11m investment one day.
He is already the most imposing option available to Ralph Hasenhuttl when his centre-back options are assessed right now, although new signing Lyanco is yet to make his first appearance.
Really, Salisu is the type of player that Saints should always be looking to sign. A season or so of experience before they join but key attributes and behaviours that could see them reach the very top in years to come.
Saints may ultimately be just one stop along the way for many players but their role is absolutely crucial in introducing players to the top-flight of English football and giving them the game time.
Taking on some players will be a gamble of sorts but if the club do their calculations right before going ahead with a signing then it could pay off hugely in the future.