Kamaldeen Sulemana had his best game for Saints in 18 months, but the St Mary's faithful do not have the same faith in him as Ivan Juric seems to have, many would perhaps prefer Sam Amo-Ameyaw to be given a chance.
Ivan Juric seems to place a lot of faith in Kamaldeen Sulemana, with the Ghanian winger getting more game time on the pitch in the last 3 games under Juric, than he did in the previous 4 months under Russell Martin, however most would concur that his Premier League appearances under Juric were no better than those under Martin and that surely the time should be up for Sulemana in January.
There are plenty of rumours going around that Sulemana will be going with clubs in Italy & France being linked, but it seems that Juric has faith in the player after his performance against Swansea City as per his comments after that game to the Club's Official Website
"I am very happy with him,” Jurić said of Kamaldeen. "In these 20 days he’s worked hard – he was not in good shape but now he’s feeling better.
"I think he can give us a lot. Today he did well; a goal, an assist, and I think for him this is a new beginning."
That suggests that Saints will keep hold of Sulemana during this window, however if that is the case a players who has almost become the forgotten man at St Mary's, Sam Amo-Ameyaw is likely to be sent out on loan.
The 18 year old has played just 26 minutes Premier league football this season in 2 appearances as sub, 9 minutes at Newcastle on the opening day and then 17 minutes at Villa in Russell Martin's penultimate game in charge, he was an unused sub on another 7 occasions.
He didn't get much more time in the Carabao Cup, on the bench for two of the games, he started the first at Cardiff and then just 9 minutes against Stoke City.
This was surprising because in that game at Cardiff he played the whole 90 minutes and also scored a decent goal, yet he has barely featured since and under Juric he has not even made the bench.
That rankles with many Southampton fans who feel that he deserves a chance and up until the Swansea, even Amo-Ameyaw's contribution had been far greater than Sulemana's. yet the Ghanian was given chance after chance.
But it seems that Juric does not feel that he is up to it and prefers Sulemana, indeed another outcast seems to be Ryan Fraser who has not even made the squad in the last 3 games under Juric, two in the Premier League and the game against Swansea on Sunday.
After that game in the FA Cup Sulemana at last showed what he can do, perhaps the first real glimpse in over a year and clearly the player was not happy under Russell Martin, perhaps under a coach who believes in him, which from his comments Ivan Juric does, perhaps he can finally fulfil his undoubted potential.
Despite my misgivings that he can, I truly hope he does, I want all players who pull on a Southampton shirt to succeed and Sulemana or Onuachu for that matter are no exceptions.
But there comes a time when the excuses have to stop and the reality has to be taken into account, Sulemana has bought himself some time with his great performance against Swansea, but that was against a Championship side and a weakened one at that, he has to perform where it counts and that at that moment is in the Premier League, two match winning performances over the next four days or so would go a long way to getting the Saints fans clearly behind him.
Sam Amo-Ameyaw is still yet young, he will not turn 19 until July, from this perspective, perhaps it would be better to loan him out, rather than play him in a sinking ship in the Premier League that will sap his confidence.
Far better to play him out on loan with a good Championship side and then bring him back to St Mary's energised and ready to help Saints on the way to promotion.