Why I subbed off Kamaldeen Sulemana within 15 minutes against Tottenham - Sacked Southampton coach explains

The former head coach of Southampton, Russell Martin, has said that the terrible performance of the team in their 5-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League prompted the early substitution of Kamaldeen Sulemana.

He explained that after the team conceded early within the first 14 minutes of the game, he needed to take off the Ghanaian attacker to balance the shape of the team for a positive impact.

Speaking to the media after the game, the now-sacked Southampton coach noted that he was not delighted with the decision but had to make the substitution for the betterment of the team.

"We were 3-0 down in 14 minutes. We had to change the shape. I feel for Kamaldeen, but we knew he was going to have to come off early at some point; he has not played a lot, and 55-60 minutes was going to be max. It made sense."

Sulemana was substituted from the game after 15 minutes when the team was down 3-0 in the first half, which made the player unhappy.

The game ended in a humiliating 5-0 scoreline, which led to the dismissal of manager Russell Martin.

The Saints are now in danger of being relegated as they lie 20th on the league table with just five points from 16 matches.

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