Sessegnon and Muntari

First post, so be gentle boys and girls.

Nice article here on our two new signings with video footage of both.

Transfer coup of the winter? Sunderland's new midfield pair Sulley Muntari and Stephane Sessegnon

Just like in the summer with the purchase of Asamoah Gyan from Stade Rennes, Sunderland have arguably made the best acquisitions of this month's transfer window.

Despite losing Darren Bent for what was a handsome sum of £24M, Steve Bruce has made couple of shrewed purchases to bolster his midfield in a major way.

Ghana international Sulley Muntari joined the northeast outfit in a loan deal from Inter Milan on Saturday hours before Sunderland completed the signing of PSG midfielder Stephane Sessegnon on a three-and-a-half-year-deal for some ₤6 million.

Bruce admitted that six months ago he wouldn’t have thought signing a player of the calibre of Muntari were possible. And indeed, the side lying sixth in the Premiership appear to have come on in leaps and bounds both on the pitch and in the transfer market, and seem to be well on the way to making a transition from being mere Premiership survivors to a club with an eye on major honours.

Here is a brief analysis of the two weekend newcomers to the Stadium of Light.

Muntari is a highly energetic and aggressive midfielder. He is tough tackler and packs a tremendous shot, demonstrated by his cracker for Ghana against Uruguay in the World Cup quarter final.

As well as his brawn and powerful side though, Muntari has the brains and skill to be a fine creative force for his team.

He has good technique and a deft first touch, and boasts the ability to link midfield and attack extremely well.

He is also a highly versatile player, and can be utilised as a defensive midfielder, or in a more advanced attacking midfield and left midfield role.

Good in the air and possessing a decent turn of pace, Muntari is unlikely to have problems adapting to the physical nature of the Premiership, and his vast top-level experience will help him, too. But he will need to watch those tackles which at times can be a tad rash.

Muntari started his senior career at Udinese in 2002, and developed into a fine midfield combatant, and proved more than capable of matching some of the best midfielders Serie A and Europe had to offer.

After five seasons, the last of which he was sent off three times as a slightly uglier side to his game came to the fore, then-Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp brought him to Pompey for £7.1m.

He was a central figure in what was a super season for the South coast club, netting four times and helping the side win the FA Cup, scoring the winning penalty against Manchester United in the sixth round.

A summer switch to Inter Milan for €15M represented a handsome profit for Portsmouth, although it failed to prevent the club from ultimately going into administration, and also represented real progress for the Ghanaian himself.

He had an excellent first season for Inter with four goals and four assists in 33 games as the side won the Scudetto, but fell out of favour with Jose Mourinho somewhat the following season, rarely playing 90 minutes for the eventual Treble winners, and was heavily linked with an exit since the summer.

The player with 16 goals from 52 international caps joins Sunderland hungry to win back a regular first-team place and impress again in one of the world's top leagues.

The Benin international compensates for his small build with great technique and electric pace and his technical skill allows him to make the difference in any match.

Although his primary position is on the right wing, like Muntari, Sessegnon is a versatile player capable of being utilised anywhere across the midfield or forward line – but that is where the comparisons with the Ghanaian end.

Sessegnon has world-class dribbling skills and good balance, making him is extremely tough to stop when on one of his dazzling runs in which he gets past opponents with apparent ease.

He is quite a sturdy player, too, and shields the ball very well.

Sessegnon has been described in France as possessing the skill of Jay-Jay Okocha and the physical strength and aggression of Michael Essien.

He can shoot well with both feet, and has decent passing abilities, particularly his short probing balls through to the forwards.

Sessegnon began his career at Benin side Requins de l'Atlantique in 2003, but was snapped up by US Creteil in 2004. He quickly adapted to the Parisian suburban side, scoring 10 goals in 68 games, and progressed steady through the ranks in France. He joined Le Mans in 2006, and some brilliant performances over his two seasons there earned him a €7M move to PSG in the summer of 2008.

There, Sessegnon rapidly formed a good understanding with Claude Makélélé and Jérémy Clément. He scored six goals and provided five assists in his first season, becoming an instant star for the Ligue 1 runners up, both in the league and in their UEFA Europa League run to the quarterfinals.

He scored three times and set up five last season, but fell out of with manager Antoine Kombouaré this campaign, leading to an ultimate parting of ways with the club.

Sessegnon is a tad inconsistent, and must gain a bit more confidence and improve his decision-making. Nonetheless, there is no question Bruce has a potential Premier League star on his hands who appears to be able to adapt quick as a flash to new clubs.

http://www.imscouting.com/global-ne...Sulley-Muntari-and-Stephane-Sessegnon-/13062/

In Quinn We Trust

 

Good read, M & J. I like this bit most!
I was envious of Harry's signing of Van der Vart, probs the deal of the decade IMO, but this could trump it.

 

Welcome to not606 Mand J took your time we have been waiting for you.