Film Friday: Sam Surridge

Hello and welcome to another (and special) Film Friday. Today’s topic is Nashville’s newest striker, Sam Surridge.

Before we get started, I recommend checking out Sam Surridge’s profile piece from my colleague Chris Ivey.

Now, back to Surridge.

He will bring a lot for this Nashville SC team, but to think of him as just an upgrade to Teal Bunbury is doing him a bit of disservice. When people see a tall target man, the assumption is that on-the-ball skills might not be there. 

Despite his body build, Surridge’s on-the-ball skills will be a huge boost for this squad. He is confident and comfortable playing with the ball at his feet, and would combine nicely with Nashville’s other attackers, especially Mukhtar.

His mobility and body abilities also allow him to dribble past defenders with ease. We often see lanky players looking a bit awkward when dribbling (think Jhonder Cádiz, for example), but Surridge doesn’t seem to have that problem. Or at least, it isn’t as prominent.

Of course, his on-the-ball skills and mobility are important additions, but perhaps the most important attribute is his finishing. While his goal scoring record might not be impressive at first sight, he has 0.47 goals per 90 throughout his career. That’s a goal every two games or thereabout. 

To put that in perspective, only Hany Mukhtar with 0.57 beats that this season for Nashville SC. Being clinical in front of goal is something that Nashville has been missing from anyone not named Mukhtar.

Another impressive thing is the variety of the goals he’s able to score. While he’s predominantly right-footed, he’s had a few left-footed goals as well, and most importantly for Nashville, he’s had a good amount of goals with his head.

There are obviously a few things I am not sure about when it comes to Surridge; mainly his aerial duels and hold up play. While Bunbury might not be the goal scorer Nashville fans desire, he does an extremely great job at being the target of long balls from Nashville’s defense. Surridge hasn’t necessarily been that player for his teams. That, of course, doesn’t mean he cannot do it.

All in all, this signing should revitalize Nashville’s attack as they push for home field advantage in the playoffs. Thanks for watching, and please remember to share and follow.