Allan Saint-Maximin (now playing for Al-Ahli)

[Thiago]

It's a bit shit that he gets no protection from refs. He's clearly targeted.

[Consortium of one]

51 minutes ago, Thiago said:

It's a bit shit that he gets no protection from refs. He's clearly targeted.

This.  

[KaKa]

6 hours ago, Fantail Breeze said:

Decent managers know to just kick him and put three players on him and he’s completely out of the game.

 

It's so easy man ... just crowd him when he gets the ball, because he never looks up to release the ball early, ever. He just tries to dribble past them all, and they can then just bully him off the ball and go the other way on an instant counter attack.

[r0cafella]

1 hour ago, KaKa said:

 

It's so easy man ... just crowd him when he gets the ball, because he never looks up to release the ball early, ever. He just tries to dribble past them all, and they can then just bully him off the ball and go the other way on an instant counter attack.

Yes and no, ultimately if our opponents want to put 3 players on him then space is created elsewhere on the pitch. Once we have better players and a system in place we can utilise this. 
 

everyone here knows the goal is to stay in the league, let’s focus on getting that done and work on the details over the summer. 

[Happinesstan]

He started the game looking a lot more like the player we all want to see. And we matched them for the first 40 mins. The whole team went to shit after that and there is no reason to pin that on Maxi. I've not given up on him becoming a more rounded player.

[Zero]

Yesterday was one of the better games. Hope he continues like that.

[ExiledGeordie]

Until we have a legitimate goal scoring threat on the RW (and potentially a proper number 10) I don’t think we’ll see the best of ASM. Teams just load of up on him because they know he’s our only real creative option. Willock is an opportunist and will score a few but he’s not going to open teams up and creat a lot. The focus always falls squarely on ASM. That needs to change. He’s also obviously not without his faults, not releasing the ball, losing the ball etc but in general over reliance on him is a problem they have to fix in the summer.

[Thiago]

4 hours ago, KaKa said:

 

It's so easy man ... just crowd him when he gets the ball, because he never looks up to release the ball early, ever. He just tries to dribble past them all, and they can then just bully him off the ball and go the other way on an instant counter attack.

It's on us too. If were not switching the point of attack quickly for him to get those 1v1s it's chicken and egg.

[Smal]

They wouldn’t be able to put 3 men on him if we offered any other threat at all to be honest. Wood and Fraser did absolutely nothing, Joelinton didn’t get involved and Targett never looked to overlap. It’s not something you can criticise ASM for. 

[Outremont]

15 minutes ago, Smal said:

They wouldn’t be able to put 3 men on him if we offered any other threat at all to be honest. Wood and Fraser did absolutely nothing, Joelinton didn’t get involved and Targett never looked to overlap. It’s not something you can criticise ASM for. 

Great call this. It’s very true - no goal threat from an awful Wood and Fraser means Maxi can get ganged up on.

[Lush Vlad]

He got crowded out second half.  But I thought he had plenty of chances to run at Royal, who looks shite defensively, to me.  I think it was also Romero a few times, as well, but no change out of him and he is a quality player.  He just lacked his usual conviction running at players and was really wasteful. 

 

If Howe wants to play a high press and is all about work rate with this current lot.  Which is how it has seemed most of the time.  I'm not sure where ASM and Shelvey fit in.  As I didn't see much of it from them yesterday.  

 

Hope he starts and gets more of a chance to impress on Friday. 

 

 

[Newcastle Fan]

If you have a player that requires three men to be on him that's more than enough to be honest, it means the rest will have more space to do something but likes its been pointed out Wood is useless and Fraser is on and off so all the attention is on ASM.

[Lush Vlad]

20 minutes ago, Newcastle Fan said:

If you have a player that requires three men to be on him that's more than enough to be honest, it means the rest will have more space to do something but likes its been pointed out Wood is useless and Fraser is on and off so all the attention is on ASM.

 

I do agree with this.  We don't take advantage of gaps where players have been pulled away from to cover ASM.  However, he is also partly responsible.  As his passing and decision making is often absolutely woeful. 

 

I get that if his end product and passing were better.  He wouldn't be playing for us.  But it is still really frustrating to watch.  As he gets in such good positions and invariably wastes the opportunity. 

 

A quick couple of touches, releasing it and looking to spin off would work wonders for ASM and Fraser.  Spurs did it with their attacking players time and again.  But we just don't seem capable of building attacks properly, regardless of the opposition.    

[jackyboy]

When the ball goes to ASM the ball sticks to his feet and the game stops giving the opposition the time to regroup. If he could just pass it and move until he's in better positions to run with it he could be a world beater. Whenever he gets the ball he tries to just go for goal from positions where he's more likely than not to lose possession

[Conjo]

I've been critical of his recent performances, but yesterday he was the least of our problems. Passed the ball nicely at times and was the only outlet to make something happen. He tracked back a few times and was ok in his pressing. Didn't see any complaining to the ref that affected him not being where he should have been. 

[Optimistic Nut]

It was his dribbling that seemed off yesterday. Maybe just not matchfit. I know they had 2/3 on him at times but we’ve seen him skip past those for fun the last 3 years. Didn’t seem to have that initial burst.

[HaydnNUFC]

It was his first start since 13 February tbf. His appearances have seen him in and out of the team for 7 games and he's only appeared in 3 of those, so he probably isn't fully up to sharpness and he needs minutes. 

 

Also nice to see the NUFC fathas are still against him and have quasi blamed him for yesterday when he contributed far more than any of the other attacking players on the pitch.

[Pata]

14 hours ago, KaKa said:

 

It's so easy man ... just crowd him when he gets the ball, because he never looks up to release the ball early, ever. He just tries to dribble past them all, and they can then just bully him off the ball and go the other way on an instant counter attack.

 

He released the ball early numerous times yesterday. Too easy man.

[Cookie1892]

and some people wonder why none of the top half of the table were in to sign him

 

great against poor sides, useless against anyone with half a footballing brain

 

as someone else has mentioned, doesn't look up, stick 2-3 on him and he loses the ball and rolls on the floor, hobbles about for a bit, then goes into a typical french huff

 

he needs dropping and we need to play with a proper team player

[Awaymag]

I would look to integrate Gayle into the attack.  Wood is not mobile enough and is not the person to run onto through balls.  Gayle just might be.  Wilson I dont think we will see again this season.

 

When Maxi looks up, there is no one in the box 9 times out of 10

 

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by Awaymag

[Guest HTT II]

He is easy to defend against in numbers, we however don’t take advantage of the other team doubling up on him and him basically taking players away from other areas, we need to address both issues with ASM on and off the ball and away from him. We are quite pitiful down our right and his better games under Howe was when we had Trippier on the right…

[OCK]

For someone who can dribble so well, his first touch to control the ball is kinda terrible. 

[Jaqen]

27 minutes ago, Cookie1892 said:

and some people wonder why none of the top half of the table were in to sign him

 

great against poor sides, useless against anyone with half a footballing brain

 

as someone else has mentioned, doesn't look up, stick 2-3 on him and he loses the ball and rolls on the floor, hobbles about for a bit, then goes into a typical french huff

 

he needs dropping and we need to play with a proper team player

 

Sticking two or three on him shows how dangerous he is to be fair. If he was playing for a top side with other quality around him teams couldn't afford to do that. 

 

People should remind themselves of our points per game with and without him in the side since he got here before they rush to want him dropped for Murphy. 

[Pata]

’Only stick 2-3 players on him and he loses the ball’ as a proof of how shite he is. This thread is gold. Fucking French huff too.

[Pata]

There's a reason why teams can put 3 players on him. Ryan Fraser is behind most goalkeepers in dribbles per game and has 4 total this season. ASM is leading the league with 190 followed by Raphinha with 131. But on true PFM style, let's blame the player who tries to do something and praise the one who runs around a lot. Bunch of Pardew's.