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

[Minhosa]

I thought yesterday was the first time in a long time he got the vast majority of his decision making right.

 

The simple ball that he's now using more than ever makes him, if anything, even harder for the full back to predict and I thought he got the balance between that newer version of ASM and the old Maxi bang on yesterday.

 

In the long term, I'm still not sure he fits into the Howe methodology but, for now, nobody can say he's not trying to become effective in it. Even some genuine tracking back at times yesterday which is a rarity in itself.

[KaKa]

18 hours ago, TRon said:

Don't know if Man U just handled him badly or he was just on it today, but he fully justified Howe's faith in him. I was a bit frustrated in the first half when he kept cutting inside, but he did start mixing it up better as the game went on.

 

 

Against teams that are attacking, I think he'll always look better, as there'll be more space in general for him to exploit.

 

Against teams that double up against him and sit in a low block he tends to struggle to have as much of an impact.

[Smal]

Man U did sit in a low block to be fair. They always do against decent sides and are massively over reliant on the counter in those games.

[Consortium of one]

It has to be a difficult transition from being the primary offensive threat, prior to Howe, to being a more complimentary player now.  He's made the adjustment and can be deadly while creating space in the box.  

[madras]

Made all the right decisions yesterday, when to advance with it, when to hold, the right pass to make( think he had one pass to nowhere the entire game and he had plenty of the ball), when to press, the right position to take up attacking and defending. Great game and on other days probably MotM (I really couldn't pick just one).

[Killuminati]

12 hours ago, Geordie Ahmed said:

He was poor against Forest but very good against Wolves, so he's had 2 out of 3 good games 

Im just saying overall. This season,last season. He seems to have adopted Howes vision. But im just used to se him deliver the amazing stuff and then weirdly his just not there mentally anymore

[Geordie Ahmed]

6 minutes ago, Killuminati said:

Im just saying overall. This season,last season. He seems to have adopted Howes vision. But im just used to se him deliver the amazing stuff and then weirdly his just not there mentally anymore

Overall I disagree, he isn't a 1 good game in 5 and has never been that for us 

[Stottie]

3 hours ago, KaKa said:

Against teams that double up against him and sit in a low block he tends to struggle to have as much of an impact.

This actually worked really well for us yesterday. His dribbling threat was enough for them to send a man over every time, leaving space in the middle when ASM did release the ball. The ball rolled throw empty acres before Willock blazed that one over. Doubling up works best when its the winger coming back (cough, cough Anthony), not a DM coming over.

 

The problems in the past with ASM were from him not releasing it or us not having anyone in the middle, forcing him to just keep running into what may be termed "blind alleys". He's releasing it now more and we are giving him more options when he has the ball. He's also receiving it far closer to the goal than he ever did under Bruce.

[Kanji]

6 hours ago, Minhosa said:

I thought yesterday was the first time in a long time he got the vast majority of his decision making right.

 

The simple ball that he's now using more than ever makes him, if anything, even harder for the full back to predict and I thought he got the balance between that newer version of ASM and the old Maxi bang on yesterday.

 

In the long term, I'm still not sure he fits into the Howe methodology but, for now, nobody can say he's not trying to become effective in it. Even some genuine tracking back at times yesterday which is a rarity in itself.

 

What was great is that he started making those aggressive direct runs at Dalot in the second half early on and scaring the living daylights out of him. He's mixing it up now and long may it continue. 

[St. Maximin]

I think we’ve possibly been overanalysing things too much in thinking about whether he suits Howe’s style etc. He absolutely does, but he’s been dealing with a combination of injuries, confidence issues and increased competition for places.
 

In previous years he could play like yesterday and be the best player on the pitch and that would just be seen as a typical ASM performance. Nowadays we probably shouldn’t be expecting him to be that guy, but to be an effective winger among multiple strong attacking players, even when he’s indirectly making things happen rather than scoring wonder goals. 

[joeyt]

 

 

 

 

[Papavasiliou]

I know it doesn't really need saying but I fucking love being in the crowd when he's on one. As soon as he gets the ball in front of him you can see everyone lean forward and you feel the anticipation and the whole place just willing him forward. 

 

Even if he ran into trouble and lost the ball 9 times in a row, that 10th time people would still feel that anticipation that something great could happen.

[Smal]

his header and assist was pretty incredible watching it back. He was running and leaping pretty much full pelt to get on the end of it but still managed to direct it inch perfect.

[Dr. TC]

The more I watch the match and highlights back (yes, I've done this several times), the more impressive his contribution looks. He could easily have had five assists. 

[Kanji]

1 hour ago, Dr. TC said:

The more I watch the match and highlights back (yes, I've done this several times), the more impressive his contribution looks. He could easily have had five assists. 

Very much like Jack Grealish, he’s one of those wingers who causes 2-3 opposition players to focus on him and he sucks defenders in; the best of it in 1H was how he created the Willock and Longstaff chances. In 2H it was actually in the build up to the goal with Willock when they were both trying to find a way through before the ball getting nearly cleared. 

[The Fountain]

Definitely don't sell unless it's a £60+ offer.

Gonna need stronger squad depth next season with potentially another 12+ games to play.

[Kid Icarus]

In a team of excellent performances I still thought he shone brighter than everyone except Trippier. I'm slightly surprised there hasn't been more credit given to him tbh, he was relentless.

[BoSelecta]

4 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

In a team of excellent performances I still thought he shone brighter than everyone except Trippier. I'm slightly surprised there hasn't been more credit given to him tbh, he was relentless.

One of the lads I watched it with slagged him off all game and repeatedly called for him to be replaced. Some people are watching him and seeing what they want to see. 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Most highlight reels for the last couple of years involve Maxi laying chances on a plate for people like Longstaff and Willock to miss. He could easily have twice as many assists at least. 

[joeyt]

7 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

In a team of excellent performances I still thought he shone brighter than everyone except Trippier. I'm slightly surprised there hasn't been more credit given to him tbh, he was relentless.

 

People despise him for some reason

 

People were claiming we faked an injury for him to take him off at half time against Forest 

[Smal]

14 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

In a team of excellent performances I still thought he shone brighter than everyone except Trippier. I'm slightly surprised there hasn't been more credit given to him tbh, he was relentless.

I thought it at the time with the eye test, but when you look at his numbers from the game they’re exactly what you’d want from Maxi in this team. He was pretty flawless to be honest. Right up there with Trippier on the day.

 

Hope he keeps working hard on his fitness so he can be sharp for longer in the games. That’s the main downside with him.

[Geordie Ahmed]

I love Maxi and I'm glad to see he's put in a number of good performances recently (Wolves, Man-U), this idea that some people have that he can't play for Howe was always ludicrous to me and we are seeing a slightly different Maxi

 

Also the clamour from some to sell him was strange, almost like the concept of having a squad is strange to them (maybe still reeling from Mike Ashley) 

 

Our squad will improve when we get rid of the weakest members (Ritchie, Lewis etc) not being getting rid of one of out better players who also is unique in what he brings to the squad

 

[joeyt]

I'd like him to be more effective in games against lesser opposition, I think that's the next thing we need to work on

 

No surprise his best performances have been against Liverpool, Man Utd and Man City this season

[Kid Icarus]

22 minutes ago, joeyt said:

 

People despise him for some reason

 

People were claiming we faked an injury for him to take him off at half time against Forest 

 

Yeah, I’ve seen it plenty on here and elsewhere online. Some people seem to have a preference for sounding clueless over ever giving him credit.

 

I was watching All With Smiling Faces earlier and Chris, who’s normally the most level-headed on there said that he completely lost his shit with the people around him at SJP on Sunday who were constantly slagging ASM off, even to the extent of blaming him for Burn not passing him the ball and then losing it

 

Anyone watching his performance on Sunday and slagging him when he’s got an assist, created at least 3 other situations that should have been assists, and beat their full back all game, really stretches the concept of everyone being entitled to their opinion to the limit like. I’d say it’s not even really their opinion – they’re either not watching or have an agenda.

 

As Dekka on the podcast said though, we’ve had this for years, whether it’s ASM, Ben Arfa, Robert, Ginola – any player with a bit of skill seems to invite the ire of a section of our fans and it doesn’t matter how good they are, how good their end product is, how often they do the things they claim they don’t (in ASM’s case tracking back and pressing) they’ll never give them credit and would prefer to have a grafter who produces nothing.

 

Obviously that doesn’t mean all criticism of ASM is unfair, in case it’s misunderstood as that by anyone reading.

 

 

Edited April 4, 2023 by Kid Icarus

[Smal]

3 minutes ago, joeyt said:

I'd like him to be more effective in games against lesser opposition, I think that's the next thing we need to work on

 

No surprise his best performances have been against Liverpool, Man Utd and Man City this season

Feel like he’s been in and out of the team so much this season that we haven’t really had chance to get him in the pitch with Bruno, Willock and Isak (+Almiron!) at the same time in those kind of games.

 

One of the features of our play on Sunday was flooding the right so that we could isolate ASM 1v1 against Dalot and it worked really well. We have more threats for the opposition to deal with now so they won’t be able to double and triple up on Maxi.