Allan Saint-Maximin (now playing for Fenerbahce, on loan from Al-Ahli)

[Sandrotastico]

1 hour ago, Oregon_Geordie said:

 

I think 3 assists in 19 is pretty dreadful for guy that has the ball most of the time and often on the edge of the opponents box. Maybe I expect a little more.

I think he's a show pony who is out for himself and not the team. I actually think for every one piece of magic, there are 99 pieces of zero!

 

Opinions though I guess. I'd swap him for Origi and play Murphy and Fraser on the wings.

 

Let me be clear. I would keep him, if he decides he wants to work hard and improve and most importantly play for the team This is Newcastle United, not a fucking one man circus. He needs to shape up and realise he's as bad as the rest.

He's been mainly dreadful most the season and an absolute nightmare to play with I'm sure.

[Mattoon]

8 minutes ago, Optimistic Nut said:

I don’t think that’s the case at all. I’ve seen plenty of times recently where he’s ignored perfectly good options around him, including Trippier today.

 

 

 

 

Just thinking out loud but maybe he just doesn't trust some of the options he has and maybe that's a habit he needs to change when he has better players around him.

 

Or maybe he's just short sighted and his football brain doesn't match his natural ability on the ball.

[TRon]

1 hour ago, triggs said:

You can say he was shit today without overreacting to a player playing out of position who is generally our best player when played in his correct position 

 

Doesn't matter what his best position is, he still ends up dribbling backwards and forwards, going across the box and shooting. Sometimes he just needs to release the ball and move into a strike position himself. 

[midds]

Even being asked to play in a different position shouldn't be as difficult as he seemed to make it today. He's been in the game long enough to know that if he's been specifically told to play the role of a striker for the day then he should be making a better fist of it than he did today. He knows what strikers do, where they play, where and how they move and his attempt at filling that role today were pretty pathetic tbph. I know he's not a striker and it's definitely not his forte but he was basically ignoring his instructions, ignoring his new role for the day and drifting out leaving him in the position of trying to put in a cross to an empty box. 

 

The CM today also need to have a word with themselves too btw. They should have spotted the potential to get on the end of something but either didn't fancy it or weren't capable. The whole thing was a fucking shitshow. 

[Lazarus]

ASM is a strange one. As Ive said before I dont think Howe has quite figured out how to use him yet.

 

In one sense its great that ASM has the confidence and self belief to take on players and try and make things happen. But as said elsewhere, he needs to release the ball earlier instead of working the ball into final third and creating space for a shot.

 

Maybe Howe could tell him that he can't have any more than 5 touches.

[Armchair Pundit]

Think he's looked shit for a while, probably thinks he's bigger than the club and should be allowed to train/come and go as he pleases, hence he's now acting up under a manager who expects higher standards. At least that's what it looks like, another sulky Frenchman.

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Armchair Pundit said:

Think he's looked shit for a while, probably thinks he's bigger than the club and should be allowed to train/come and go as he pleases, hence he's now acting up under a manager who expects higher standards. At least that's what it looks like, another sulky Frenchman.

Maybe he liked that. Being bigger than the club. Now that things are moving as a club I think he’ll be left behind. The attention is no longer all about him and as we add more players that will continue.

[mighty__mag]

The last few pages, Jesus christ!

[Fantail Breeze]

5 minutes ago, Optimistic Nut said:

Maybe he liked that. Being bigger than the club. Now that things are moving as a club I think he’ll be left behind. The attention is no longer all about him and as we add more players that will continue.

 

I agree in parts but he also seems like a genuinely nice guy. I think his problem is that  he thinks he’s better than he is and he doesn’t think too highly of his teammates’ abilities.

 

Which leads him to trying to do it all on his own and ultimately achieving nothing.

 

Having him lose the ball after doing 40 stepovers and pirouettes while ignoring his team mates in better positions is criminal. 

 

If he was scoring every game or singlehandedly winning it, fair enough. But he’s not. One moment of magic every five games or so is not good enough to mask his obvious limitations.

 

Said it countless times but football is a team game for a reason. When you’re in the shit it’s even more important to play as a team.

 

Man Utd are having the same issue right now with Ronaldo, an individual playing for himself rather than the team.

[Disco]

1 hour ago, triggs said:

You can say he was shit today without overreacting to a player playing out of position who is generally our best player when played in his correct position 

Some hilariously bad takes. 

 

Players like him though… was always going to happen at some stage. Results don’t improve and there’s a fair chance it won’t be long before he’s being booed by the crowd.

[mofo]

There is some serious fucking drivel on here tonight. Maxi had a poor game today but he's been performing well since Howe has come in.

When we have a striker who can hold the ball up and allow him to play off he's great to watch. People used to say Ginola held onto the ball too long, at times he probably did but you just need to accept that if you want players like him in the team.

 

[mofo]

2 minutes ago, Disco said:

Some hilariously bad takes. 

 

Players like him though… was always going to happen at some stage. Results don’t improve and there’s a fair chance it won’t be long before he’s being booed by the crowd.

There was quite a bit negativity everytime he had the ball today. 

[Wolfcastle]

Hear Alan Hansen and "percentages" when I watch ASM. Got to think that's why he's here via St Etienne.

Like Le-Tissier - the chance of winning games versus the chance of being a liability needs weighed up.

There's nobody we could leave him out for so its a moot point for us but he's more flatter to decieve than performer.

 

9 minutes ago, mofo said:

There is some serious fucking drivel on here tonight. Maxi had a poor game today but he's been performing well since Howe has come in.

When we have a striker who can hold the ball up and allow him to play off he's great to watch. People used to say Ginola held onto the ball too long, at times he probably did but you just need to accept that if you want players like him in the team.

 

Know what you mean but chalk and cheese end product - Ginola was a supply machine and at worst at least capable of being a supply machine.

 

Actually the best example I can think of is Mirandinha. Hope it doesn't have the same end result.

 

 

Edited January 8, 2022 by Wolfcastle

[Dandy Man]

Did a relatively good job ploughing a lone furrow up front against Liverpool and was good against Manure, was shite today and very frustrating to watch.

 

Does drag the whole team down when he plays like today but is also the only one in squad who is capable of creating something from nothing which creates a bit of a conundrum. Still no getting away from fact he's been consistently worse since Bruce left and some questions remain about his ability to function to same level when part of a wider coherent system rather than as focal point for any and all attacks.

[mighty__mag]

36 minutes ago, Optimistic Nut said:

Maybe he liked that. Being bigger than the club. Now that things are moving as a club I think he’ll be left behind. The attention is no longer all about him and as we add more players that will continue.

Imagine shitting on your best player because, you've imagined he thinks he's bigger than the club, and also because eventually like 6/7 years down the line we might have a side like Man City, so he'll be irrelevant. 

 

Ginola used to be a bit like that, Shearer used to hate him at times, because all Shearer cared about was goals, and it being about Shearer, Ginola didn't always cross to him, and he got pissed, believe they had a barny once, I still think Ginola is amazing, and did more memorable moments than things you'd forget. ASM is a special player, granted his contribution in goals isn't brilliant, he could give the ball in better situations, but he's the player I'll remember always over others just like Ginola, HBA, and all those that make us feel good. 

 

With the right players around him, ASM would be even better, blame the shite around him pal

 

??

 

 

Edited January 8, 2022 by mighty__mag

[gallowgate]

ASM reminds me of Lua Lua, always good to watch with a trick or two... but never the complete team player.

[Wolfcastle]

2 hours ago, xLiaaamx said:

Think the reaction is a bit ott. Not sure why he's the one who all the ire is at.

 

 

 

 

Because it goes without saying about all the other players, who everyone knows aren't up to it.

 

Mighty-Mag, think what it was was teams playing differently against Ginola in that second season and later in 95/96  - first few months were a bombardment of crosses for Ferdinand from both flanks. Didn't fire the same service in at Spurs either - even when winning player of the year.

 

 

Edited January 8, 2022 by Wolfcastle

[Fantail Breeze]

32 minutes ago, mofo said:

There is some serious fucking drivel on here tonight. Maxi had a poor game today but he's been performing well since Howe has come in.

When we have a striker who can hold the ball up and allow him to play off he's great to watch. People used to say Ginola held onto the ball too long, at times he probably did but you just need to accept that if you want players like him in the team.

 

 

He’s got 2 goals and 0 assists since Howe came in. He was actually better under Bruce, both on the eye and statistically with 2 goals and 3 assists.

 

He’s gone off injured more times than he’s contributed to goals and assists under Howe.

[Heron]

Needs to get his head out his fucking arse. Lovely kid, but a lot of showmanship and nee end product at present. To the teams detriment. 

[Thiago]

1 hour ago, midds said:

Even being asked to play in a different position shouldn't be as difficult as he seemed to make it today. He's been in the game long enough to know that if he's been specifically told to play the role of a striker for the day then he should be making a better fist of it than he did today. He knows what strikers do, where they play, where and how they move and his attempt at filling that role today were pretty pathetic tbph. I know he's not a striker and it's definitely not his forte but he was basically ignoring his instructions, ignoring his new role for the day and drifting out leaving him in the position of trying to put in a cross to an empty box. 

 

The CM today also need to have a word with themselves too btw. They should have spotted the potential to get on the end of something but either didn't fancy it or weren't capable. The whole thing was a fucking shitshow. 

Not to bring it back to him again, but we had the same issue with Ben Arfa. 

 

It seems like we wanted him to be a false 9, but being central seems to disorientate him a bit, he's never in the right spot to collect the ball and he ends up wandering aimlessly. The exception is when we win it back in midfield and can quickly get it to him (see Murphy chance) and he can go running in a 2v2 or 3v3 situation. 

 

The truth about Saint-Maximin is this - he is an exceptional dribbler, bordering on world class when he's in his pomp. The rest of his game is not at that same level, meaning he can look a lot like Adama Traore when he's out of form. Howe/We need to keep him on the left and make it so we create overloads on the right when he has the ball and draws a few men towards him, or switch the play quickly to his side when he's isolated. Running things through him entirely is the worst thing we can do as he doesn't have the decision making to be consistently influential. 

[Ketsbaia]

Wasn't he class in our previous game, Man United?   

[Away Toon]

We have been a counter attacking team for so long that none of the players we have are comfortable in possession and have no idea how to pass and move into space and build pressure. They are so used to all being behind the ball in our own half waiting to pounce and launch the ball into space and hare after it like rabbits that the way Howe wants to play is completely foreign to them. ASM is at his best when we win possession and there is space for him to run into, Almiron too, slowly making our way upfield against 11 men lined up in defensive banks doesn't suit the players we have. Howe hasn't so far found the balance between the way he wants to play and the way our players are capable of playing. Rafa knew the players limitations which is why he wasn't interested in us having the ball except when we could win in it transition and counter.

[r0cafella]

ASM is a creator not a goal scorer. So playing up front the goal scoring threat has to come from elsewhere sadly Murphy and Fraser aren’t much of a threat either. 
 

 

[MarkyMark]

Doesn’t create much for a creator is the problem.  It’s exciting watching him start those fast, slaloming runs - he’s a superbly gifted dribbler - but he always plays with his head down, and is too old to have this aspect of his game coached out of him.  This is why he scores and creates so few goals - his phenomenal ball control means that he will grab a goal every so often.  But the rest of the time he’s just beating the odd defender before running into a blind alley.  As mentioned by others, he’d love working with someone like Bruce because Bruce will let him run those alleys without attempting to coach him out of it - he’s not exactly a student of the game.  A manager like Howe is going to demand more than a show pony - and is likely to make him unhappy as a result. 

 

It is a shame that he doesn’t have the footballing brain to match his wit on social media - the lad is clearly sharp and smart away from the pitch.  Seems like a decent bloke too.

 

Nothing would make me happier than ASM to suddenly prove all of the above wrong, of course.  But I’ve seen nowt so far which suggests to me that he has the vision to be a top notch creative talent. 

 

 

Edited January 9, 2022 by MarkyMark

[Emotic]

Ironically, his skill on the ball might just be the problem. Far too often he'd eat up so much time with the dribbles, that it allows opposing midfielders and defenders to organise themselves for the eventual final ball. You'd get away with it in slower leagues, but the recovery rate in the PL is seconds faster. You'd need a winger who can beat a man, and then have the intelligence to look up and transition play into the box. Top players do that.