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

[Super Duper Branko Strupar]

Was great today again. Seeing the average positions today I think Howe's been very clever to leave him up on his own, means he's less likely to get doubled up on and starts with more space. Willock being up and down all fucking day helps too. 

[Ketsbaia]

Still my favourite player, still our most important one (in my opinion) so it was great to see him today. He had them terrified. 

[Geordie Ahmed]

5 hours ago, Killuminati said:

Cant ask anything of him more than he showed today. I just hope it isnt that typical one game against a top club and then he goes back to the shadows next 3-4 games. He needs to build on this game and keep it going mentally.

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

[wiseman]

6 hours ago, Ketsbaia said:

Still my favourite player, still our most important one (in my opinion) so it was great to see him today. He had them terrified. 

Dont think he's our most player anymore, I think trippier deserves that, but Maxi is definitely the most exciting player we have, when he has the ball he can do just about anything at all. I still think as frustrating as he can be at times he's growing into his new role within the team more each week

[jackyboy]

Thought he looked really good today, passed the ball at the right times. A really solid professional by him.

[Broadsword]

Glad to see him consistently back in the team again, been a long time coming. Thought first half he was poor, didn’t seem to want to open up and sprint, he’s been like that for a few games now. Second half he came out much better showed some great turn of pace on the outside and showed glimpses again.  His header for the goal was fantastic btw wasn’t easy and put it on plate for Willock. 

 

 

Edited April 3, 2023 by Broadsword

[Holmesy]

Almost back to his best yesterday. He knew he had Dalot on toast and the excitement in his body language every time he got the ball and had the chance to run at him was fantastic. 

[Shays Given Tim Flowers]

He is terrifyingly quick with the ball. His headed assist was fantastic and given the midfield is looking better at making intelligent attacking runs then you'd expect him to be amongst goals and assists more often. 

[andyc35i]

Really good yesterday and well worth his start even after the drop off at Forest. Let’s hope he continues this improvement at West Ham. He has previously torn them apart at their ground so I’m looking for more of the same 

[McCormick]

His crossing is pretty underrated, was putting in some lovely balls into the box last night.

[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.

[Kanj]

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. 

[Kanj]

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.