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

[soyt]

Like others have said, Maxi was very good again. Like many other players, he is truly back on form.
It is great to see and hats of to him - he had a very difficult winter and could have easily given up and requested for a transfer. But no, he has tried to adapt his game, taken coaching the right way and is producing the goods like he used to. In a slightly different way, but i don't think it is a bad thing to try and make the correct decisions rather than going 110mph all the time.

Eddie has given him his chance and i think he will get even better with each game now, as he adapts to  this style of play. It must help also that there is now real competition for places. Like others, Maxi must have realized that he is not irreplaceable anymore.

Great stuff, and another right call from Eddie.

[Gallowgate Toon]

Love that he's using his left more. What a cross.

[Broadsword]

That switch in feet was fantastic, imagine miggy doing that? That and the header last week for Willock and he is becoming unstoppable let alone unsellable.

[The College Dropout]

Not getting enough love for the quality of assist. 
 

Jinks into the box with skill and balance, left footed cross right onto the strikers head. Brilliant. Lesser players can’t do that.  You need talent and ability to pull that off. No coincidence since he’s back in the side and finding form that we’re creating golden chances again and scoring more. This is what quality and confidence looks like.  

[Kid Icarus]

Thought he was absolutely class yet again. 5 assists for the season now, putting him in the top 10 centile for wingers. He'd have a lot more if our finishing was better as well. 

[AJ9]

5 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Not getting enough love for the quality of assist. 
 

Jinks into the box with skill and balance, left footed cross right onto the strikers head. Brilliant. Lesser players can’t do that.  You need talent and ability to pull that off. No coincidence since he’s back in the side and finding form that we’re creating golden chances again and scoring more. This is what quality and confidence looks like.  

Weird eh? I think it’s because people sort of expect that he can do that…anyone else in the team does that and there would be a lot more praise

[SUPERTOON]

2 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

Thought he was absolutely class yet again. 5 assists for the season now, putting him in the top 10 centile for wingers. He'd have a lot more if our finishing was better as well. 

And if he was fit for the whole season 

[McCormick]

3 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

Thought he was absolutely class yet again. 5 assists for the season now, putting him in the top 10 centile for wingers. He'd have a lot more if our finishing was better as well. 

Could have had 5 assists in these last 2 games really.

[The College Dropout]

24 minutes ago, AJ9 said:

Weird eh? I think it’s because people sort of expect that he can do that…anyone else in the team does that and there would be a lot more praise

Aye.  He’s not going to get the credit but he’s been huge in our upswing in form and goals. He’s laid about 3 chances on a plate over the last 2 games. 
 

His attacking output is great.  8/10 Whenever he has a bit of space, his attacking output will be great.  
 

He’s massive for us. 2 assists to get us 1-0 in back to back games.  Stays fit and we are a long way to the CL. 

[Ed Vinegar]

Loved his assist for the first goal, really electric and gamechanging sort of move, taking a defender out and laying on a perfect cross in a couple of simple movements. I wished he'd scored that chance in the second half too, good save from Fabianski.

 

I've been really impressed with him in the last ten games or so. Thought he might be finished here but it feels like there's something going on in the squad that makes players want to improve and do better for the team, and it does seem like he's bought into that. Big run in for him, we need his talents, and if he keeps up this form he'll go into next season raring to go.

[80]

Thought he was excellent last night. Looks like he's really starting to mature as a footballer. Deserves huge credit for sticking in there. 

[Ginola]

Seems like he's really willing to learn Eddie's style of play and it's shown in the last two games. Still runs with the ball a lot but releases it much earlier more often and gets others involved. Been superb the last two games and helped us add that extra quality and threat in the final third

[Mountain]

He's matured mentally but unfortunately because of his sheer speed and twisting style he's lost a half-yard of pace and a little agility due to his many injuries.

 

So it equilibriates.

 

There were moments a couple seasons ago where I'm not sure he could pull off those runs now, where he's slaloming through like 5 people.

 

But he's less wasteful now also.

 

To conclude, he's awesome and I probably don't know what I'm talking about. Makes a change.

 

 

Edited April 6, 2023 by Mountain

[Geordie Ahmed]

I'm not too sure I agree with that, I think those runs were necessary at the time and it's how he was told to play

 

Bruce tactics were give him the ball and let him try and do it all, which resulted in lots of those mazy dribbles which was great individually but as a team there was no great benefit as he was often heavily marked or isolated 

 

Currently that's different, when he now picks up the ball there are runners either ahead of him or alongside him, he no longer needs to take on 5 people nor is he asked to do that 

[Hudson]

6 hours ago, Mountain said:

He's matured mentally but unfortunately because of his sheer speed and twisting style he's lost a half-yard of pace and a little agility due to his many injuries.

He got past his man with pace and skill for the first goal, his vision and pace nearly got us a sublime goal of the season all but for a poor left foot from Murphy,

 

He used his pace to get behind his man for the header last weekend that got us a goal.

[BoSelecta]

He’s carrying us up the pitch and then playing it across the front of the box a lot now as well which sets us up nicely to create from the right. 

[simonsays]

The fact he is becoming less selfish ironically meanss he has more space to play in - teams just cant afford to put two or three men on him whenever he gets the ball

[Rafalove]

I’ve been a big fan of his, and I think he is directly responsible for us staying in the league during the Bruce era, but I don’t think his fitness will hold up in an Eddie Howe team.

[buzza]

Is he injured ill or what?

[Miercoles]

Not even on the bench today?

[joeyt]

7 minutes ago, Miercoles said:

Not even on the bench today?

 

Minor hamstring injury

[Shak]

Genuinely gutted for him, really felt like it was starting to click.

 

Hopefully the reporting of it as a minor injury is accurate and he isn't out long but it's hard to not be downbeat, lots of little niggles this year and you wonder if his body just isn't able for what Howe demands from his players.

[Holloway]

Fuck me, hammy St Max

[Miercoles]

That Balloon D'or is getting further and further away isn't it?

[teohgk]

He’s been fantastic the last few games, it’s a shame he can’t stay healthy