Allan Saint-Maximin: Newcastle star must STAY

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 27 Feb 2023 11:58 GMT
• 5 min read

There was a reason a piece went out last summer about Newcastle being open to letting Allan Saint-Maximin leave.

It wasn’t an agenda, nor generating a story merely for clicks. It was briefed by the club, then looking to generate funds in the pre-Alexander Isak days.

They wanted the Frenchman in the shop window. They wanted clubs to know about it.

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Eddie Howe’s stance has always been the same when talking to the media: Saint-Maximin is a key player and has a big future at the club.

But what a manager says publicly and what goes on behind the scenes are often two very different things.

Saint-Maximin has been sidelined for most of the season. His absence came at a time when Newcastle enjoyed some of the brightest performances, a period when things were truly clicking into gear and they found themselves third in the Premier League table.

Coming back and, in this year at least, Newcastle’s form has dropped off: they have struggled to score, and looked unable to defend set pieces at times, while that League Cup final loss to Manchester United is certainly a kick in the teeth.

Saint-Maximin looking sharper

Saint-Maximin has played 1013 minutes of football this season. He was chucked straight back in after the long layoff and, after some stuttering displays, those quality attributes he possesses have been clear to see.

FootballTransfers has taken a look at data from InStat over Saint-Maximin’s last five games to see what impact the Frenchman has had this year.

He has attempted seven dribbles per 90, successfully completing 4.5 of them. He's made 0.71 accurate key passes in that time, and generated an xA of 0.20 - the highest coming against Liverpool when he garnered 0.47 xA among a ten-man side for around 70 minutes. He also has also made 1.19 ball recoveries.

Saint-Maximin’s best position is arguably playing on the left-wing. Typically, receives the ball from deep, and even if he has to take the time to bring a ball under his control, prompting several opposition players to close in on him, he has the capacity to forge his way through and towards the centre.

At this point, Saint-Maximin keeps his run going across the box, usually touching the box line; he can pull off a strike with his stronger right foot going across goal.

The trouble is when the opposition are operating in a low block. This means he is unable to find enough space to pull the trigger with too many men blocking the goal and so ends up continuing his path to the opposite side and then, inevitably gets the ball stolen from him, or the move breaks down and he’s forced to recycle.

But Howe, this year, has seemingly asked him to diversify his carries, encouraging Saint-Maxmin to cut inside and have the ball on his left foot, heading in the direction of the box.

This scares opponents. He has enough in his locker when closed down, to hit a ball across goal, or provide a cutback.

It almost paid off at Wembley on Sunday.

And we are seeing it more and more.

Saint-Maxmin is one of the best dribblers in the world: the problems he faces are confidence and decision-making.

We saw against Bournemouth how he is starting the find the optimum ball at the right time instead of continuing his charge, however.

It’s moves like this that would bode him well.

There are still underlying issues. He is dispossessed too often - 1.42 of which come in his own half as per the last five games - and he very much seems, at times, like an individual on his own journey, rather than as a collective with the rest of the players.

But we must always take into consideration Dan Burn. Matt Targett, bought from Aston Villa in the summer following a solid loan spell the season prior, hasn’t had much game-time and so the former Brighton defender has been something of a fill-in at left-back.

He makes overlaps for Saint-Maximin - but it is rare and tentative, given he is not able to get back quickly enough if a turnover is forced, while his passing range is weaker than the other options Saint-Maximin has when on the ball in the attacking third.

Saint-Maxmin, in essence, is impeded by the lack of support in comparison to the opposite flank, where Miguel Almiron has Kieran Trippier to help cover.

Newcastle will bring another left-back in the summer. That much is certain. A relationship between a far more progressive defender than Burn on that side would really help Saint-Maximin find his feet once again.

From struggling with injury for most of the season, Saint-Maxmin has come back and given Newcastle a bit of an edge in their attack. It doesn’t always come off, but that piece of flair has come back to their attack with him on the field.

That whole area has been lacking in recent games. They just need to keep on coaching him, breeding confidence and refining his role for Newcastle.

Saint-Maxmin would be a sorely missed component at Newcastle if sold. The club must look at what they have before charging to the market.