How Newcastle can make Allan Saint-Maximin ‘electric’ and ‘unplayable’ every week
By Chris Waugh
“Everyone at the training ground knows what I am capable of doing,” said Allan Saint-Maximin as he stood by the St James’ Park away dugout. “It’s good to know, but it’s better to show.”
It was ever thus with Saint-Maximin.
He is an exhilarating footballer, a genuine showman and has unique talent, but also, far too often, he is a sideshow. The tricks and flicks are ever-present, but match-defining contributions have been frustratingly infrequent on Tyneside.
There has been a growing disquiet among a certain section of supporters who struggle to see where the Frenchman fits into Eddie Howe’s high-octane, hard-working blueprint. One former Newcastle favourite even privately championed dropping Saint-Maximin, labelling him as a liability against a team like Manchester City.
When City were leading 1-0 on Sunday, one fan appeared to air their grievances to Saint-Maximin, who exchanged words with someone in the East Stand.
After providing his second excellent assist of the match, Saint-Maximin walked past that section celebrating, seemingly looking at that supporter and shrugging his shoulders. It was playful but also appeared to carry an undertone: Saint-Maximin was determined to leave his mark on such a high-profile stage.
He still retains hope of making the France squad for November’s World Cup and the forward posted on social media declaring he “hoped” Didier Deschamps was watching his performances. That tweet was deleted, though Saint-Maximin followed that by insisting he will “continue killing myself” to earn the France call-up he desperately desires.
“It was a great performance because it’s against Manchester City,” Saint-Maximin said. “I think all the world saw what Newcastle is capable of doing.”
Even more encouraging for Howe and supporters was that Saint-Maximin was central to the magnificent display.
Over the summer, a mantra emerged to “maximise Maxi”, and on Sunday he struck an engaged, focused figure who terrorised an elite team. He has seemed a little perturbed since Bruno Guimaraes usurped him as the fans’ hero, but this was Saint-Maximin wrestling that mantle back.
Alan Shearer, Newcastle’s record goalscorer, told BBC’s Match of the Day 2 that Saint-Maximin “was unplayable at times” as he prowled down the left and cut inside, as his touch map below shows. Pep Guardiola, Manchester City’s manager, admitted he was “really dangerous”.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Newcastle’s chairman and governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), and the club’s ownership team were so enthralled by Saint-Maximin’s display that they requested an audience in the tunnel to bestow praise upon him.
Howe, meanwhile, described it as “head and shoulders his best performance since I’ve been managing him”.
The perennial question remains, though: how do Newcastle extract these performances from Saint-Maximin on a weekly basis?
If there is an answer to that constant conundrum, then perhaps it can be found by examining why he was so effective against Manchester City.
The most obvious shift in Saint-Maximin’s approach was just how direct he was, something Howe challenged him to show during a one-on-one meeting in May.
“He got every aspect of his game in a very good place, his pace was there,” Howe said. “You could see he was electric. His decision-making with the ball was very good, he defended well.”
Saint-Maximin attempted six dribbles and completed five of them. Most importantly, most of those runs were purposeful, with either a cross, shot or pass at the end rather than Saint-Maximin overplaying and becoming isolated.
According to Opta, Saint-Maximin played six passes into the box, made two successful crosses and created four chances. He also had three shots, one on target, from five touches in the opposition area.
His intent was clear from the start, repeatedly taking on Kyle Walker and burning the rapid right-back for pace.
Even before his first assist, Saint-Maximin twice bamboozled Walker inside 60 seconds and provided two inviting crosses.
First, he surged down the left, holding off Walker, before firing a low ball across the six-yard box, which none of his team-mates anticipated.
Once Newcastle won the ball back, Joelinton saw Saint-Maximin to his left, ready and willing to contribute again. Too often, Saint-Maximin loses concentration, failing to anticipate, but against City he remained attentive.
After faking to go inside, he went outside Walker and played a clever pass to Miguel Almiron, who should have scored from 10 yards.
Saint-Maximin gave Walker “a torrid afternoon”, in Shearer’s words, as he repeatedly positioned himself one-on-one with the right-back.
The previous weekend, even though Saint-Maximin often carried possession well during the first half against Brighton, his final ball was poor. Below is an example of a wayward pass when three Newcastle players were open in the box.
At St James’, though, the end product was there. Rather than show frustration at his team-mates, Saint-Maximin kept probing and, in the 28th minute, took on Walker on the outside.
Rodri and Walker tried to crowd Saint-Maximin out and forced him towards the byline.
But the Frenchman’s quick feet saw him cut back on to his right and curl a delicious cross into the six-yard box, which Almiron kneed in.
Howe, though, is keen for Saint-Maximin to drift inside and run at the heart of opposition defences, too.
He did so against Brighton, less successfully, with Moises Caicedo marshalling him well and stealing possession, shown in the example below.
With Rodri isolated for Manchester City, though, Saint-Maximin had space to operate in.
That is how Saint-Maximin won the free kick from which Kieran Trippier scored, leaving his left wing and surging behind the midfield, forcing John Stones to foul him.
For Callum Wilson’s goal, Saint-Maximin received possession just inside the opposition half and cut inside Stones.
Importantly, having carried the ball 40 yards, Saint-Maximin then looked to find a team-mate early. Wilson admitted to Shearer during an interview for The Athletic that he tells Saint-Maximin: “I’ll be in the right positions to make sure you get your assists.”
He slid a cute through ball to Wilson, who took a touch inside before finishing.
In May, Saint-Maximin was asked by Howe to explain quotes from an interview with So Foot to his team-mates. The forward claimed he would have 10 or more assists a season if he was in a side with “players capable of finishing”.
This was Saint-Maximin’s fourth league assist for Wilson and, should the latter stay fit, the striker is prolific enough to convert the Frenchman’s passes if he keeps playing like this.
Howe has aimed to recruit leaders and that, in turn, is having a positive effect on Saint-Maximin.
Wilson continuously chats to Saint-Maximin during matches, demanding the ball and telling him where to be. Behind the scenes, Trippier, Dan Burn and Bruno Guimaraes are among the team-mates who urge more of him.
“They talk to me a lot, even defensively,” Saint-Maximin told The Athletic. “They just try to help me improve what I am capable of doing. I’m not alone and to do what I am capable of doing, I need space, I need players to move. I need more options and they give me all of that at the moment.”
His team-mates also allowed Saint-Maximin to thrive against Manchester City. Burn impressed at left-back, providing cover behind the Frenchman, while Joelinton repeatedly won possession and set Saint-Maximin free. The balance of the team is essential and those two liberated Saint-Maximin to roam in advanced positions.
Since he joined Newcastle, Saint-Maximin has provided two or more assists in a Premier League match on three occasions. No other Newcastle player has achieved that since his debut in 2019, while only four top-flight players have done so more frequently. In 76 Premier League starts, Saint-Maximin has scored 11 times and provided 15 assists — a goal involvement every 2.9 matches.
For Howe, Saint-Maximin’s ingenuity is integral to a team lacking creativity and flair.
“In that form, he gives a totally different dimension to our team,” Howe said. “He’s so important for us.”
But what the head coach has demanded from Saint-Maximin is greater consistency, more selflessness and better end product. Howe, like every manager who has ever coached Saint-Maximin, knows he is capable of much more, much more often.
As Shearer said, “That’s what he’s got to do every single week now because he has set the bar for himself.”
Flashes of brilliance are no longer enough from Saint-Maximin, but if he can reproduce performances like Sunday on a regular basis, anything feels possible.
https://theathletic.com/3525242/2022/08/23/newcastle-allan-saint-maximin/
How Newcastle can make Allan Saint-Maximin ‘electric’ and ‘unplayable’ every week
By Chris Waugh
“Everyone at the training ground knows what I am capable of doing,” said Allan Saint-Maximin as he stood by the St James’ Park away dugout. “It’s good to know, but it’s better to show.”
It was ever thus with Saint-Maximin.
He is an exhilarating footballer, a genuine showman and has unique talent, but also, far too often, he is a sideshow. The tricks and flicks are ever-present, but match-defining contributions have been frustratingly infrequent on Tyneside.
There has been a growing disquiet among a certain section of supporters who struggle to see where the Frenchman fits into Eddie Howe’s high-octane, hard-working blueprint. One former Newcastle favourite even privately championed dropping Saint-Maximin, labelling him as a liability against a team like Manchester City.
When City were leading 1-0 on Sunday, one fan appeared to air their grievances to Saint-Maximin, who exchanged words with someone in the East Stand.
After providing his second excellent assist of the match, Saint-Maximin walked past that section celebrating, seemingly looking at that supporter and shrugging his shoulders. It was playful but also appeared to carry an undertone: Saint-Maximin was determined to leave his mark on such a high-profile stage.
He still retains hope of making the France squad for November’s World Cup and the forward posted on social media declaring he “hoped” Didier Deschamps was watching his performances. That tweet was deleted, though Saint-Maximin followed that by insisting he will “continue killing myself” to earn the France call-up he desperately desires.
“It was a great performance because it’s against Manchester City,” Saint-Maximin said. “I think all the world saw what Newcastle is capable of doing.”
Even more encouraging for Howe and supporters was that Saint-Maximin was central to the magnificent display.
Over the summer, a mantra emerged to “maximise Maxi”, and on Sunday he struck an engaged, focused figure who terrorised an elite team. He has seemed a little perturbed since Bruno Guimaraes usurped him as the fans’ hero, but this was Saint-Maximin wrestling that mantle back.
Alan Shearer, Newcastle’s record goalscorer, told BBC’s Match of the Day 2 that Saint-Maximin “was unplayable at times” as he prowled down the left and cut inside, as his touch map below shows. Pep Guardiola, Manchester City’s manager, admitted he was “really dangerous”.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Newcastle’s chairman and governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), and the club’s ownership team were so enthralled by Saint-Maximin’s display that they requested an audience in the tunnel to bestow praise upon him.
Howe, meanwhile, described it as “head and shoulders his best performance since I’ve been managing him”.
The perennial question remains, though: how do Newcastle extract these performances from Saint-Maximin on a weekly basis?
If there is an answer to that constant conundrum, then perhaps it can be found by examining why he was so effective against Manchester City.
The most obvious shift in Saint-Maximin’s approach was just how direct he was, something Howe challenged him to show during a one-on-one meeting in May.
“He got every aspect of his game in a very good place, his pace was there,” Howe said. “You could see he was electric. His decision-making with the ball was very good, he defended well.”
Saint-Maximin attempted six dribbles and completed five of them. Most importantly, most of those runs were purposeful, with either a cross, shot or pass at the end rather than Saint-Maximin overplaying and becoming isolated.
According to Opta, Saint-Maximin played six passes into the box, made two successful crosses and created four chances. He also had three shots, one on target, from five touches in the opposition area.
His intent was clear from the start, repeatedly taking on Kyle Walker and burning the rapid right-back for pace.
Even before his first assist, Saint-Maximin twice bamboozled Walker inside 60 seconds and provided two inviting crosses.
First, he surged down the left, holding off Walker, before firing a low ball across the six-yard box, which none of his team-mates anticipated.
Once Newcastle won the ball back, Joelinton saw Saint-Maximin to his left, ready and willing to contribute again. Too often, Saint-Maximin loses concentration, failing to anticipate, but against City he remained attentive.
After faking to go inside, he went outside Walker and played a clever pass to Miguel Almiron, who should have scored from 10 yards.
Saint-Maximin gave Walker “a torrid afternoon”, in Shearer’s words, as he repeatedly positioned himself one-on-one with the right-back.
The previous weekend, even though Saint-Maximin often carried possession well during the first half against Brighton, his final ball was poor. Below is an example of a wayward pass when three Newcastle players were open in the box.
At St James’, though, the end product was there. Rather than show frustration at his team-mates, Saint-Maximin kept probing and, in the 28th minute, took on Walker on the outside.
Rodri and Walker tried to crowd Saint-Maximin out and forced him towards the byline.
But the Frenchman’s quick feet saw him cut back on to his right and curl a delicious cross into the six-yard box, which Almiron kneed in.
Howe, though, is keen for Saint-Maximin to drift inside and run at the heart of opposition defences, too.
He did so against Brighton, less successfully, with Moises Caicedo marshalling him well and stealing possession, shown in the example below.
With Rodri isolated for Manchester City, though, Saint-Maximin had space to operate in.
That is how Saint-Maximin won the free kick from which Kieran Trippier scored, leaving his left wing and surging behind the midfield, forcing John Stones to foul him.
For Callum Wilson’s goal, Saint-Maximin received possession just inside the opposition half and cut inside Stones.
Importantly, having carried the ball 40 yards, Saint-Maximin then looked to find a team-mate early. Wilson admitted to Shearer during an interview for The Athletic that he tells Saint-Maximin: “I’ll be in the right positions to make sure you get your assists.”
He slid a cute through ball to Wilson, who took a touch inside before finishing.
In May, Saint-Maximin was asked by Howe to explain quotes from an interview with So Foot to his team-mates. The forward claimed he would have 10 or more assists a season if he was in a side with “players capable of finishing”.
This was Saint-Maximin’s fourth league assist for Wilson and, should the latter stay fit, the striker is prolific enough to convert the Frenchman’s passes if he keeps playing like this.
Howe has aimed to recruit leaders and that, in turn, is having a positive effect on Saint-Maximin.
Wilson continuously chats to Saint-Maximin during matches, demanding the ball and telling him where to be. Behind the scenes, Trippier, Dan Burn and Bruno Guimaraes are among the team-mates who urge more of him.
“They talk to me a lot, even defensively,” Saint-Maximin told The Athletic. “They just try to help me improve what I am capable of doing. I’m not alone and to do what I am capable of doing, I need space, I need players to move. I need more options and they give me all of that at the moment.”
His team-mates also allowed Saint-Maximin to thrive against Manchester City. Burn impressed at left-back, providing cover behind the Frenchman, while Joelinton repeatedly won possession and set Saint-Maximin free. The balance of the team is essential and those two liberated Saint-Maximin to roam in advanced positions.
Since he joined Newcastle, Saint-Maximin has provided two or more assists in a Premier League match on three occasions. No other Newcastle player has achieved that since his debut in 2019, while only four top-flight players have done so more frequently. In 76 Premier League starts, Saint-Maximin has scored 11 times and provided 15 assists — a goal involvement every 2.9 matches.
For Howe, Saint-Maximin’s ingenuity is integral to a team lacking creativity and flair.
“In that form, he gives a totally different dimension to our team,” Howe said. “He’s so important for us.”
But what the head coach has demanded from Saint-Maximin is greater consistency, more selflessness and better end product. Howe, like every manager who has ever coached Saint-Maximin, knows he is capable of much more, much more often.
As Shearer said, “That’s what he’s got to do every single week now because he has set the bar for himself.”
Flashes of brilliance are no longer enough from Saint-Maximin, but if he can reproduce performances like Sunday on a regular basis, anything feels possible.
https://theathletic.com/3525242/2022/08/23/newcastle-allan-saint-maximin/
