Eddie Howe believes Newcastle United did not get Allan Saint-Maximin on the ball enough against West Ham United.
The Frenchman was recalled to the starting XI for a Premier League game for the first time since August, coming in for the suspended Bruno Guimaraes.
There was a lot of buzz about ASM’s comeback, and there was pressure on him to perform following the arrival of Anthony Gordon.
However, the 25-year-old struggled to justify his selection on what was a tough night for the Magpies inside St James’ Park.
Howe’s side were a level below where they were on Tuesday in the cup, and the atmosphere was noticeably flatter too. The Hammers did a good job in frustrating us, particularly in the second half.
Newcastle lacked that cutting edge that Saint-Maximin was supposed to provide, and had to settle for a point that leaves them in fourth place.
There has been a lot of debate from fans about Maxi’s performance, with a lot of supporters believing his poor showing could be the end of the road. However, Howe was a lot more positive about the winger.
Eddie Howe says Saint-Maximin will ‘benefit’ from West Ham game
After the game, Howe spoke to the Athletic about Saint-Maximin’s performance against David Moyes’ side.
“Maxi will benefit from today,” he said.
“I thought we saw him in flashes. We probably didn’t get him the ball enough. West Ham defended well against him.
“So I think there’s a combination of factors. But I thought the application was there.”
Saint-Maximin lacking sharpness
Seeing Saint-Maximin struggle so much was a tough watch. The more things went wrong, the more the crowd got on his back.
But patience is required. We all know how good he can be, but we have rarely seen it this season. That has been down to injury, with Saint-Maximin forced to watch on from the sidelines as his teammates challenge for a place in the Champions League.
This was his first start since August. He was always going to be rusty and lacking match sharpness. Sadly, it came on a day where Newcastle as a team were below their usual standards, further amplifying Saint-Maximin’s struggles.
Howe’s assessment is fair. West Ham did well to nullify ASM, but the team struggled to get him in dangerous positions. At times he was expected to do too much with the ball, and failed in spectacular fashion.
The Magpies’ number 10 needs time, but whether he gets it remains to be seen. Gordon took his place in the 69th minute, and was very impressive. He looks like he is going to be a great fit for Howe’s side.
Saint-Maximin has only just got back in the Premier League lineup, and his position is already under threat. Howe now has a big decision to make when Newcastle travel to Bournemouth this upcoming weekend.
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