Allan Saint-Maximin is in the form of his life for Newcastle United right now.
The Frenchman has had a sensational start to the season, scoring twice and providing two assists.
He’s provided a goal contribution in every Premier League game bar one this season – the 2-0 defeat away to Aston Villa.
Saint-Maximin’s end product has often been criticised, but he is proving the doubters wrong so far this season.
The 24-year-old was a lone striker against Leeds on Friday night, and once again ran the show. He scored a brilliant equaliser, whilst dazzling fans with his direct running.
He’s been showered with praise since Friday, even making it into Alan Shearer’s Premier League team of the week.
However, Saint-Maximin’s form so far this season could eventually end in disaster for Newcastle.
Too reliant on ASM
Steve Bruce’s game plan seems to be ‘give it to Maxi and pray he does something’. That is not a sustainable style of football.
Saint-Maximin’s worst game this season was against Aston Villa, where Dean Smith had a plan to nullify him. It worked perfectly and we rarely looked like scoring.
We’re too reliant on Saint-Maximin, and look a different team when he’s not at it. We’re an even worse team when he’s not on the pitch at all.
He’s had plenty of injuries during his Newcastle career so far. It’s surely only a matter of time before he’s ruled out again. What happens then? We’re already struggling to win when he’s on the pitch…
Saint-Maximin form will attract bigger clubs
The better Saint-Maximin plays, the more attention he’ll get. The more attention he gets, the more likely it is that he’ll attract bigger clubs. He was linked with Rafa Benitez’s Everton this summer.
Right now, what is keeping Saint-Maximin at St James’ Park other than a lengthy contract?
He clearly has ambitions to play at a higher level. That’s not going to happen at Newcastle unless there’s a change of ownership.
While it’s fantastic to see Saint-Maximin playing so well, it isn’t sustainable. It’s a negative way of looking at things, but enjoy him while you can…
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