Ex-Magpies defender Ryan Taylor has suggested the Newcastle United players are too reliant on Allan Saint-Maximin.
The French star dazzled when he came off the bench against Leeds United in the last game.
It was his second showing since returning from injury, and he injected some much needed creativity and drive against the Whites.
He sought to get at a clearly vulnerable Leeds defence every time he could, and the other Newcastle players seemed to relish having him back.
In the eyes of Taylor though, the others are waiting for the 23-year-old to produce the magic, which is not really ideal.
He told talkSPORT: “I know they lost Saint-Maximin who is their bright spark, but you’ve got plenty of other players and it just shows how reliant they are on him.
“When he came on against Villa – they looked so flat in that game – it was almost like they were saying ‘we’ll just wait for Allan to come on’.
“It was mad because every time he was free they gave him the ball like he was Messi. Like ‘do something for us please’, and it was very much the same last night (vs Leeds).
“It thought he was brilliant when he came on, but it’s almost a case of too little too late.”
Everyone needs to raise their games now
Saint-Maximin is a potential match-winner and is capable of doing spectacular things as everyone is well aware.
But it is vital that everyone else raises their game now, and that the £16.5 million winger (Spotrac) doesn’t become overly relied upon. He doesn’t need to feel that kind of pressure.
At the end of the day, Saint-Maximin is still quite young and inconsistent, so it is crucial that others stand up to be counted for at a very concerning time for the football club.
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