The criticism Newcastle star Allan Saint-Maximin has received is appalling

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Allan Saint-Maximin has been the subject of serious criticism from Newcastle United fans in recent weeks.

The Frenchman is currently going through a difficult period with the Magpies, which kicked off with an injury in February.

Saint-Maximin hasn’t started a Premier League game since the 1-0 win over Aston Villa on February 13th. Newcastle have played six times since then, but the 25-year-old has been limited to three substitute appearances.

He recently came off the bench in the 1-0 defeats to Chelsea and Everton, and received a lot of flack from fans for his cameos.

While he was far from at his best, some of the criticism aimed at our number 10 is shocking – even more so when you consider how important he’s been for us since he arrived at the club.

Fans must get behind Allan Saint-Maximin

The first game he missed was the 1-1 draw with West Ham. What followed was a ridiculous rumour about the winger.

There were claims from people pretending to be in the know that he had gone AWOL, but they were quickly put to bed. It was a truly embarrassing claim to begin with.

Then came his appearances off the bench at Stamford Bridge and Goodison Park. Given his incredibly high standards, he wasn’t good enough.

But he didn’t cost Newcastle. Yes, he did lose the ball for the Everton winner last time out, but he can’t be blamed. He was given a poor pass that was swiftly intercepted.

Can he do more defensively? Yes, absolutely. But what he brings offensively is better than anything we’ve got at Newcastle United.

He can win a game on his own – a skill we saw many a time during the Steve Bruce era. When he’s at his best he’s unstoppable. The last time we saw that was the home victory over Everton.

ASM should be a big part of Newcastle’s future

ASM can be frustrating at times, but that comes with the territory with a maverick like himself.

He is capable of playing at an even higher level, and can be a key player for Newcastle on this new journey following the takeover. It feels like he will get better with better players around him, similar to what Sadio Mane did when he swapped Southampton for Liverpool.

His substitute appearances have been frustrating, but they perhaps came from his own frustration at missing so much football.

The criticism from social media has been incredibly unfair. I’ve seen calls to get rid of him, questioning his attitude and heart.

While it is only Twitter, it sums up the reactionary attitude of the 21st century football fan. How quickly someone can go from hero to zero…

The international break has come at a good time for Saint-Maximin. Hopefully he will be fully fit for the game against Spurs on April 3rd. Then he can prove the doubters wrong.