Allan Saint-Maximin struggled on his return to the Newcastle United starting lineup on Saturday, but he absolutely must retain his place in the side against Bournemouth.
Bruno Guimaraes’ suspension forced Eddie Howe to make a change to his side to face West Ham, and Saint-Maximin was the man who got the nod.
It was his first Premier League start since August 28th, back when he thundered in a volley to earn a point away to Wolves.
Since then, the Frenchman has had major injury problems. And since returning to fitness, he has been unable to force his way back into the side. Newcastle have been playing well without him, with Joelinton excelling on the left wing.
But Bruno’s absence created an opportunity for Maxi, and it was one he failed to take. The Frenchman was really poor against the Hammers, and failed to prove why he should be a regular starter at St James’ Park.
The 25-year-old was wasteful in possession, while a few limp challenges resulted in portions of the crowd getting on his back.
Saint-Maximin was eventually replaced by Anthony Gordon in the 69th minute, and the new signing had much more of an impact.
The Scouser’s cameo has some fans calling for him to replace Saint-Maximin, but Howe must persevere with his number 10.
Allan Saint-Maximin deserves to start for Newcastle against Bournemouth
Seeing Saint-Maximin struggle was a tough watch. He couldn’t get into the game, and when he did get on the ball he was ineffective.
But he should not become the club’s new scapegoat. He is not ‘done’ as a Newcastle player because of one poor performance.
Maxi is clearly lacking match sharpness, which is to be expected. Saturday was only his second start in all competitions since returning from injury.
He wasn’t good enough – there is no denying that. But that does not mean he should not be given another chance. It was less than two weeks ago when Saint-Maximin was being praised for his impact in the Carabao Cup semi final first leg against Southampton. Howe was very impressed, and said that he was ‘very good‘ off the bench.
Saint-Maximin has to start against Bournemouth again next week, in a bid to build up his match fitness as he looks to rediscover his form.
We all know what Saint-Maximin is capable of. He is an outrageous footballer who is unstoppable on his day. However, it is a long time since we have seen him at his best, and Newcastle have thrived without him.
Fans are understandably eager to see Gordon get a chance ahead of ASM, but Howe has to stick with the Steve Bruce signing at the Vitality Stadium. He absolutely should not be written off just because of one bad performance.