Allan Saint-Maximin is a funny one. Ask a cross-section of NUFC supporters what they think of him, and you’ll get the widest range of answers. Either he’s the messiah or massively overrated.
He’s no doubt one of the most exciting signings we’ve made in a long time and is widely established as one of our most talented players. Off the pitch, he keeps us entertained with Twitter GIFs and trolling Sunderland fans.
There’s no doubt that he’s been frustrating for the past few months. His display against Cambridge was one of the most selfish I’d seen in a while – he refused to pass the ball even when three or four NUFC players were available and ended up getting dispossessed by League One defenders on the regular.
We know that he’s always had that element to his game. Whether it’s selfishness, a hunt for personal glory, an overinflated ego, or simply a lack of awareness of when to lay it off, it’s maddening.
But then you’ll see him make runs, dribbles and passes that don’t seem humanly possible, and all is forgiven.
To some, he’s magic. But while he’s certainly got a lot of wizardry up his sleeve, it needs to be more consistent.
Sentiment towards him has been turning sour of late, and you can read an impassioned defence of him here on the NUFC blog. His stats are undeniable: as of mid-March, he’s the NUFC player who’s been involved in the most goals. His dribbling stats put him ahead of the likes of Messi and Mbappe. No Premier League player carries the ball as far as him on average.
There are questions around his attitude and his commitment. I can see where some of this comes from – whether or not it’s true. His occasional inability to pass the ball has led to accusations of him not being a team player. He especially got pelters after the Everton game when he was brought on as an impact sub, but made no impact at all and gave the ball away in the build up to their winner.
It’s unfair to pin losses like that on one player, especially one that didn’t start the game. But that’s what happens when you hold a player up as the only one who can win us games or save us from relegation.
Herein lies a big part of the problem – it’s not all Maxi himself but the weight of the expectations on his shoulders.
This fierce debate has been reignited with the rumour – via the Daily Mail – that we’d be willing to sell him should a buyer come in with £50 million. For some, we should snatch it up. For others, he’s emblematic of what we want Newcastle United to be.
It’s a highly nuanced debate that needs some balance.
In order for Maxi to succeed at this new-look, rich, challenging Newcastle United, he has to weed out the weaknesses in his game. In recent months, they’ve only gotten worse. He stands out in this half-decent team we currently have, but this is a team that was mostly built up on a budget.
Will he stand out amongst the elite players we’ll likely start targeting?
We already know that our new owners aren’t going to throw money around for fun this summer. We’re expected to have a transfer budget of around £60 million, which probably equates to one world-class forward. But if we do sell Maxi for this purported £50 million, it gives us license to replace him with someone better.
The report that states we’d be prepared to sell suggests that Howe wants to build up a transfer kitty, but that doesn’t especially make sense. And you could argue that selling our most exciting player to raise said funds is a questionable move.
For me, if we can cash in on a player with some frustrating inconsistencies to put towards a more reliable talented player, it might just makes sense.
Reports from people who’ve played and worked with him throughout his career have painted a picture of a player that lacks discipline and that’s clear to see in some of his gameplay. His talent is undeniable, but his decision-making lets him down. Reports from France suggest he’s nowhere near the national team.
The criticism of Saint-Maximin in recent weeks has been over the top and harsh. Too many people are making judgments about him as a person simply from watching him perform poorly on the pitch.
Of course, the way a player behaves can belie their character, but we need to take that with a pinch of salt. It’s all to easy to assume a flair player equals a flashy, arrogant person, and that’s unfair.
He can’t shoulder the responsibility of carrying an entire team and then be criticised for playing selfishly.
Would I take £50 million for him? Only if we had a consistent, highly talented replacement already lined up.
But boy, I’d miss his character and his moments of magic.
