Dan Burn believes Newcastle need to find a way of getting Allan Saint-Maximin in possession further up the pitch, believing he often picks the ball up too deep with ‘six or seven’ to beat.
The former Brighton defender has also made an ambitious claim about the winger’s potential in front of goal, feeling he “could easily get 15-20 goals a season” if we got him into betters positions.
Bold stuff considering Saint-Maximin has 11 goals in 82 Premier League appearances, however these are the numbers Howe will want him to deliver in a a division full of devastating wingers like Son, Salah, Mane and Mahrez.
The challenge, according to Burn, is getting him into better positions in the final third, while Saint-Maximin himself has work to do on his finishing and movement off the ball to get into good areas.
Speaking to Sky Sports alongside Ryan Fraser, here’s what the big man had to say about the enigmatic Frenchman:
“I just wish we could get him in forward positions more.
“He always seems to get the ball where he’s got to take on six or seven lads to create something.
“We want to get him in positions where he’s one-on-one with the left-back or stuff like that, because he’s very effective.
“He could easily get 15-20 goals a season.”
With five goals to his name so far this season, how many times can you see ASM scoring if he’s given a full season under Howe in 2022/23?
It sounds like Burn is suggesting that St Maximin needs to get the ball higher up the pitch so he has fewer players to beat, and can have a crack at goal.
Personally I think his strength is that if you give him the ball with 5 or 6 to beat they migrate towards him to close him down, then he needs to get the ball to other players who are actually capable of shooting.
Getting the ball to him where he’s one on one is a waste of time. Yes he’ll beat the player, then he’ll boot it into the stand or dribble it back to the keeper.
Daveys **** mate(Quote)
I agree with Davey here, he lacks that awareness of the potential of his team mates, solve this and you have got a special player. I think his chatacter responses are deficient and there fore learning this may not happen.
Edward Patterson Hogg(Quote)
ASM has lost the plot, seems to me he is playing for a move away and it was a big mistake to play him as a centre forward on Saturday.
Joseph(Quote)