Well, it seems it’s finally happening. The most inevitable and drawn out goodbye in NUFC’s recent history is finally upon us, with the news that Allan Saint-Maximin is set to leave the club.
On Tuesday afternoon, as Newcastle fans across the world were blissfully preparing to catch a glimpse of Sandro Tonali’s debut in the pre-season friendly against Rangers, news broke of ASM’s omission from the squad ahead of his proposed move to Saudi Pro League outfit Al Alhi.
The news has both shocked, whilst feeling inevitable in equal measure. NUFC’s social media reaction blew up in predictably frenzied fashion, and it’s a debate that isn’t black and white, no pun intended. Everyone has an opinion as we prepare for the departure of one of the most naturally talented players to grace St James Park.
Or was he? His detractors will reference unfulfilled potential, injury proneness, a poor output for G/A, and staple classic arguments. The fabled “doesn’t track back”, and “unplayable on his day, but how often is that day?” discussions will be happening up and down the country, amongst fans of our rivals also. They are accusations that will be aimed at skillful enigmatic footballers for the next 500 years.
There have been other unproven allegations and whispers, ranging from refusing to play, tardiness, demanding a more central role, unauthorised trips back to France and his involvement with Helios proving an unwelcome distraction.
His advocates have an equally passionate argument. One of a player who has a ceiling so high that it would make Jurgen Klopp foam at the mouth, and letting him leave without reaching said ceiling will live on as one of the biggest “what if” discussions in Newcastle history, regardless of what the club goes on to achieve and win. How does a club build as we’re hoping to do, by letting its most talented players leave has been a popular, and certainly logical theme on Twitter and forums these past couple of days.
The affection for him is easily understood. In the dark days of Steve Bruce’s tenure, his mere presence lifted an unhappy football club. He was the first player in a while to excite, to be able to produce a moment of magic, who kids across Tyneside and beyond pretended to be in the playground, and whose name adorned the backs of shirts. At times it really did feel as the game plan under Bruce was to simply have 9 other footballers on the pitch, get the ball to him and Callum Wilson, and hope something happened. When the team sheet was announced and he wasn’t there, which was sadly all to regularly, it felt like a proper kick in the “proverbials”.
It isn’t an over exaggeration to say there may not have been a Premier League club for PIF to buy had it not been for ASM.
My own personal belief, is that his second half display when he returned from injury and came on as we beat Burnley 2-1 away in April 2021, was the stuff heroes are made of.
In terms of what followed, it was arguably as important a result as the 1-0 win against Portsmouth at the start of Keegan’s reign.
ASM enjoyed more than just freedom under Bruce, he enjoyed tactical carte blanche. The question marks as to whether he could function in a more structured set up started as soon as Eddie Howe arrived. Other than a blistering performance against Man City, and a few fleeting moments here and there, those asking those questions would appear to have had a point.
There isn’t a Newcastle fan out there who didn’t want him to fulfill his potential in a black and white shirt, and watch him dazzle as we know he can on Champions League nights and in big games.
Howe would have loved it too. It seems he’s put his heart and soul into getting into ASM’s head, and unleashing something truly special. If he, or the owners could have offloaded the many surplus high earners such as Fraser, Lewis, Hendrick, Hayden and Darlow to name a few, and kept ASM as a wildcard in the squad, you have to fancy they 100% would have.
Wether that’s what ASM himself wanted, will remain another unanswered nuance around the debate. The speculation around him has grown tedious, and he has unquestionably and knowingly played his part with his cryptic social media posts.
As the news of his imminent move was both obvious and surprising, it’s also perfectly reasonable, as in any relationship, to feel the pull at the heart strings, but also see the positives when looking to the future.
As the club try to sweep away the remnants of Ashley’s tenure, and embark on the treacherous journey through the murky waters of FFP, this deal makes sense all round.
ASM will be missed, and fondly remembered. We thank him for the memories, and wish him well, but both him, and Newcastle United will be just fine.
We can’t claim to be surprised that he’s leaving us – it’s almost 7 weeks since he posted that farewell message on Instagram 7 weeks ago.
Yes we will miss him but it’s time to forge ahead – onward and upward.
To appoint him as our saviour, suggesting that we wouldn’t have been in the Prem for PIF to buy us is just outright fantasy. When people say things like “we would have gone down without him” they are forgetting the basic fact that if we hadn’t had Maxi, we would have had someone else. Someone who may have actually scored more than the 3 goals ASM got that season. Yes 3 goals. In his 4 seasons he scored 3, 3, 5 and 1. Hardly the stats you would expect from a “saviour”.
I have to say it’s been a pleasure to have him play for us, but I personally look forward to him being replaced by someone with significantly more end product.
Not so much a saviour as a Harlem Globe Trotter.
Daveys **** mate(Quote)
This is a bad news for me. We know that he does his best. geometry dash lite
VictorChaz(Quote)
Everyone has an opinion as we prepare for the departure of one of the dinosaur game most naturally talented players to grace St James Park.
Brittney Pittman(Quote)