Allan Saint-Maximin can do no nothing wrong since his £16.5 million move to Newcastle United from Nice, France last summer donning his Gucci headband and with a bold haircut, (jealous much!) He is the player, possibly with the exception of Miguel Almiron, that every Toon supporter chats about – socially distancing of course!
On and off the pitch the lad is a certified hit and you can’t teach that. He ticks all the boxes looking like a ray of light in a sea of grey, which has stretched over Tyneside for over a decade now.
We’ve had his visits to the foodbank at Benwell, classic goal celebrations, his BBC Radio Newcastle interview, embarrassing fellow professionals, as well as classic banter on Twitter at the expense of hapless 5under1and and with a football at his feet he’s like a magician and guaranteed to get bums off seats! He is the sort of player I’m constantly telling the other members of Newcastle Fans TV I love. Basically, unpredictable, raw, fearless, energetic and seemingly not even knowing himself what he is going to do next. Think of previous examples and he is still I would argue a cut above – Lua-Lua, Ketsbaia, Asprilla, Ben Arfa – as much as I love those players Allan is a cut above and we are so lucky to have him – a candidate for MVP?
Saint-Maximin is the kind of player you pay your entrance money for and want to see and idolise. He is the sort of player who can make a drab game memorable and change the course of any game in a heartbeat. He is raw, young, energetic and hungry - let’s hope he sees out his 6 year contract here. This is exactly the sort of signing I hope we make post takeover, he should be the blueprint, and not falling into the trap of signing aging names, like a Cavani. You want him to get the ball to see what the hell he does next and more often than not, he delivers.
He’s scored crucial goals for Newcastle since his first, a fantastic header against Sheffield United – set us on the way to a unexpected away win. The second was a ‘super-duper’ space rocket, (Trump what a clown!) that put us into the fifth round of the FA Cup and his most recent strike ensured we left Southampton with all the points, distancing ourselves from the relegation zone, in a game that could and would of fizzled away - he is a difference maker. Surely, any new owner needs to see the benefits in recruiting more of these types of exciting players with a relatively low transfer fee coupled with desire and potential in games won, shirt sales, tickets snapped up and fan satisfaction! Certainly if anyone ever asked me as a season ticket holder in the Gallowgate end that is what I would be saying.
That goal and game against Southampton was sadly the last time we witnessed our team Newcastle United play, thanks Corona virus. Now Saint-Maximin’s goal looks even more important doesn’t it? Imagine this enforced break after another defeat at Southampton!? The man, the difference maker, is improving all the time too. Look back at his previous clubs and see an unwillingness to track back, lack of a cross in him and credit Bruce and his team for tweaking his game into a fine Premier League player and one surely good enough for post #cans. Just imagine where we could be if he hadn’t had a few injury setbacks along the way – mindblowing with the league so concertinaed up! As even without the goals the ability in a system designed to soak up the pressure and hit on the counter to take the ball from one end of the pitch to the other and beat numerous opponents is amazing and boy we missed him when he was side lined.
The doors are now finally reopening slowly at our ‘training ground’ and hopefully sooner rather than later we will get the takeover we deserve but since the lockdown Allan Saint-Maximin has certainly once again kept us entertained in the style only he can. The man is box office whether on the pitch or not and he is making the hearts of the Toon Army fall in love with him even when doing his own workouts at home, fully donned in his NUFC kit!
Saint-Maximin can do no wrong in a Newcastle shirt – literally and long may that continue.