Saint-Maximin or Saint-Minimum?
Newcastle flier annoys team-mates by parking Ferrari in wrong place — now Howe must get him moving forwards
EDDIE HowE needs to get Allan SaintMaximin out of one box and into another. The penalty box is where he wants him to be. The yellowchevroned box directly outside the club’s training-ground doors, where the French winger routinely ditches his Ferrari, less so.
It has annoyed some teammates, given the only reserved bays are intended for Howe and skipper Jamaal Lascelles.
‘That is something we will be addressing with him,’ said Howe, when asked at the team’s Austrian hotel this week about the parking faux pas. ‘You guys know everything, don’t you?’
what we do not know is how to get more from such an enigma on the pitch. That is Howe’s job, and perhaps the biggest challenge he faces this season, especially as attacking additions have not been possible so far this summer.
Saint- Maximin’s talent is obvious. It is with good reason that during Newcastle’s 1- 0 defeat by Mainz on Monday, the hundreds of children present were drawn to him like files to a magnet. ‘I play with you all the time on FIFA,’ said one, as SaintMaximin sat pitchside during the opening hour, distracted by a mob of selfie hunters.
But what the 25-year-old’s incarnation can do in a video game — the kids will tell you that his numbers for speed and dribbling make him something of a cheat code — has translated less so to real life in recent months.
It is why Newcastle were prepared to listen to bids of £40million this summer. They, however, were not forthcoming. For this season at least, he will remain Howe’s problem or Howe’s privilege. Saint-Maximum or SaintMinimum? That depends on how he responds to the manager’s tailored plan for improvement.
An example. Following the Mainz clash, Saint-Maximin was sent back out on to the pitch — in 30ºC (86°F) heat — to complete a drill that combined shooting and running.
or, rather, sprinting. It was tiring to watch him and Jacob Murphy be barked through their paces by coach Graeme Jones, who had to help SaintMaximin to his feet come the end. on Sunday morning during training here in Saalfelden, Murphy and Saint- Maximin exchanged words when finding themselves on the losing side of a crazily intense possession game. It was interesting to note Murphy telling Saint-Maximin to concentrate on his own contribution rather than blame others. Later that day, Howe discussed a player he knows can make a difference to a team who still want for inspiration in the final third. So, how do you help SaintMaximin showcase his best on a more regular basis? His FIFA numbers, if you like? ‘we’ve worked hard with him during pre-season,’ began Howe. ‘He’s in a good place. He looks happy. He’s delivered everything that we’ve asked him to. we’ve pushed him physically, he’s responded. I’m hoping for a very, very good season.’ It was once the case that Newcastle only won when Saint- Maximin (left) turned up. He was nicknamed ‘Plan A’ under Steve Bruce — for beyond giving him the ball and hoping for the best, there was little else by way of strategy. But come the end of last season under Howe, Newcastle were sometimes winning despite Saint- Maximin, not because of him.
Coaches talk of the ‘corridor of uncertainty’ into which attackers should ghost. Saint-Maximin usually took the adjoining door marked ‘blind alley’.
His team’s defensive third might as well have been signposted ‘no entry’. That can be tolerated if producing at the other end, but Saint-Maximin did not score from January onwards.
‘My message to him at the end of last season was, physically, we need to get more,’ said Howe.
‘I wouldn’t say there’s a better player one-v-one in football. He has to deliver the physical effort. So, there’s been a lot of work towards that. I’m expecting a great season from him.’
once Saint-Maximin reverses that Ferrari, he can finally start moving forwards with Howe.