United’s Saint is deserving of a knighthood!
THE original Saint wore a halo. Well, Newcastle’s does too!
He would be offered a knighthood just like Roger Moore if Geordies had anything to do with it.
Telly’s Saint rescued damsels and solved problems with a swaggering assurance. Allan Saint-maximin rescued the Toon and solved their win problem with just as much panache.
I kid you not, his impact was as sensational as Moore’s hero long before he did it again as James Bond.
United had been poor first half at Turf Moor and were a goal down with relegation fears rising by the moment before Steve Bruce sent for the cavalry.
Fifty seven minutes had gone when he threw on Saint-maximin and Callum Wilson with the orders: rescue my season!
Within two minutes the Geordie Saint set up an equaliser for Jacob Murphy with arrogant precision and five minutes later he scored a sensational winner.
Selling a dummy to two Burnley defenders who desperately tried to catch a bus back into town, Saintmaximin turned to strike a arrowed shot unerringly into the rigging.
The game had been perfectly set up. Fulham, the great self-destructors of the Premier League, had lost for the fourth successive time at home to yet more moderate opposition on Friday night, leaving United clear to stretch their lead to six precious points 48 hours later.
However we overlooked one glaring fact - United had forgotten how to win football matches.
One down, fear was gripping the throat of every Geordie before Bruce did what he had to do.
I had highlighted in my match preview how Burnley would be running scared of Saint-maximin - and so it proved.
When United dismantled them 3-1 at SJP in early October the Saint was man of the match.
He scored the opening goal and was unplayable most of the time.
The Clarets knew what was coming but they were unable to stop it.
It is called class. Unpredictability. Skill. Confidence. Arrogance. Ability.
Saint-maximin has it all and if it is his day then anything can be achieved.
This was only Newcastle’s third victory in their last 22 matches and it was delivered by the best of super subs.
What we are feeling now is gigantic relief. United are two wins ahead of Fulham who have played a game more.
The Cottagers mentally are shot after a string of defeats against moderate sides knowing that while their nearest rivals have a run of tough matches ahead they have a twogame cushion at the end of the campaign.
The Magpies finish their home programme against alreadydoomed Sheffield United with three points on offer then, if required, can shut out Fulham on the final day should they need something to escape.
What is more the Three Musketeers
- Saint-maximin, Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson - are back on the grass in tandem to lend considerable support.
Victories are as rare as the sighting of a dodo on the town moor so Geordies can spend a week basking in the full glow of three welcomepoints.
We are grateful but let all within Newcastle United remember we ought never to have been in this position in the first place.