John Hartson has heaped praise on Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin for his role in the 1-0 victory over Manchester United last time out.
The pundit, regularly seen on BT Sport Score, singled out the Frenchman as the player who can cause real danger for the Magpies this season and insisted that Steve Bruce needs those sort of players to step up and be counted.
Hartson was particularly impressed with the 22-year-old’s work on the ball, and his ability to beat a man in the final third.
“He’s a box of tricks, he’s powerful, he can cause problems,” he told Football FanCast.
“He gave Man United all sorts of problems.”
OPINION
There is no doubting the fact that Saint-Maximin is Newcastle’s standout player this season, and Bruce will rely on the Frenchman and his trickery at times throughout the campaign. The 22-year-old is one of few players who can get on the ball and beat his man to create an opportunity in the Magpies’ squad, and Newcastle have desperately missed his creativity during his absence at the beginning of the season. The win over Manchester United was the first time that the Magpies’ fans have got to see their summer signing for more than 45 minutes, and he didn’t disappoint, completing four dribbles [WhoScored] as he terrorised the Red Devils all afternoon. Saint-Maximin also completed two key passes and had two shots on goal, proving his ability to be a major threat for Bruce going forward, who will be relying on the winger to consistently perform. Hartson is right to single out Saint-Maximin for his efforts, with the young winger surely relishing the opportunity to be Newcastle’s main man this season.
