Allan Saint-Maximin’s positive statistics from last weekend’s defeat at Crystal Palace have failed to raise the spirits of lots of supporters on social media.
Head coach Steve Bruce fielded Saint-Maximin in the starting line-up at Selhurst Park, with the boss calling on the 22-year-old to open his fourth Premier League fixture since returning from a hamstring injury last month.
Bruce is still waiting to see the former France U21 international fire home his second goal in the English top-flight, though, with Saint-Maximin having opened his league account in December’s 2-0 win at Sheffield United.
Saint-Maximin has also only created one league goal since his return, having failed to register an assist as we fired blanks at home to Norwich City and away to Arsenal and Palace.
The Newcastle United specific Stats Zone account on Twitter has sought to shine a positive light on Saint-Maximin’s Selhurst Park display, though, by noting that the £20million summer signing from OGC Nice completed the most successful dribbles of any player (six).
Does ASM need to have more of an end product?
Yes, absolutely
No, he's being let down
Stats Zone also note that Saint-Maximin took a total of 49 touches in South London, while completing 76 per cent of his passes, made ten completed passes in the final third, won nine duels and found teammates with two crosses.
Per data collected by Sofa Score, Saint-Maximin completed 16 passes against the Eagles, while misplacing one cross and achieving his nine successful duels from 12 attempted ground battles and one aerial contest.
But plenty of supporters have not taken to Stats Zone’s post with much positivity, and have instead criticised our star forward for failing to have any end product with his output against the Eagles.
Here are some of the messages shared as fans reacted to Stat Zone’s post focusing on Saint-Maximin’s positive stats against Crystal Palace…
Great stuff but it meant absolutely nothing https://t.co/Jyi9sNbBbw
— Ben Malton (@benmalton501) February 26, 2020
Like a dog with a balloon.
— Dennis Patterson (@DennisP45853921) February 26, 2020
They were awful . Makes no odds if he completed 500 dribbles
— Rated R Superstar (@RatedRS67933848) February 26, 2020
And the point is what!!
Might as well as ran round In circles as about as productive, no end result so counts for nothing, till it starts producing the goods then nothing matters.— Ron Charlton (@RonCharlton6) February 26, 2020
Zero goals
— stephen thompson (@steve7463) February 26, 2020
And lost
— Iain Elrick (@Iainwithtwoiis) February 26, 2020
No end product 😕,you could give a dog a ball to chase around a field all day !!!!
— gary hakin (@garyhakin) February 26, 2020
Whooh..who cares…..a goal scored by the team would be worth reporting
— Daniel Douglas (@dannydoug1976) February 26, 2020
In other Newcastle United news, a report has claimed the one thing a €30m forward must achieve to land a summer move to St. James’ Park.