Jermain Defoe has criticised Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe for his half-time introduction on Sunday.
Newcastle lost 4-0 to Premier League champions Manchester City yesterday.
The Magpies boss made a big call in deciding to leave his French winger out of the first XI.
However, the 43-year-old introduced him after 45 minutes at the expense of Joe Willock.
Saint-Maximin is Newcastle’s best and most dangerous player by a million miles, and Sky pundit on the day Defoe has said he didn’t like Howe’s failure to start the former Nice livewire, only to change his mind midway through.
He said on Sky Sports: “I don’t like that. Coming on at half-time? You might as well start him, it’s almost like the manager’s surprised they’re losing at this stage and then you bring him on.”
Context
In Howe’s defence, benching Saint-Maximin only made sense if the Newcastle star was carrying an injury.
And that was indeed the case for the Frenchman, but Defoe is right in saying that if the player is fit enough to come on then is he not fit enough to start the game?
It isn’t like Howe only gave him a 10-minute cameo.
The Newcastle boss introduced him at half-time, when the scoreline was 2-0.
So honestly, it is a wee bit questionable by the main man on Tyneside, you have to admit.
In 19th, Howe’s side remain three points adrift of safety in the Premier League, but 17th-placed Watford have two games in hand.
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