Stuart Pearce admits West Ham had their hands full with Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin during yesterday’s 4-2 Premier League victory at Newcastle United, speaking to talkSPORT (16 August, 9am).
As the boos rang out at St James’ Park following a fraught second half for Steve Bruce’s side, it seems almost churlish to point out the positives – especially after Newcastle kicked off the new season with a home defeat and a minus-two goal difference.
But, for 45 minutes at least, the Magpies played some of the most exciting, front-foot football of the entire Bruce era.
And it should be no surprise this came with Wilson and Saint-Maximin on the pitch at the same time. It has been an all-too rare occurrence as far as long-suffering Newcastle fans are concerned.
It was the latter who set up the former for the game’s fifth-minute opener, Saint-Maximin bamboozling Declan Rice before whipping an inch-perfect cross into the six-yard area.
Newcastle’s new number nine profited as a Newcastle number nine should.
Saint-Maximin and Wilson only started nine matches together during the whole of 2020/21. But, if the Frenchman and Englishman can stay fit this time around, there’s no reason to believe tub-thumping performances like Sunday’s can’t be the rule rather than the exception.
Newcastle have an exciting attacking partnership with Wilson and Saint-Maximin
“(Saint-Maximin is a) handful. He drops into pockets and loves to drive and turn with the ball wherever he is on the pitch,” says Pearce, David Moyes’ assistant coach at the London Stadium.
“He was the main threat.
“And, when you supply Callum Wilson with opportunities, he’ll put them away.
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“Those two were a real threat and, if (Newcastle) can keep those two fit, they’ll give anyone a problem.”
Newcastle did see the good and the bad of Saint-Maximin, however, as West Ham came from 1-0 and 2-1 down at St James’ Park.
It was the former Monaco man who coughed up possession in the build-up to West Ham’s game-changing equaliser early in the second half, robbed by Declan Rice when attempting one of those trademark mazy dribbles just shy of the centre circle.
There’s a time and a place. The quicker Saint-Maximin learns, the better he will be.
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