"He tries to do too much himself" - Noel Whelan says Newcastle United star will 'frustrate' Eddie Howe

Newcastle United star Allan Saint-Maximin will be a source of frustration for Magpies boss Eddie Howe. That is according to former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan, who claims the French attacker is guilty of trying to do too much on the pitch.

Allan Saint-Maximin had an outing to forget as he came on as a substitute for Newcastle United during their Premier League clash with Everton on Thursday. The attacker gave the ball away, which led to the Toffees scoring the only goal of the game in injury time. Noel Whelan claims the player struggled because he tried to do too much while he wasn't properly warmed up after coming on.

The Englishman told Football Insider:

“I always say it’s hard as a substitute to come off the bench. Sometimes when you come off the bench and you’re not properly warm, you’ve not got yourself into the game, those touches can be a little bit too heavy."

“Some people adapt to coming off the bench and getting into a game easier than others. I think he’s [Saint-Maximin] struggled because he tries to do too much himself at times. He doesn’t need to," Whelan added.

Noel Whelan also claimed that Newcastle boss Eddie Howe would be frustrated with Allan Saint-Maximin's struggles. The Englishman, however, praised the attacker's desire to change the game every time he comes on, a quality he believes makes him popular among the fans.

Whelan said:

“I think it will frustrate Eddie Howe but you can’t take away his [Saint-Maximin's] desire. He wants to change the game, he wants to win the game. He tries to do something brilliant on the ball every time he gets it. That’s why he is loved by the fans.”

The attacker was guilty of giving the ball away, leading to Everton scoring their winning goal versus Newcastle in the Premier League on Thursday.

Allan Saint-Maximin's numbers for Newcastle United this season

The attacker has made 28 appearances for the Magpies across all competitions since the campaign kicked off this summer. So far, he's recorded five goals and three assists to his name, with all of them coming in the Premier League.

However, it is worth noting that the Frenchman is currently going through a rough patch, having failed to register a goal contribution in his last six appearances. Magpies fans will hope he returns to his top form to help the club in the final stretch of the season.