Former Newcastle defender Nikos Dabizas has challenged winger Allan Saint-Maximin to produce more consistent numbers for the Magpies next season.
A Toon cult hero, Dabizas made over 100 appearances for the Magpies during his five-year spell on Tyneside. He scored a memorable Tyne and Wear derby winner against Sunderland in 2002 at the Stadium of Light, cementing his place as Geordie fan favourite. Now 48, Dabizas still tunes in to watch Newcastle play, with the former Greek international picking out Allan Saint-Maximin as one of his favourite Toon players to watch.
The mercurial French winger is unplayable on his day, but his performances sometimes blow hot and cold.
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Last season saw the 25-year-old score five goals and register five assists in the Premier League. However, the majority of those contributions came at the start of the season. While he remains an incredibly direct threat, and perhaps Newcastle's best player, Dabizas wants to see more from the flying winger, especially when it comes to goals and assists.
"Let’s say, I expect more from… It is difficult to say because he is the most attractive and most enjoyable player to watch, (Allan) Saint-Maximin," Dabizas told Betarades . "But for me, the way he contributes in the game, it is not so effective in a sense that his goal ratio and his assists, is not equivalent to his talent."
"So he has to find a way to be more effective in terms of goals and assists. But of course, he is a very talented player. He is crucial also, but at the same time he has to produce more, in a more effective way. That’s the thing."
"But of course, he was very influential for all of the games throughout the season."
