Here are your Newcastle United morning headlines for Thursday, 26 November.
Saint-Maximin must focus to reach Jota’s level, says former coach
Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin must improve before he can emulate what Diogo Jota is doing for Liverpool, believes the Frenchman’s former coach Rui Almeida.
Saint-Maximin has shown flashes of brilliance at Newcastle but has yet to establish himself as one of the league’s more consistent attackers.
And Almeida, who worked with the player at French side Bastia, says mental strength is the difference between elite players and the 23-year-old.
“Allan has the quality to make the difference, but he doesn’t show that quality,” Almeida told The Athletic .
“He can do what Jota does, ability-wise, but he doesn’t anticipate, he doesn’t make sure he is always there.
“Allan needs to be focused for the full match and, rather than make himself the centre of the action as he always wants to be, he must do everything to finish things off.
“It does not always have to be special, for his highlights reel. Numbers, goals and assists, help your team.
“You cannot just say they do not motivate you and be satisfied by that.”
The story behind Maradona and Soccer Aid
As the sporting world mourns the death of Diego Maradona, the Chronicle’s Lee Ryder has recalled a touching story involving the Argentine genius.
In 2006, a retired Maradona agreed to play in Soccer Aid for the Rest of the World against an England side that featured Paul Gascoigne.
Former Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd persuaded the 1986 World Cup winner to help raise money for UNICEF alongside footballing greats such as Zinedine Zidane, Lothar Matthaus and Alan Shearer.
"Diego came to play and helped start Soccer Aid with dad persuading him to play,” Freddy’s son Kenneth told the Chronicle.
"He was a great guy and he supported UNICEF."
Over dinner, Maradona revealed to Freddy Shepherd his admiration for Shearer and Gascoigne.
"He said that Newcastle was like Naples in terms of the fanatical supporters and the atmosphere,” Shepherd said in 2006.
Lascelles losing hope on England call-up
Newcastle United captain Jamaal Lascelles has revealed he no longer looks out for England squad announcements as he “knows” he will not receive a call-up.
Lascelles has been capped 12 times by the England under-21s but is yet to make his senior Three Lions debut.
And during an appearance on The Getting Messi Podcast , the 27-year-old said he felt he deserved a call-up during Rafael Benitez’s first season in charge of Newcastle in which the defender helped his side finish 10th.
"If there were one season I were to get called up it would have been the first season in the Premier League under Rafa,” said Lascelles.
"We finished 10th, and I had a really good season personally - scored a few goals, and kept a lot of clean sheets.
"I was new to being a captain but some of the players who got called up at that time who aren't involved in England now, I thought I could have been involved there. But it's someone's opinion.
"At the time then, it did kind of get to me - I thought what else can I do? But now I don't even look at the England team sheet because I know I'm not going to get called up.”
