Almiron

[sherwoodmag]

Scored the only goal for Paraguay against Bulgaria last night.

That's 2 in 2 for his country.

[Zippity]

It'll come for us, it'll come.

[waalsendmick]

He has 2 goals... 2 assists and 2 red cards in his last 4 internationals...

How was he not suspended?
He was sent off during the last international break...

[Stanleymag]

Just thinking back to Everton at home last season. Didn't Almiron hit an absolute bullet from 25 yards that Pigford couldn't handle, from which Perez scored.

[waalsendmick]

I think a lot of the criticism has been unfair.. he totally transformed the way we attacked when he came last season..
But I only have tv pics to go off.. he might be pish in the flesh

[Jammy89]

It'll come for us, it'll come.

Agreed.

I think he'll be a big player for us. To be honest i think he is now, he changes the dynamic of our attack with his pace.

[Zippity]

Yep, exactly. We were the 5th highest scoring team after he came so he transformed our style of play.

To be honest, I'm far less worried about him and the Saint than i am Joelinton. He just wasn't used as a main striker at Hoffenheim and it looks pretty clear that that is absolutely not his forte.

[Jammy89]

Article about him in the chronicle (I know, i know) but still. . .

There's no getting away from the fact that Miguel Almiron could - and should - have scored more goals for Newcastle United.

The Paraguayan was on target for his country against Bulgaria this week, but in black-and-white stripes he's contributed no goals and no assists since joining last January.


But look beyond the headline statistics and a very different picture emerges.

It's frustrating for the player himself and United fans, but the criticism laid at his door by former Leeds United defender Danny Mills last week is too far.

"He’s working very, very hard but he’s in the team to be creative," Mills told the Football Insider, "he’s in the team to create chances and to score goals - he’s not doing it."


There's no arguing with the stats - 22 games with no goals and no assists - but Almiron is still playing a crucial role in Newcastle's attacking play and contributing to goals.


Just a quick look back at the last six weeks or so will show just how important Almiron's creativity has been in helping United to 10 points out of the last 15 available.

His role in Matty Longstaff's match-winning goal against Manchester United is a prime example.

Almiron picked the ball up calmly in his own box after a corner had been headed down to him, he took his time, and ran it out of the area before finding Allan Saint-Maximin with a marvelous 40-yard pass, opening up the visiting defence. Saint-Maximin fed Jetro Willems who then picked out Longstaff. The rest is history.

In the 3-2 victory over West Ham United he had a hand in two of the goals. The first as he drew a free-kick from Issa Diop after racing through towards the box.

Jonjo Shelvey delivered the set-piece into the box for Joelinton and Ciaran Clark did the rest.

Federico Fernandez made it two just moments later as he headed home a corner which had been won by Almiron, after he had darted down the left and saw his cross blocked.

And just last weekend against AFC Bouremouth, Almiron picked out Saint-Maximin with a lovely cross-field ball, with the Frenchman teeing up DeAndre Yedlin for the equaliser.


While Almiron may not have the defined 'assists', his desire to get forward and to often start the attacks from a position of defence is paying dividends for Bruce, whose side is getting plenty of benefit from the Paraguayan's defensive workrate too.

We've seen in the past month that's he willing to get back into United's box to help break down a dangerous move, and then covering impressive distances as the Magpies look for the transition from defence to attack.

Almiron on average has had the most shots per game (1.8) in the Newcastle squad - the worry would be if he was not getting in the positions to have these chances.

On average is the most fouled member of the United side per 90 minutes (1.8), while his passing accuracy comes in at 77 per cent.

Mills' finished his critique on Almiron by saying: "You get put in as a creative midfielder to create chances and score goals – he’s not doing that. If you’re not doing that then as hard as you are working and as much as the fans appreciate that, sometimes you need more.”


But without Almiron's ***** contribution in the three games listed, United would arguably be six points worst off.

The assists, in the true definition of the word will come, as will the goals.

Gven he's played the second highest amount of minutes for United so this season, the suggestion is that Bruce is happy to let his man continue in the way he is.

[ghostrider]

The real understanding is, it's a team game.
We play as a team and Almiron is an integral part of the team.
He may not appear to have goals and assist in the direct sense of the words but indirectly he does contribute to the points gain, from front to midfield to back.
That in itself is phenomenal contribution.

The issue comes down to expectation of goals and assists to be seen to be done by him to sort of cap off what most believe he is capable of. I'd like to see that but I certainly don't want him out of the team because of it. He's too valuable.

What you generally find with players who don't hit the marks expected is, every error they make is magnified and scrutinised, even amid a game where 95% may have been positive contribution.

[Zippity]

The real understanding is, it's a team game.
We play as a team and Almiron is an integral part of the team.
He may not appear to have goals and assist in the direct sense of the words but indirectly he does contribute to the points gain, from front to midfield to back.
That in itself is phenomenal contribution.

The issue comes down to expectation of goals and assists to be seen to be done by him to sort of cap off what most believe he is capable of. I'd like to see that but I certainly don't want him out of the team because of it. He's too valuable.

What you generally find with players who don't hit the marks expected is, every error they make is magnified and scrutinised, even amid a game where 95% may have been positive contribution.

That's a very good post. I suppose, playing devil's advocate, we bought him to assist and score goals, too. I don't think that's too far off, tbh.

(well, hopefully, anyway)