How much Miguel Almiron brings to Newcastle United has long been debated since his arrival in January, and while many NUFC fans recognise his worth, some are beginning to question the midfielder’s reading of the game.
Almiron gave arguably his worst performance in a black and white shirt this afternoon, as Newcastle drew 1-1 with Watford at St James’ Park.
Steve Bruce and co. had been hoping for an easy three points against a struggling Watford side, but disappointingly let the opportunity slip by, despite dominating for large periods.
Almiron in particular was a point of frustration for the home fans, racking up numerous offsides and misplaced passes.
His poor decisions in the final third broke down plenty of Newcastle counter attacks, attacks which he had worked so hard to create with blistering runs and dribbles.
The midfielder also missed another glorious chance to open his Newcastle goal scoring account when fumbling a Christian Atsu cross in the penalty area, a chance which had looked to be a sure goal.
Toon fans gave Almiron the benefit of the doubt last season and were pleased with his work rate and ability to stretch a defence.
But this season there is far more onus on the midfielder to score goals and make actual game changing contributions.
And so far, he hasnt quite been able to make that all important leap.
Toon fans lose faith in Almiron
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Does Almiron have a ‘footballing brain’?
The real problem with Almiron is that his greatest weakness is also his greatest strength.
The Paraguayan has an erratic and unpredictable playstyle, emphasised by his incredible pace.
Defenders often cant read or react quick enough to his movements, and seemingly haven’t a clue what he’s about to do next.
Unfortunately, it’s not entirely clear whether Almiron does either.
His current lack of end product is the current best indicator of this, as his assists record is just as bare as his goal scoring one.
So often his brilliant mad dashes up the field end in a foul or a misplaced pass, and the worry for some fans is that this is an area he cannot really improve in.
Sometimes you wish he’d just slow down and think about what he’s doing, but would he then lose the very instinct which makes him so exciting in the first place?
A similar player in style to Almiron, it’s obvious that Toon fans are worried his career is heading the same way.
There’ still hope for Almiron, and past assist records for previous clubs and his nation of Paraguay suggest there is a footballers brain within him.
But Steve Bruce and his staff must find a way to unlock this ability soon, before Toon supporters lose patience.
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