Miguel Almiron spent the majority is his Newcastle United career on the right of attack.
Despite arriving as an attacking midfielder who can play off the left flank, Miguel Almiron was used on the right by Steve Bruce and Eddie Howe.
It felt like Bruce was wasting him out there when he was Newcastle United manager, while Howe eventually managed to get a tune out of the Paraguayan.
Almiron played the best football of his Newcastle United career on the right, combining brilliantly with Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes and Sean Longstaff.
But the 31-year-old’s influence eventually waned, which resulted in him leaving St James’ Park in January. Almiron re-signed for Atlanta United, returning to the MLS for £11million.
Atlanta United makes Miguel Almiron ‘waste’ claim
The attacker is now getting used to life in the United States again, with the new MLS campaign underway.
Almiron made history on his second Atlanta United debut, getting an assist to secure his 50th goal contribution in the MLS.
Game number two is now on the horizon, with Atlanta United facing Charlotte FC this weekend.
Ahead of that game, Atlanta United boss Ronny Deila has spoken to the media about Almiron, suggesting he was playing in the wrong position at Newcastle United.
“Miggy is a waste of talent if you put him wide all the time,” Deila said.
“He finds the game a lot.
“We need to get Matt [Edwards] higher and wider. We need more crosses – more overloads. We will always get our chances because we have quality up front.”
Almiron was not trusted to play centrally for Newcastle United
When Almiron was signed by Rafa Benitez, Newcastle did not play with an attacking midfielder. He was deployed on the left, forming an exciting front three with Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez.
Under Bruce, Almiron played on the right or as part of a conventional midfield three. It did not work, with Toon fans feeling like Almiron was being wasted by Bruce. There was the odd occasion that Bruce played Miggy in his best position, but those opportunities were few and far between.
Throughout Howe’s tenure, Almiron was always on the right. His 4-3-3 formation meant that Almiron as an attacking midfielder could not be accommodated, while the clamour for him to play there had died down.
In truth, Almiron simply was not trusted to play behind the striker in the Premier League. That was likely down to his lack of physicality and lack of end product.
Hopefully it is different for Almiron back at Atlanta United, where he will seemingly get more opportunities to drift inside from the right and influence the game from central areas. That perhaps says more about how the MLS compares to the Premier League, rather than managers misusing Miggy.
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