Newcastle United’s Miguel Almiron has been a hit with the Toon faithful since joining in January, but the attacker’s lack of end product is leaving the rest of the football world unconvinced.
Almiron’s £21 million price tag made him Newcastle’s record signing, which comes with enormous pressure and expectation.
In the main, the Paraguayan has been a revelation, his work rate and drive spurring on Rafa Benitez’s side in recent games.
He’s also injected enthusiasm into the fans again, who delight in knowing Almiron is always looking to attack and make things happen.
However Friday’s Premier League match against Leicester highlighted exactly what is currently missing from his game.
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The midfielder gave yet another electrifying performance, but frequently spurned the final pass and opportunities at goal.
Almiron’s goal and assist drought has now stretched to eight matches, and sceptics are beginning to dismiss his him as a flop.
The Mirror‘s James Nursey claimed the attacker was ‘no threat’ in Saturday’s paper, and various fans of other clubs have been critical on social media.
The criticisms have sparked outrage in a lot of Toon supporters, who have been quick to set the record straight.
Fans defend Almiron after Leicester display
https://twitter.com/HanoiToon/status/1117059722505363456
https://twitter.com/LostBoyNUFC180/status/1117052501734428672
Almiron out of position
One thing that critics forget when dismissing Almiron is that he is not playing in his preferred number 10 role.
Instead the midfielder is playing on the left hand side and putting in a terrific shift for Rafa Benitez.
It’s clear that Benitez wants his team to be compact and Almiron has not been afforded the freedom to roam.
He’s also only played nine matches.
Considering he is adapting to a far more competitive league than the MLS, he’s performing remarkably.
There were fears before his arrival he would not be able to cope with the Premier League, but he’s proved doubters wrong.
He’s arguably the Toon’s best player already and by next season will surely be their biggest threat.
