John Carver weighs in with advice for Steve Bruce at Newcastle United

The former Newcastle United manager – who had a spell as a coach in Major League Soccer – watched Almiron play for Atlanta United before he moved to St James’s Park.

Almiron, signed for £21million in January, is yet to score for the club, and has struggled to make an impression in the final third of the pitch so far this season.

“I watched Almiron play closely in the MLS,” Carver told talkSPORT. “His movement was good, his finishing was good, and he used to set up players and get in the right areas

“I think it might be time for the staff to have look at what he did at Atlanta and the positions he got into. He’s a good player, I think (Allan-Saint) Maximin’s a good player. I think it’s time for one of those, if not two of those, to have a little bit of a rest.”

Carver feels that Almiron has the look of a player who “has the world on his shoulders”.

“You forget how young he is, and he does look like he has the world on his shoulders at the moment,” said Carver. “The thing is, he does put in a great shift. We always moaned about players who didn’t work hard enough for the team, but certainly this player does work.

“But his body language is starting to show his slump in form, and it may just be the right time to pull him out of the firing line.”