Two years on from his first goal against Crystal Palace - How can Eddie Howe get the best out of ‘enigma’ Miguel Almiron and what is next for him at Newcastle United?

It was on December 21, 2019 that Almiron finally scored his first goal for the Magpies, ending an eleven month drought.

The roar from St James’s Park following the goal showed how much the 52,000 in attendance were willing him on to break his duck and the scenes of celebration that followed, with a ball boy unknowingly becoming centre stage, showed just how much Newcastle supporters had taken to the no.24.

Brought in by Rafa Benitez in January 2019, for what was then a club record transfer fee, Almiron forged a great partnership alongside Ayoze Perez and Salomon Rondon as Newcastle cleared themselves of any relegation danger.

However, just months later, that trio was ripped apart with Perez departing to Leicester and Rondon following Benitez to China.

Allan Saint-Maximin and Joelinton were the men brought in to replace the 23 goals that Rondon and Perez managed that season - for context, Fabian Schar’s four strikes had him third on the goal scoring list - but the pair struggled to reproduce these numbers.

And whilst all this was happening, Almiron still hadn’t scored for Newcastle.

In truth, he hadn’t even been able to nail down a consistent position in the starting XI with appearances as a no.10, on the wing and even in centre-midfield failing to produce the best out of him.

His goal against Crystal Palace did spark a mini upturn in form for Almiron but now, two years on from that goal, and almost three since his arrival on Tyneside, have we ever seen the best of the Paraguayan?

What is his best position?

This is probably the root cause of the Almiron-enigma. What exactly is his best position?

As we’ve seen, he has been used in many positions during his three-years at the club, but we’re still none the wiser about which position suits his abilities most.

A look at his heat maps on WyScout show that, when he played for Atlanta United in the MLS, he was used in a very advanced role and spent most of the game in and around the opponent’s box.

However, these same maps show that generally at Newcastle, he has spent most of his time 20 or 30 yards further back, often playing most of his football near the halfway line.

Of course, these highlight the different styles of play between the two sides, but it also shows that the Miguel Almiron that Newcastle signed in January 2019 is a different player to the one that currently plays for them.

An eye-test would probably say he is most suited to a no.10 role or as an advanced midfielder who is given freedom to join attacks from deep and make runs beyond the opposition defence - but we haven’t seen him do that all too often and the stats don’t back-up this assertion.

What do the stats say?

At Newcastle, Almiron’s xG per game is 0.18 which means he should average a goal just over every five games. Instead, his output is half that at just one goal every ten games. Furthermore, he averages less than two touches in the opposition box every game.

These do look bleak, however, Almiron tends to overperform the rest of the squad in statistics like ‘interceptions’ and ‘recoveries in the opposition half’ - showing that his defensive work is very good, however, this does highlight his shortcomings offensively.

What did Steve Bruce say about him?

Possibly Almiron’s best time in a Newcastle United shirt, post-Rafa Benitez, came in early 2021 when he played as a no.10 behind Callum Wilson and Saint-Maximin.

Almiron was given great freedom and impressed in games against Southampton and Everton in particular.

Speaking after the 3-2 win over the Saints in February, Bruce described Almiron’s form as ‘terrific’:

“With the change in formation and system, the one person who’s benefited from it all, basically, is Almiron – he’s been terrific.” Bruce said.

"I’ve said it since I walked through the door. He’s been here for a couple of years. He’s a great pro, a great lad – a joy to work with. My job would be easy if they were all like Almiron.”

What has Eddie Howe said about him?

Speaking before the trip to the King Power Stadium earlier this month, Howe said: "This is what you want in my position,"

“If you give someone an opportunity, you want them to take it and you want them to leave positive thoughts in your mind. I thought Miggy did that last week [against Burnley].

“His energy is very infectious and his attitude, you can see from how he plays, what he gives the team. I thought his work rate, from a defensive perspective, was very, very good.

“But also he had really good moments, going forward. He’s a very good runner in behind, physically he is excellent. His stats from the weekend were incredible really. So he's gonna be a really, really important for us, he’s someone that I really like.”

So, what is next for Almiron?

It is clear that Almiron has impressed all three of his head coaches during his time at Newcastle and that he is a ‘great pro’ with an ‘infectious attitude’.

But will that be enough to survive at the club going forward? No one has ever knocked Almiron’s work rate and willingness to ‘put in a shift’, however, at a very basic level, he must improve his goals and assists output.

Whether as a no.10, or as a winger, his biggest weakness, whilst on Tyneside, has always been his output in-front of goal.

Only then, when these numbers start to match his work rate, will Almiron become the quick, creative and dangerous attacking player that many supporters want him to become.

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