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Has Miguel Almiron Proved His Value At Newcastle?

This article is more than 4 years old.

On a bitterly cold winter’s night at the start of the year, something happened to instantly change Newcastle United’s fortunes in the Premier League. It was January 29, 2019, and champions Manchester City were in town; not only were supporters heading to St James’ Park fully expecting a defeat against the best team in the country, but there was a worry that, after the fifth successive frustrating transfer window, it would be Rafael Benitez’s final match at the helm. There was even a planned sit in protest at full time; but there wasn’t much about that night which followed the script.

With a couple of hours to go until kick off, the press room was abuzz with exciting, and quite unbelievable news. Newcastle had finally struck a deal with Major League Soccer side Atlanta United for Paraguayan playmaker Miguel Almiron, the player Benitez had made clear he wanted to sign throughout the window. It had been believed talks had broken down, with Magpies owner Mike Ashley attempting to haggle over the fee, but little by little, as speculation was confirmed by inside sources courtesy of the local and national media, the mood changed. Almiron was due to fly to Tyneside after club-record £21million terms were agreed, ending 14 long years in which Michael Owen held that title. Potentially inspired by the news themselves, Newcastle went out and beat City 2-1, handing Pep Guardiola what would be his final defeat of the domestic campaign and, more importantly, reinvigorating their own challenge for survival.

Around a week later, the same journalists who had confirmed the news of his arrival were summoned back to the same room in order to welcome the new signing. Just after 2pm on a chilly Wednesday afternoon in February, Almiron, alongside a translator, entered through a back door and took his seat on the stage behind a cluster of microphones. He was slight; if you looked at him, you’d think he’d be blown over by a breeze, but then he spoke with confidence, charm and humour and it was clear Newcastle had signed a good one. Confusion about how to pronounce his name was swiftly put to bed: “Mi nombre es Miguel Al-mir-on!,” he said, beaming into a camera and draped in a black and white shirt. That smile would reappear on the pitch, too.

He’d talked the talk, and he was about to walk the walk. On his debut against Wolves, in a 1-1 draw at Molineux, he showed glimpses of his talent, but the energy levels he brought were the real gamechanger. Newcastle suddenly had pace and a great link between midfield and attack; there was certainly a lot more to see. Back at St James’ Park, though, against Huddersfield Town, was where Newcastle saw the best of Almiron and vice-versa; upon his introduction to the crowd, the roar which greeted him was deafening. On the pitch, he just kept going, constantly involved; first hitting the post after chipping the goalkeeper and then being ruthlessly fouled by an opposing player, Tommy Smith, who was sent off, It was an action-packed day, and it was his day. Little did he, or anyone else, know how agonising a moment it would be when the ball came back off the upright instead of satisfyingly nestling in the corner of the net, though; six months on, Almiron still hasn’t scored or assisted a goal for the Magpies, and he has never got closer than 20 minutes into his home debut.

Everyone says the same thing; it’ll come, and after the first one, the floodgates will open. Whatever the stats said, Almiron was impressing, exciting the crowd, breaking the lines, and contributing in other ways. Against Bournemouth away, for example, he went on another mazy run, and he drew a foul just outside the box, winning a free kick which Salomon Rondon stepped up and converted. He’d struck up a superb relationship with the Venezuelan and Spaniard Ayoze Perez; but as the weeks went by, even if pressure from the stands wasn’t forthcoming, pressure from himself was. Almiron had a monkey on his back, and it was getting heavier the harder he tried to break free. Then, against Southampton at home in April, his season was unfortunately cut short by a hamstring injury; it was the last time he’d play for Benitez, or with Rondon or Perez, as they all departed the club over the summer.

Upon his return from that injury, and from the Copa America with Paraguay, it was different. Many were left questioning Almiron’s thought process, having watched two close allies, and the coach he’d spoken so highly of at his unveiling, all leave. Ambition at the club was questioned, animosity returned, and there was even more pressure on the 25-year-old to shine as Steve Bruce, seen as a huge step down on Benitez, came in to replace him; rather than being a cog in a successful team under his former boss, he is now expected to be the driving force under his new one. Suddenly, there is a sense that the goodwill and patience shown towards Almiron won’t last if he doesn’t break his duck soon; but a penalty miss against Preston North-End in pre-season prolonged his agony. On Sunday against Arsenal, the team faded after a bright start, and that new expectation on Almiron began to show, as did his continued frustration and desperation; questions were asked, his running was no longer an endearment, but rather a distraction from his lack of percieved attacking contribution. One fan even remarked that it looked as though he had won a competition to play for Newcastle, which seems a particularly harsh sentiment.

Not everything is going badly for him; he told the club’s official website after the game that he senses a good partnership with new signing Joelinton, who has since broken his record transfer fee. Fans will hope it is every bit as good as what he had with Rondon and Perez, only more prolific on his part. The atmosphere around the place has changed; Almiron isn’t as free to express himself because the mood is gloomier, similar to what it was like the night his transfer was announced. Still, the point stands; he will eventually score and assist plenty of goals, but he has so far shown he doesn’t have to in order to justify the club’s hefty outlay.