Bruce refuses to play the blame game
NO CONSENSUS YET ON WHERE PARAGUAY PLAYMAKER SHOULD OPERATE FOR TOON
ASK those who have tracked Miguel Almiron’s career what his best position is and you will struggle to receive the same answer.
The same words are used to describe him -a creator, a playmaker, a ‘flying eight’ – but when it comes to where he is most effective on a football pitch there is no consensus.
Yet what there seems to be is an agreement his current position(s) under Newcastle United head coach Steve Bruce are not the right ones for the Paraguayan.
Having arguably played six of seven Premier League games this season out of position – and the last three consecutively on the right wing – there is a frustration from those who have followed his career.
“I don’t think he is a wide player,” the MLS reporter for Atlanta United Joe Patrick told The Chronicle.
“It encourages him to do things he is not very good at, such as trying to beat a full-back one-on-one on the dribble or to cut in and find shots.”
That has been evident this season as Almiron looks out of place out on the wing – and it was again noticeable against Leicester City.
Yes, United were second best from the word go but Almiron, even before Isaac Hayden’s red card, failed to be effective.
He also showed his weakness as a defensive player – 21 of the 27 crosses from Leicester City came down United’s right as Almiron failed to hit it off with right-back Emil Krafth – at one point Ben Chillwell was free to stroll past both.
Yet in Almiron’s defence, he is not a defensive-minded player.
He will track back to help out but largely being out on the wing is alien to him – having only ever played eight times in his career on the right wing, four of them under Bruce. Sometimes I think his defensive attributes are a little bit overblown,” concedes Felipe Cardenas who followed Almiron closely at Atlanta for The Athletic.
“The reason he was so key here in Atlanta defensively was because of his work rate and his awareness.
“His positional awareness allowed him to press effectively, to cover second balls, harass a centre-back, but he is not someone who understands a defensive position.
“I don’t think he ever played as an inverted winger for Atlanta – he is extremely left-footed and he did not start on the right-wing.
“Tata Martino gave him a lot more freedom to roam in the midfield and if he ever found himself on the right side it is because the attack happened to build from that side or he had found space there.”
In defence of Bruce he has been honest when it comes to the dilemma over Almiron – admitting he is not sure of his best position.
Yet his comments about him not being a ‘natural No 10’ but an ‘oldfashioned inside forward’ raised a few eyebrows from Atlanta fans – especially given he played most of his football in a No 10 role, scoring 20 goals in 50 games.
“What is an old-fashioned inside forward?” Cardenas asks.
“If you ask 10 people, you will probably get 10 different answers so that does not help a player like Miguel Almiron at all.
“His best position is playing centraly, in a free role.
“Bruce’s comments? A lot of Atlanta fans are chiming in saying he ‘obviously never saw him play’ and he can play in a central position.
“The reason he was so good centrally was because of two factors.
“Firstly the style of play at Atlanta, playing from the back, keeping the ball on the ground and inviting pressure.
“They were open, ‘come and attack us, because if we break you, we have a player like Almiron who is just going to run right at you.’
“His best attribute is he is quick, his ability to take a touch and turn off the defender and just go forward – that is difficult to do on the flank.
“If you are playing as wing player, you rarely have that opportunity to turn on somebody and to go – that is
probably one of the struggles he is having.
“Here in Atlanta he was a No 10 – is he a classic one? No and that is because of his versatility.
“He has the ability to play all over the midfield but he is a creator and a playmaker – his speed continues to be his best asset. “To take advantage of that he needs to be in a position where he can isolate a defender.”
So far under Bruce that has not happened – four outings at right-wing, one in central forward role, one on the left and arguably just one in a favourable position as a left-sided forward. Bruce’s determination to find the right role for the former Lanus man is arguably having a negative effect, coinciding with the lack of consistency across the board when it comes to formation.
The new head coach has of course lost Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez and we may indeed see a return to a formation which suited Almiron so well last year once Allan Saint-Maximin gains full fitness and potentially fits into role left by Perez, with Joelinton (right) filling in for Rondon.
Almiron is still yet to score for Newcastle which adds another avenue to this frustrating tale.
After twice going close on his home debut against Huddersfield Town, he has looked less and less like scoring as time has gone on. “He is not a striker either – that is what you have to take into account,” Cardenas added.
“The first time I ever sat down with Miguel was July 2018 – it was with Josef Martinez and they spoke about their relationship but when I got him alone he told me ‘I would kill to score goals.’
“He goes into the matches just wanting to score but he knows he is not a goalscorer.
“There is a misconception of his goalscoring ability, he is not a clinical finisher.
“That is part of this narrative, he has not scored and that is weighing heavily on him but he did not score a ton of goals here in the MLS.
“He was more of a creator and play-maker and that is something which needs to be considered.
“He needs to be in a position where he can isolated defenders, turn on them. He is good at seeing green space and attacking it.”
So how does Bruce get the best out of Almiron?
With Isaac Hayden now missing due to suspension and Sean Longstaff still yet to reach the heights of last year, the central midfield set-up needed to accommodate Almiron is missing.
Without that ‘compact midfield,’ Cardenas feels any set up will not work for Almiron.
So does Bruce need to build the side around him?
Cardenas added: “I think you have to be brave enough to give him a free role and then instruct the rest of the team to recognise what that is.
“Let him roam and let him find the space – let him find the weakness he thinks he can exploit and train your midfielders to recognise where Miguel is and where he wants the ball.”
There have been glimpses of Almiron at his best and even at Leicester we saw turn and sprint toward goal.
Yet the chances he has missed – a tap-in from four yards against Watford or low drive against Brighton are worrying some.
Roberto Rojas, a journalist who has covered Almiron extensively is not worried about the lack of goals.
He said: “The pressure will allow him to be more motivated to score.
“Given he also scored for Paraguay already, that shows he has something to prove.
“He has never been a proven goalscorer and he has said that before hand, being more comfortable to create than score.
“Yet it does worry me he has yet to give an assist for the team rather than score.”
Bruce looks to stick with Almiron him even if the goal drought continues but if the Paraguayan ontinues to be played out of one his three most effective roles, something which has irked Atlanta fans, will the attacker be happy at United?
Cardenas concludes: “He is a player who will do what the manager wants him to do, a player who respects who the manger is – but he is also that type of player who needs to enjoy the game.”
He has the ability to play all over the midfield but he is a creator, playmaker - his speed is his best asset Felipe Cardenas