Miguel Almiron’s lack of form in front of goal is a “concern” for Newcastle United, according to Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas.
The 25-year-old Paraguayan is still yet to score or an assist a goal for the Magpies during his time in England, and Nicholas made it very clear that that has to change, despite praising Almiron for his all-round contribution.
Speaking on Sky Sports News (November 9th, 14.05), he said: “Almiron is still a concern for me because he’s got loads of enthusiasm, loads of pace, but he can’t buy a goal.
“Just because of that, it’s not helping the team, but he does help the team when he starts.”
OPINION
Unfortunately, it’s hard to disagree with Nicholas on this one. When he was brought in, Almiron was a record signing for the Toon Army, and the expectation was that he would be able to elevate this side and bring with him a hatful of creativity. Certainly, he works hard, and we have seen enough flashes of promise to suggest that there is a player in there somewhere, but now, 22 games into his Premier League career, he has yet to find the back of the net, and that is sure to be sounding all sorts of alarms at St. James’ Park. Nicholas praises Almiron here, and he deserves some credit for his fantastic work ethic, but truth be told he is lacking in quality at the moment. An average of 0.5 key passes, and 0.9 successful dribbles per game so far this season, as per Whoscored, is simply not up to scratch, and if things don’t improve soon, he surely has to be facing a spell on the bench.
