Why Newcastle desperately need Almiron to start scoring again

Posted on March 7th, 2023 | No Comments |

Miguel Almiron: Our top goalscorer so far.

I think it’s fair to say that Newcastle United have had a good season so far, including the first Wembley Cup Final appearence since 1999. I think it’s also fair to say that Newcastle’s league success so far relies on a golden period of nine games lasting from the beginning of October 2022 until the new year. In that time. In those 9 league games, they won 8 and drew 1. Almiron played in all nine, scored 8 and undoubtedly had the biggest influence in that winning run. When Almiron’s run ended, so did Newcastle’s and now things are back to where they were in the early part of the season, solid, disciplined and hard to break down, but with a distinct lack of goals at the other end.

Although the team has progressed hugely at the back and in the centre, the new attacking talent, Alexander Isak and Andrew Gordon have yet to make a big impression and Callum Wilson seems to have lost his touch for the moment but generally, the team has been far too reliant on one attacking player having a great run of form to carry the team through. Last season it was Allan St.Maximin and the huge improvement in the teams overall performance and stats when he was on the pitch, this season it has been Almiron’s remarkable little run of games at the end of last year. Without that run, the rest of the season is very poor indeed: 15 games, but only 2 wins, 10 draws, but with only 3 losses. That’s less than a point a game though, which is relegation form. The 10 draws and 3 losses tell us exactly what the problem is, they’re a solid team which is hard to beat, but which still doesn’t have what it takes at the other end to finish off games.

There have been some great acquisitions made by Eddie Howe and Dan Ashworth in defence and midfield, but it really is time for the new forwards, over £100 millions worth, to start making their mark too as Almiron was never going to keep scoring like that, but even if he doesn’t he is still a hugely improved player to the Almiron of a few seasons ago.