What’s going on with Miguel Almiron?

For so long the problem position at Newcastle United, the club have gone from having a paucity to a plethora of No 10s. Miguel Almiron in the Premier League Stats 2019-20 2020-21* Appearances 36 3 Starts 35 1 Minutes played 3,033 127 Goals 4 0 Assists 2 1 Chances created 31 5 Minutes per chance created 97.8 25.4 *4 games into the season If Bruce’s use of Almiron has been part of a man-management strategy to try to get more from the forward — as one insider believes it has — then it has left the 26-year-old “anxious on an emotional level, desperate to impress whenever he plays”, according to another source. Although Newcastle’s summer business has not addressed all the issues within the squad, it has given Bruce stylistic alternatives — some players may be better suited to specific game plans or to facing certain opposition. Although the positional argument holds some merit — Bruce himself said earlier this season that playing “higher up” the pitch probably suits him best — there is no doubt the head coach rates Almiron. If Newcastle are going to “evolve” as Bruce insists they will, neither Carroll nor Hendrick can regularly be part of the team’s front four, given the talent available.