Analyzing Miguel Almiron’s debut with Newcastle United

Miguel Almiron made his debut with Newcastle United as a substitute in the 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton last night.

The much-anticipated debut of Miguel Almiron finally occurred in the 71st minute of last night’s match between Newcastle United and Wolverhampton. The Paraguayan international ran on the field as a substitute for winger Christian Atsu and the former MLS star was greeted with loud cheers from the Toon Army who were in attendance in large numbers.

After taking the lead through Isaac Hayden in the 56th minute, many supporters, myself included, assumed that Rafa Benitez might delay Almiron’s debut until February 23rd against Huddersfield Town, but the Spaniard chose not to punish us. Almiron was thrown into the match during a difficult time period as Wolverhampton kept pressing forward in search of an equalizer, but the attacking midfielder held his own and did well on both sides of the ball.

What We Learned in 19 minutes

For most players, 19 minutes is hardly enough time to showcase their skills, work ethic and mentality, but Almiron showed all three of those things in his limited time on the field. The first noticeable attribute he showed Newcastle fans was his defensive urgency. He is an attacking player who looks to score or complete assists, but he hustled back to help his fellow midfielders and the back-line as Wolves constantly bombarded Newcastle’s penalty area.

The second thing we learned about our record signing was his confidence. It was his first-ever competitive match with his new team in the Premier League, but he looked as if he had been a Magpie all season. Almiron was quick to accelerate forward and motion for the ball on multiple occasions and that type of mentality has been lacking on this roster. The Paraguayan also had a chance to complete an assist in his debut when he passed it to Ayoze Perez in the box, but the Spaniard sent the ball over the goal.

Finally, we all noticed that Almiron was playing out position on the wing. He is traditionally a number ten midfielder behind the striker, but Benitez placed him on the wing in his debut. The one interesting thing we all witnessed with Almiron playing as a winger is the pace he boasts. He covered a lot of ground in a matter of seconds and looked just as quick with the ball at his feet.

It will take Almiron some time to adjust to English football, but his first 19 minutes of action showed that he is up for the challenge and he has the skills to be a solid player. The good news for Newcastle is that their next opponents are Huddersfield Town and Burnley. One can only imagine the possible damage Almiron will do against two bad teams threatened by relegation.