Miguel Almiron – This is what I wrote exactly 3 months ago and I can’t quite believe how on the money I was

Miguel Almiron, what can you say?

A player who always worked hard, a real team player.

However, the end product lacking most / all of the time for many fans and it looked nailed on that Eddie Howe would be bringing in a more productive, in attacking terms, this summer gone.

Indeed, I think most Newcastle fans believe that it wasn’t through a lack of trying that Eddie Howe didn’t sign a new right sided attacking player / winger for this season.

Is this really true though?

Was it just maybe Eddie Howe had a change of mind, reassessed his priorities and spending plans, with what he saw in pre-season?

Exactly three months ago, Newcastle United concluded their pre-season schedule of matches with a 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao at St James’ Park.

I did an analysis on the goal threat / contribution shown in the warm up matches and this is what I found…

Newcastle United direct goal contributions (goals and assists) in pre-season friendlies:

8 Miguel Almiron (6 goals and 2 assists)

4 ASM (2 goals and 2 assists)

4 Callum Wilson (2 goals and 2 assists)

4 Matt Ritchie (2 goals and 2 assists)

3 Joe Willock (3 goals and 0 assists)

3 Bruno Guimaraes (1 goal and 2 assists)

3 Kieran Trippier (0 goals and 3 assists)

3 Joelinton (1 goal and 2 assists)

3 Elliot Anderson (1 goal and 2 assists)

2 Sean Longstaff (2 goals and 0 assists)

2 Chris Wood (1 goal and 1 assist)

1 Jacob Murphy (1 goal and 0 assists)

1 Jonjo Shelvey (0 goals and 1 assist)

1 Emil Krafth (0 goals and 1 assist)

This is part of what I wrote back at the end of July after that friendly win over Bilbao, ahead of the season, as I analysed what the goals and assists stats could mean for the (then) coming season…

‘Something certainly seems to have clicked with Miguel Almiron, judging by pre-season.

The Paraguayan looking more focused, playing more direct, looking more dangerous, using a turn of pace, most importantly …more end product. We all know his workrate can’t be questioned but in a team / squad that doesn’t have many regular goal scorers / creators, Miguel Almiron had / has to start making more of a difference up front.

He showed improved form in the final games of last season but still only scored one goal, actually the only one he has scored this past year and a half for Newcastle United. It was a goal of the season contender against Palace but regular goals and assists still hard to come by, indeed, not a single assist all last season from the Paraguayan.

However, with six goals and two assists in pre-season already, the signs are promising.

When it comes to these Newcastle United goals and assists in pre-season, then I think it is fair to take more notice of these three most recent tough games against three very good teams. This past week when things have got serious in terms of preparing for the Premier League.

Almiron was excellent in that Benfica match, not just the two very good goals, his contribution overall. Likewise, I thought he was one of Newcastle’s best players in the 1-0 win over Atalanta. Unlucky to get on the scoresheet he was a threat, one moment standing out in particular – receiving the ball at the right corner of the 18 yard box, Almiron totally outwitted the defender by going so direct and sprinting past, with only an excellent save via the keeper’s foot stopping him scoring.

Also, very much worth highlighting Kieran Trippier, three assists pre-season and two of them came against Benfica, rampaging down the right and excellent balls into Miggy for the goals. His quality is well known in both open play and when it comes to set-pieces, hopefully he will prove a key player going forward, as well as his defensive ability. A few free-kicks like the two he scored last season won’t come amiss either.

As for elsewhere, we have seen a big spread of both goals and assists amongst the squad, which is almost certainly what will be needed this coming season…’

I know it isn’t really the English thing to pat yourself on the back but…on this occasion, I am very happy to look back at that pre-season analysis above.

I’m obviously even happier at the fact of what has actually happened, what we are watching this season.

I do think Miguel Almiron was showing up far better in pre-season than he had been previously and with twice as many direct goal involvements (eight) than anybody else, he was looking really good.

Eddie Howe had arranged much better quality opposition than we’d tended to see previously, under Steve Bruce and others. That game away against Benfica saw Almiron looking excellent and scoring two cracking goals.

Whilst I also called Kieran Trippier right, we had seen glimpses last season and especially the free-kick goals, BUT the England defender’s contribution this season has been staggering, in defence and especially going forward.

Finally, I also commented above about how Newcastle would need goals and assists to come from a lot of different players.

We are now 13 games into this Premier League season and Joelinton scoring against Villa, means that already ten different Newcastle players have scored goals.

If you add the Tranmere win in the League Cup, where Lascelles and Wood scored, it is actually 12 different NUFC players who have scored in 14 matches so far this season.

This is truly a team / squad effort. Though fair to say that we can point to Miguel Almiron as a bit of a stand out (and Kieran Trippier!), Newcastle’s top scorer with seven goals and six in six games this month, where will it end…?