Miguel Almirón

[MrRaspberryJam]

Likeable chap who tried his best but just hasn't worked out. Never really had a set position since he came in. 

[Thiago]

2 hours ago, Yorkie said:

Off the ball he's a perfect understudy to Fraser but the problem is, from memory (I mean, tbh, the last time I watched Miggy play several games in a row was under Rafa) - he can't do shit from the right-hand side when we're in possession. 

 

 

This absolutely nails it as far as Miggy is concerned. For his sake I wish he'd stuck a transfer request in the moment Bruce was appointed, or at least during that first season. It was clear as day that he was effectively finished here as soon as we replaced Rafa, Rondon and Perez with Bruce, Joelinton and Saint-Maximin.

That's his one major weakness really - the fact he's very one footed. If he was right footed I have no doubt he'd be in ahead of Fraser.

 

He's also come to the club at a time when the best manager for him left after six months and then he basically wasted two seasons under Bruce where he was shunted from left, to right, to AM, to CM. The kid played everywhere but his best position on a consistent basis and because we never had the ball the majority of his work was defensive which is a travesty. He showed at home to Southampton what he can do as a pressing 10/AM. 

 

For that reason I think he's been very unlucky. You don't choose your manager, and ASM being a better player means he's been shoehorned into roles that never really suited him. He could have absolutely downed tools but instead he kept working hard for the team. It's sad to me his career here will end in the summer, because I think he's just another victim of the Ashley era.

[Miercoles]

22 hours ago, Thiago said:

I will die on this hill. The idea he's just a headless chicken is an insult to the lad. 

 

I still feel like if that chip off the crossbar in his first game had gone in everything would have been different with this lad. He looked amazing those first few games but got really unlucky with a few chances and also had a few bad misses and at this point I think he has the yips (speaking of yips, see also: Joelinton. I'm 100% positive he knows how to strike a football without hitting his own face).

 

Can't help that he spent a large portion of that difficult period in his career under the wise tutelage of Steve Bruce either...

 

 

Edited February 18, 2022 by Miercoles

[Thiago]

Yep. Almiron will never say it, but when you've got the less impressive - now resurgent - Ryan Fraser uttering 'I have to be careful what I say here' about our former manager, what hope do you think Almiron had?

 

I made the same point re: Joelinton. You have language barriers and a total apathy from your manager to dedicate one on one time - it's a toxic combination. The main difference between Miggy and Joelinton is that there was a role and a place for Joelinton to slot into that we desperately needed. Miggy isn't taking ASM's spot because he's a lesser player. I don't think he takes Willock's spot either because we've invested more into Willock and you'd argue as a young English player he has a greater future with the club. 

[WillingtonMag]

Just don't think he's good enough unfortunately which is a shame because he's very likeable and his attitude is spot on.

[Guest HTT II]

I had high hopes for him when he first signed and he looked really good alongside Perez and Rondon in Rafa’s set-up/tactics/team towards the end as did our whole attacking game, but he hasn’t kicked on at all and seems the ultimate headless chicken type player. He lacks genuine quality on the ball in terms of creativity and goalscoring and is one of those players it’s hard to justify playing in a number of positions if they are not delivering on that front. Working hard, being likeable etc. isn’t good enough at this level and he’s struggled too often now. I’d play Murphy any day ahead of him and of course, Fraser.

 

 

Edited February 18, 2022 by HTT II

[Thiago]

Just now, HTT II said:

I had high hopes for him when he first signed and he looked really good alongside Perez and Rondon in Rafa’s set-up/tactics/team towards the end as did our whole attacking game, but he hasn’t kicked on at all and seems the ultimate headless chicken type player. He lacks genuine quality on the ball in terms of creativity and goalscoring and is one of those players it’s hard to justify playing in a number of positions of they are not delivering on that front. Working hard, being likeable etc. isn’t good enough at this level and he’s struggled too often now. 

Sorry HTT, you seem a lovely fellow, but how can you say that when he produced this assist  

 

I'm not saying he's Ozil, but the lad can spot a pass. 

 

https://youtu.be/WRbDMFj0Tnk?t=63

[Guest HTT II]

7 minutes ago, Thiago said:

Sorry HTT, you seem a lovely fellow, but how can you say that when he produced this assist  

 

I'm not saying he's Ozil, but the lad can spot a pass. 

 

https://youtu.be/WRbDMFj0Tnk?t=63

So why doesn’t he spot a pass every time he plays? I’ve seen Joelinton score, I know he’s not a goalscorer though…

[HaydnNUFC]

On 17/02/2022 at 17:23, Yorkie said:

Off the ball he's a perfect understudy to Fraser but the problem is, from memory (I mean, tbh, the last time I watched Miggy play several games in a row was under Rafa) - he can't do shit from the right-hand side when we're in possession. 

 

 

This absolutely nails it as far as Miggy is concerned. For his sake I wish he'd stuck a transfer request in the moment Bruce was appointed, or at least during that first season. It was clear as day that he was effectively finished here as soon as we replaced Rafa, Rondon and Perez with Bruce, Joelinton and Saint-Maximin.

 

Disagree with this, like. He had his best games for us in terms of output in 2019-20 under Bruce. He was probably second fiddle to ASM in terms of our most effective attacking threat once he scored his first goal against Palace. 

 

2020-21 is where it started getting bizarre, formational change after formational change, had his best game at home to Southampton after Jones had come in but we have never played him in a #10 since that game. He scored twice and covered a ridiculous amounts of ground.

 

He doesn't fit into Howe's 4-3-3 and that's no fault of his. I do still have a soft spot for him and think he's useful when played as a #10, but he needs to either play in that 10 or not at all. So I'd cash in in the summer as much as it pains me to say.

[Yorkie]

15 minutes ago, HaydnNUFC said:

Disagree with this, like. He had his best games for us in terms of output in 2019-20 under Bruce. He was probably second fiddle to ASM in terms of our most effective attacking threat once he scored his first goal against Palace. 

 

That's fair but what I mean is he was probably never going to amount to anything here once summer 2019 happened, even in spite of getting on the scoresheet a few times. 

[HaydnNUFC]

3 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

 

That's fair but what I mean is he was probably never going to amount to anything here once summer 2019 happened, even in spite of getting on the scoresheet a few times. 

 

Could say that about every single player we've had since then until the takeover though tbf. He's a useful, likeable player when utilised correctly but the system we play doesn't allow that which is fine, we move on.

[TRon]

40 minutes ago, HTT II said:

So why doesn’t he spot a pass every time he plays? I’ve seen Joelinton score, I know he’s not a goalscorer though…

 

Same applies when he's in front of goal. I can accept we might have been playing him in the wrong positions, but when he has found himself in goal scoring positions, he's either hesitated or fluffed it. That's got nothing to do with being played out of position, it's just lack of killer instinct.

[Yorkie]

2 minutes ago, HaydnNUFC said:

6 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

 

That's fair but what I mean is he was probably never going to amount to anything here once summer 2019 happened, even in spite of getting on the scoresheet a few times. 

 

Could say that about every single player we've had since then until the takeover though tbf

 

Absolutely. 

[The Butcher]

Making excuses for him is pretty pointless as he's never been good enough. As an attacking midfielder he's too one footed, not creative and not much of a dribbler. He's way too limited to ever be a sustained success in the PL, regardless of who the manager is.

 

He's got decent pace and workrate, but that's nowhere near enough. Seems a really decent bloke, and I really wanted him to succeed when he joined, but he's sadly never going to make it here.

 

Hope he can get a decent move to Spain or something in the summer.

[Thiago]

1 hour ago, HTT II said:

So why doesn’t he spot a pass every time he plays? I’ve seen Joelinton score, I know he’s not a goalscorer though…

Because he barely plays. His last seven games have included four cameos of under 20 minutes. Go back and look at the data, he was consistently creating chances for teammates. Goalscoring is different, but if he's putting it on a plate for people and they're not finishing what can he do? 

 

I get your comparison to big Jo, but even then, you don't execute that pass - you don't post the type of chance creation numbers he does - if you're not a technically sound player with good vision. I just find the talk of him being a headless chicken so incredibly harsh on the lad. He's really not. He's been shunted into that role because he's willing to do it where the likes of Fraser simply weren't. 

[Guest HTT II]

Just now, Thiago said:

Because he barely plays. His last seven games have included four cameos of under 20 minutes. Go back and look at the data, he was consistently creating chances for teammates. Goalscoring is different, but if he's putting it on a plate for people and they're not finishing what can he do? 

 

I get your comparison to big Jo, but even then, you don't execute that pass - you don't post the type of chance creation numbers he does - if you're not a technically sound player with good vision. I just find the talk of him being a headless chicken so incredibly harsh on the lad. He's really not. He's been shunted into that role because he's willing to do it where the likes of Fraser simply weren't. 

Even when he did play man, he flattered to deceive, he’s just not PL quality. As a fellow Mexican, it saddens me, again, I had high hopes for him!

[HaydnNUFC]

A better metric to look at for creative players especially in teams like ours for stat nerds is shot creating actions per 90, rather than assists. 

[Astroblack]

I've never thought he's looked out of his depth. He was an attacking player in a team that averaged 30% possession. Hopefully we stay up and next season, surrounded by better players, we see his true quality. 

[jack j]

2 minutes ago, Astroblack said:

I've never thought he's looked out of his depth. He was an attacking player in a team that averaged 30% possession. Hopefully we stay up and next season, surrounded by better players, we see his true quality. 

He'll be away in the summer I'd imagine/hope..

[Guest reefatoon]

8 hours ago, Miercoles said:

 

I still feel like if that chip off the crossbar in his first game had gone in everything would have been different with this lad. He looked amazing those first few games but got really unlucky with a few chances and also had a few bad misses and at this point I think he has the yips (speaking of yips, see also: Joelinton. I'm 100% positive he knows how to strike a football without hitting his own face).

 

Can't help that he spent a large portion of that difficult period in his career under the wise tutelage of Steve Bruce either...

 

 

 

Did he look amazing though? Feel like we are rewriting history a little here. What he brought was a bit of balance going forward, a different outlet instead of it all going down the one side all the time. He brought some balance to the attack but I don’t think he was ever amazing mind.

[Krabbe2]

There must be some MLS clubs that can pick him up?

[HWTL]

Seems a good lad and never let's his head go down, would love to see him move to different league and play games. Can't see him ever being good enough to start games and if we stay up and reinforce again can't see him ever paying. 

[Thumbheed]

25 minutes ago, reefatoon said:

Did he look amazing though? Feel like we are rewriting history a little here. What he brought was a bit of balance going forward, a different outlet instead of it all going down the one side all the time. He brought some balance to the attack but I don’t think he was ever amazing mind.

 

Aye he did. He was very much the missing piece in Rafa's counter attacking strategy and turned us from a team who could grind out results to a team that could thoroughly outplay teams. 

 

It wasn't a coincidence that our form rocketed after he signed. 

 

He was even singled out for some rough treatment from the opposition very quickly because of how impact full he was on thr break. 

 

 

 

Edited February 18, 2022 by Thumbheed

[xLiaaamx]

There's nothing Willock's doing now that in theory Almiron shouldn't be able to.

[Dr Jinx]

I thought he would have been one that Howe would have played more but he doesn’t rate him much seemingly.

 

Thats fine, there’s no drama to it. We like Miggy, he’s a good lad. It just never quite got going for him here. When he leaves here we won’t lose much money on him if at all.

 

He’d be better suited to Spain or France