Miguel Almirón

[mrmojorisin75]

It’s beyond obvious that Ritchie isn’t passing to him. It’s happened every game since Almiron arrived.

 

I don’t know whether it’s because Ritchie is annoyed that Almiron takes up similar positions to him or whether he’s worried Almiron is going to ultimately take his place but there’s something going on.

 

I used to quite like Ritchie but I’ve gone right off him after this.

 

Will say it again, it's because of how left sided they both are. Ritchie's body shape is always wrong for the pass Almiron needs with the runs he makes.

[LV]

It’s beyond obvious that Ritchie isn’t passing to him. It’s happened every game since Almiron arrived.

 

I don’t know whether it’s because Ritchie is annoyed that Almiron takes up similar positions to him or whether he’s worried Almiron is going to ultimately take his place but there’s something going on.

 

I used to quite like Ritchie but I’ve gone right off him after this.

 

Will say it again, it's because of how left sided they both are. Ritchie's body shape is always wrong for the pass Almiron needs with the runs he makes.

 

His body shape is wrong? Really? I think there’s more to it than that. Just my opinion but I’m sure of it.

[KaKa]

It's genuinely uncomfortable how often it's happened.

 

Almiron clearly wants it early in those channels he runs into so he can take on the defender one on one.

 

We haven't seen enough of him in these positions yet, because he is not being given the ball.

 

Hope Kenedy displaces Ritchie at some point. That would be far more intriguing.

[TRC]

Ritchie is a relegation clogger. He has great work rate and stamina but he thinks he a lot better than he is and is involved way too much in our play.

[Consortium of one]

Ritchie is taking one for the team.  Moving to an unfamiliar position while watching his future run the channels in front of him.  It's got to be tough for him but he's still giving it a go, if not warming to Almiron the way we'd want him to.

[Stifler]

Loved him jumping on the back of Perez after the equaliser.

[tmonkey]

The not passing to Almiron is imo Ritchie's ego making him ignore the obvious pass on to the superior player. He doesn't want to give the ball to the guy who is most likely to do something with it because subconsciously he thinks he should be the one to be pulling the strings, and so instead of releasing the ball to that guy he uses him as a decoy instead and looks to develop play elsewhere.

 

Tiote (RIP) had this ego issue also, though it wasn't really as noticeable as Ritchie's - he would frequently avoid passing to Ben Arfa even when it was the best pass on. He'd have the ball in the middle of the pitch whilst getting closed down, Hatem's to his right free and unmarked and in a good position so it's a simple pass to him, so what does Cheik do? He fakes that he's about to pass to Hatem and then turns on the ball, and looks to pass it left sideways to someone else. It was fucking frustrating to watch and made zero sense, and the sample applies with Ritchie's refusal to pass to Almiron.

 

Anyway, Almiron is looking like such a massive signing. Those crosses into the danger zones were superb, the quicker his teammates adapt to his ability to fizz the ball hard and low into that gap the more goals we'll score.

[Shelveys Hair]

It’s beyond obvious that Ritchie isn’t passing to him. It’s happened every game since Almiron arrived.

 

I don’t know whether it’s because Ritchie is annoyed that Almiron takes up similar positions to him or whether he’s worried Almiron is going to ultimately take his place but there’s something going on.

 

I used to quite like Ritchie but I’ve gone right off him after this.

 

Will say it again, it's because of how left sided they both are. Ritchie's body shape is always wrong for the pass Almiron needs with the runs he makes.

 

 

While I do think there is an element of Ritchie thinking he is the senior player and trying to dictate play a bit, I did think this while watching him today.

 

Its almost like Ritchie naturally turns readying for the cross and so it cuts out the angle up the wing, its probably habit and not used to having someone in front of him.

 

If he wants to stay in the team though he needs to make himself an important yet unappreciated cog in the machine.

[Yorkie]

I think that's a load of nonsense tbh. They don't work well together but Ritchie has been a terrific professional since he signed for us; there's no way he's actively avoiding helping the team because he fancies himself.

[huss9]

I think that's a load of nonsense tbh. They don't work well together but Ritchie has been a terrific professional since he signed for us; there's no way he's actively avoiding helping the team because he fancies himself.

 

agree 100%.

this lad is a team player.

not passing to almiron on purpose, ffs.

[Happinesstan]

Before Almiron arrived, Ritchie's biggest responsibility was to provide creativity, he's now doing a completely different job. It'll come, I'm sure.

[LV]

I think that's a load of nonsense tbh. They don't work well together but Ritchie has been a terrific professional since he signed for us; there's no way he's actively avoiding helping the team because he fancies himself.

 

agree 100%.

this lad is a team player.

not passing to almiron on purpose, ffs.

 

I’ve seen it with my own eyes and I’m not alone. Everyone’s got an opinion and that’s cool if you don’t think it’s been happening in your opinion but in my opinion and in that of others Ritchie has been avoiding a pass to Almiron.

[STM]

I think that's a load of nonsense tbh. They don't work well together but Ritchie has been a terrific professional since he signed for us; there's no way he's actively avoiding helping the team because he fancies himself.

 

agree 100%.

this lad is a team player.

not passing to almiron on purpose, ffs.

 

I’ve seen it with my own eyes and I’m not alone. Everyone’s got an opinion and that’s cool if you don’t think it’s been happening in your opinion but in my opinion and in that of others Ritchie has been avoiding a pass to Almiron.

 

I think it's more the insinuation that Richie has done this deliberately, like he's thought about it before hand. "I'm not passing to him", it's moronic.

[Hanshithispantz]

Matt Ritchie cannot melt steel beams

[Infinitely Content]

The problem with the argument that they’re both left sided players being the reason Ritchie doesn’t pass to him is that Ritchie constantly, at least 10 times since Almiron joined, cuts in to his right foot, not even in the final third and looks for a short pass inside realising he’s on his weaker foot and has little space rather than playing a sinple pass with his left to Almiron in space. So it’s not like when Ritchie does it it’s always because he has opportunity to cross.

 

Blatantly ignoring him I reckon and it’s infuriating to watch. Would love Kenedy to start, Ritchie seems to see more of the ball than any other player despite being one of our poorer players at this level, was the same with Dummett when he was at left back.

[Guest chopey]

I predict this lad will score a thunderbastard before the season is out.

[Sho Time]

Haven't read that much opinion and I'm sure there are less smart people that aren't taken due to his goals/assist ratio despite us breaking our record on him, but the difference he's made since being here with his all-round play is nothing short of phenomenal, we look like an football team capable of actually playing football since his arrival.

[mighty__mag]

Hope we stop playing him on the left side,he looked better in more central positions later in that second half yesterday.

[triggs]

Haven't read that much opinion and I'm sure there are less smart people that aren't taken due to his goals/assist ratio despite us breaking our record on him, but the difference he's made since being here with his all-round play is nothing short of phenomenal, we look like an football team capable of actually playing football since his arrival.

Tbf we were playing well the month or so before he arrived as well. Disappointingly I haven't been able to see much of us lately so can't really comment much on him

[joeyt]

I thought he was pretty poor for the first two thirds of the game but finished strongly

[Happinesstan]

I thought he was pretty poor for the first two thirds of the game but finished strongly

 

I imagine we'll see that quite a lot. He's clearly our biggest danger and will be treated as such, but that's exactly what we've always needed.

 

It's down to the rest of the team to capitalise.

 

[Away Day Gadgie]

Not really sure if it’s been mentioned but i loved it the other day when someone played the ball out to him on the left, he did a little drop of the shoulder and used his pace to burst past the defender.  Hope we see more play like that as he starts to settle in ?

[Ginola]

Nice run to win the free kick for the goal

[Astroblack]

Was watching this earlier. His ex teammates rate him so highly. 

 

So glad he’s our now.

 

[DJ_NUFC]

Ignorediron, amirite?