When Miguel Almiron signed for Newcastle in January, he looked like the perfect man to spice up our hopes this season. He, in many ways, looked to be the perfect addition, offering a lot of what we’d previously lacked, like directness, energy and pace.
However, in the months since his arrival, he’s faded into the background somewhat. That’s not to say that he’s been poor by any means, to the contrary in fact, but it’s fair to say that he hasn’t been the immediate new star that we hoped for.
That said, his arrival has served to spark life into one or two current Magpies, and that’s certainly true of 25-year-old Ayoze Perez. He was in the shadows somewhat for the first portion of the season, lacking the goalscoring acumen and offensive flair that made him such a hit at St. James’ Park, but in recent months, he’s taken his game to the next level.
We are, of course, only a few days removed from his starring performance against Southampton, in which he bagged 3 goals, but that only serves to highlight part of what he’s offered in recent games. He’s bagged 6 goals and 1 assist in his last 6 games, and that speaks volumes about how impressive he’s been.
He’s been tremendous in front of goal, and he’s been a real bright spark for the team even when things haven’t been going particularly well for his teammates.
From flair and energy to pace and technique, there’s nothing he hasn’t been able to do. When Almiron arrived, his spot in the team was far from certain. However, now, he’s arguably Rafa Benitez’ main man.
Thoughts?