Newcastle United have new expectations, now that PIF have enjoyed several years of ownership. Eddie Howe is in his third full season, having taken the club to the Champions League and the Carabao Cup final.
They narrowly missed out on a successive term on the continent after Manchester United salvaged their season with an unlikely FA Cup victory over Manchester City, but the unrelenting barrage of injuries on Tyneside made it very hard for Howe to get his system flowing at its max.
Perspective is important. Some sections of the Magpies support are (somewhat justly) frustrated by their side’s start to the 2024/25 campaign, but victory over Everton in the Premier League this weekend would put Newcastle in a good position heading into the October international break, for they have claimed 11 points from six games and recently drew to Manchester City.
However, it would be wong to say that United are firing on all cylinders – especially up front – and thus Howe must be pretty annoyed by his team’s failure to effectively strengthen the frontline this summer, with Miguel Almiron still a core part of the team.
Miguel Almiron's future at Newcastle
No disrespect to Almiron, but he doesn’t look likely to reclaim that wonderful burst of form that played a crucial role in qualifying for the Champions League in 2022/23. It was a prolific vein that made rivals – such as Jack Grealish, ha-ha – bow in awe, Toon supporters swoon.
But after that fleeting period of brilliance, Almiron has sunk back into the cold comfort of obscurity, scoring only three Premier League goals last year and featuring on only a handful of occasions over the past two months.
He’s still got his benefits, demonstrating an aptitude in ball retention and carrying an energy through his displays that spreads through to his defensive efforts, ranking among the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 6% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.
24/25
2 (0)
2′
0
0
23/24
33 (23)
1,947′
3
1
22/23
34 (29)
2,508′
11
2
21/22
30 (19)
1,720′
1
0
20/21
34 (28)
2,438′
4
1
19/20
36 (35)
3,034′
4
2
18/19
10 (9)
763′
0
0
It’s perhaps telling that TEAMtalk have recently revealed that Almiron is expected to leave in January, with clubs from the MLS and Saudi Pro League lining up to offer the Paraguayan a bumper package to enter the twilit phase of his career, with Everton also keen on keeping him in the Premier League.
The report claims that Newcastle were willing to let him go during the off-season, but clearly, a lack of success on the market left the club empty-handed, and forced to retain the services of a player who has slipped into a marginal role, almost like a piece of flotsam drifted out to sea, but still stuck in St. James’ Park waters.
There were a host of targets that Howe pursued, but none came closer to signing for the outfit than Anthony Elanga, who was excellent for Nottingham Forest last year.
Howe must rue missing out on Anthony Elanga
Before we talk about Newcastle’s blunder, let’s talk about Manchester United’s. They say that hindsight is a wonderful thing, but only if you find yourself looking at the point in question from afar, from the outside.
The Red Devils must rue selling Elanga to Forest for a £15m fee in July 2023, bidding farewell to their homegrown winger, principally right-sided, as Erik ten Hag felt he had ample quality in that of Antony and Jadon Sancho. Cue ellipses.
The Sweden international, 22 years old, scored five goals and assisted nine more in the English top flight, as per Sofascore, with his “electric pace” – as per former goalkeeper Paul Robinson – and playmaking combining to make a real impression.
He created 14 big chances in total, putting him among the Premier League’s finest creators of the year, and the highest of any Tricky Trees player bar Morgan Gibbs-White, who created 16 big chances.
Newcastle launched a series of offers Nottingham Forest’s way in August, with their frenetic and, largely, fruitless finish seeing an offer worth £50m for the wide forward, though this was rejected, much to the Magpies’ dismay.
The simple nature of the saga is not a pointer of Paul Mitchell’s failed strategy, but rather an illumination of the lack of time that was afforded to conclude business – Forest’s steadfast resolve could have been tested with an even bigger bid, but this would have been an overpayment for a talented player, yes, but one whose efforts have not yet placed him in such a ballpark.
Elanga hasn’t started the current campaign in the rip-roaring form that perhaps he would have hoped for, yet to score and boasting just one assist, but he’s certainly been an important member of a team that is exceeding expectations under Nuno Espirito Santo’s wing, with just one defeat – and a victory at Anfield – from six Premier League matches.
Just imagine him on the right side of Newcastle’s frontline, combining with the clinical Alexander Isak to fire Newcastle back into the ascendancy; offering interchangeable threats from the flank to bounce off Anthony Gordon on the alternate, keeping defenders guessing; cutting inside or dragging down the side to create space and pull opponents away, allowing Harvey Barnes to glide inward, as is his way, and fire delightfully past the goalkeeper, as is his way.
Newcastle fumbled the bag with this one, and given that Almiron, who has played the bittiest of parts under Howe this term, is set to depart sooner rather than later, it’s clear that attempts were botched.
He's outscoring Salah: Newcastle want to sign £50m Almiron upgrade
This machine “cannot be stopped” in the Premier League…
ByAngus Sinclair Oct 3, 2024