OPINION
Had Newcastle United secured victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers – instead of succumbing to a last minute equaliser – then there would be plenty of hope over their bid for survival in the Premier League.
However, Willy Boly’s headed goal at the death left the Magpies sitting just one point off the drop zone ahead of some massive games, starting with the home clash against fellow relegation battlers Huddersfield Town, who sit at the foot of the table, next Saturday.
The match at Molineux gave the Toon Army their first sighting of new man Miguel Almiron, the Paraguayan coming off the bench for his first minutes in black and white, and you can be sure the fans will be hoping to see much, much more of him over the coming weeks – starting with the visit of the Terriers.
However, speaking of Almiron, manager Rafael Benitez has surprisingly claimed that he could be more impactful coming off the bench rather than starting the game.
He told the Sun: “It could be perfect. It also could be perfect to play him in the last ten minutes and he scores the winning goals.
“It is just a question of his understanding with the others to see if he can start or not – but I am sure he will give us something. He has stamina, he has pace, he is very dynamic – he is giving us what we were expecting.
“Now we have to see during the week how he trains and what he does. After we will decide the team against Huddersfield.”
If Almiron is bringing exactly what Benitez was expecting, then why is he being considered to start from the bench?
Newcastle did not splash the cash for the attacking maestro to be an impact substitute and when you are coming up against a side where victory is almost an absolute must, you do not leave your creative talents out of the team.
If Benitez really is thinking about keeping Almiron among the substitutes then he is not only risking the fury of the Toon Army at St James’ Park, he is gambling on the club’s survival hopes.
Almiron came to make a difference on Tyneside and there is no better side in the division to cut your teeth against than Huddersfield.