IN the 14 matches Miguel Almiron has played since joining Newcastle United in a then club-record move from the MLS, the Magpies have scored 17 goals. The £20m man, however, has not been directly involved in any of them.

No goals, no assists. There have been plenty of eye-catching runs upfield and mazy dribbles past defenders, and it would be stretching it to claim that Almiron has been devoid of promise. Yet when it comes to assessing the bare statistics of what the Paraguayan has delivered in a black-and-white shirt, it is impossible not to be concerned at his lack of impact in front of goal.

Saturday’s game with Watford was a case in point. There were aspects of Almiron’s game that were very good. He harassed opposition defenders from start to finish and linked neatly with Joelinton to help push Newcastle upfield. He dropped off to create space for himself and rarely gave the ball away. But when he was presented with two gilt-edged opportunities to break his Newcastle duck, he was once again found wanting.

Just four minutes in, and when Christian Atsu’s left-wing cross found him completely unmarked in the penalty area, he miscontrolled dreadfully on his chest, enabling Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster to hack clear. In the second half, when Atsu pulled the ball back into his path, he hesitated far too long, resulting in his shot being blocked by Christian Kabasele. Two great chances; two fluffed lines. Eight months into the 25-year-old’s Newcastle career, and it has become something of a pattern.

“He just needs to get one of those opportunities to fall for him, and he gets a goal,” said head coach Steve Bruce. “Since I’ve walked through the door, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at what a good player he is.

“He’s a really good player and of course he needs to add that finishing touch to his game, but it will come. I see how he works in training. He scores goals in training, but it’s a bit different doing it in front of 50,000 people and he probably just snatches at it a little bit.

“When he gets up and running, who knows, he might learn to go at things a bit calmer. The great goalscorers go calm in front of goal. We need to be patient with him, and I will be because of the type of person and player that he is.”

A lack of composure is definitely an issue, and the longer Almiron’s drought continues, the harder it becomes to get off the mark. The closest the South American has come to a goal was probably in the closing stages at Tottenham, when he did not have time to think before curling an instinctive late effort an inch or two wide of Hugo Lloris’ goal. When instinct takes over, he is fine. When he has time and space to consider his options, his brain appears to become muddled.

Newcastle’s lack of attacking options means he is going to have start delivering sooner or later, but for now, his team-mates are willing to cut him some slack because the rest of his game is in such good working order. Yes, they want him to score. But as long as he is chasing back, committing defenders and creating space for those around him, they will continue to acknowledge his value to the team.

“He’s a fantastic worker for the team,” said Isaac Hayden. “I think everyone can see that. He runs his heart out for the team every week. Defensively, he’s very good, and going forward he creates chances and causes a nuisance. I think the goal will come. It’s just one of those things, every striker or forward goes through those patches where for some unknown reason, whatever they do just doesn’t quite work out.

“He’s massively appreciated by everyone else in the dressing room. He’s got bundles of energy, sometimes you give him the ball in a difficult area and he can get past three players to break up the pitch. Him and Atsu are probably the only two players in the team that can do that.

“He’s massively important to us, especially in terms of getting us up the pitch and making sure that Jo (Joelinton) is not isolated. It’s similar to last season, when we had Rondon who was quite isolated. Jo can be quite isolated too, but if you get the willing runners like Almiron, who can get close to him, then it helps him.”

While Almiron left the pitch on Saturday night without having contributed a goal or an assist, Hayden ticked the latter box, albeit in controversial circumstances.

Trailing to Will Hughes’ second-minute opener – the Watford midfielder benefitted from fortuitous deflections off both Paul Dummett and Jamaal Lascelles before slotting home – Newcastle gradually forced their way back into the game as half-time approached.

Four minutes before the interval, Fabian Schar embarked on a charge upfield that eventually resulted in the ball being shuffled to Emil Krafth on the right flank. The wing-back crossed, Craig Dawson headed the ball against Hayden’s arm, and the deflection fell invitingly for Schar to place a neat finish in the bottom corner.

Hayden knew absolutely nothing about the ball rolling down his arm, but the new handball regulations mean that should not have mattered. While referee Graham Scott could be forgiven for not spotting the contact, VAR should have intervened.

Manchester City had what would have been a winner against Tottenham ruled out in very similar circumstances earlier this season after the ball took the slightest brush against Aymeric Laporte’s arm, but on this occasion Schar’s equaliser was allowed to stand. It seemed a fair result given the complete lack of intent on Hayden’s behalf, but according to the new rules, that should not have mattered.

“I had no idea,” said Hayden. “I was just looking around, and thought it came off Dawson. I think he headed it on to me did he? And then it sort off rolled off my arm?

“I don’t know. It was a bit of a strange one because, like I said to the lads after the game, if it happened like that, I would have thought VAR would have picked it up. It’s all confusing isn’t it?”

It certainly is. Both sides had chances to claim a winner, with Martin Dubravka saving from Isaac Success and Roberto Pereyra and Yoshinori Muto shooting into the side-netting after galloping clear, but the draw means Newcastle have picked up four points from their opening four matches.

“I think this week has settled everyone down,” said Hayden. “After the Norwich defeat, everyone was panicking and saying this and that, but a week of taking four points in the league and only going out of the cup on the lottery of penalties is a decent return.”