Steve Bruce has stressed that Miguel Almiron is a 'dream' to manage but the Newcastle United head coach believes the 'complete pro' needs to do more in the final third to play in his favoured role.
Since Bruce has taken charge of Newcastle, in 2019, Almiron has played in a host of positions, including as a second striker, winger, No 10 and a central midfielder.
Almiron played some of his best football under Bruce as a No 10 when the Newcastle boss switched to a 4-3-1-2 back in January, but that system was abandoned last April.
READ MORE: Everything Steve Bruce said at his press conference
Almiron, as a result, has found himself being used in a deeper, more disciplined role since Bruce reverted to a back five and you have to go back to February for the last time the 27-year-old either scored or created a goal.
Bruce is now weighing up switching to a four-man defence, once more, at Watford on Saturday after a change of system helped the Magpies recover to claim a point against Leeds last time out at St James' Park.
Almiron, as a result, could find himself being used either as a central midfielder again or, potentially, out wide as the in-form Allan Saint-Maximin continues to play through the middle up front.
"For his appetite for the game, the way he is as a pro and a lad, as a manager, you can't get any better," Bruce told reporters on Zoom. "He's a dream to manage.
"I think the big problem with Miggy was it took something like 12 months to score a goal but there's no disputing that before I got here, he lit the place up. He's had two-and-a-half years coming up maybe. He's a very good player.
"What you need from your forward players, especially if he wants to play in the 10 situation, are goals and assists and, ultimately, that's what you're judged on if you're in those forward areas, which is difficult at times because he's the complete pro.
"But when you play in those areas, you're basically judged on goals and assists and Miggy's got to do more in that respect.
"As a professional, as a player, he's terrific to work with. As we know, he can play in midfield, he can play to a side, he can play off the front so he's invaluable to us, that's for sure."
Newcastle are a little light in the middle of the park at the moment so Almiron may yet be called upon to fill in again because Joe Willock (toe) and Jonjo Shelvey (calf) are both sidelined.
The Magpies are without seven players in total for the trip to Vicarage Road and Martin Dubravka (foot), Freddie Woodman (hip), Paul Dummett (calf), Jamaal Lascelles (thigh) and Callum Wilson (thigh) might not be available until after the international break next month.
Bruce previously launched an investigation into the number of injuries Newcastle suffered during his first season at the club as the players adjusted to a new 'intensity' in training.
The study found that Newcastle had fewer soft-tissue injuries than a year previously but, clearly, the Magpies are still having their fair share of impact injuries.
"Impact injuries are always the ones," he added. "Joe Willock kicked the ground. There's nothing you can do about that. Frustrating. If he tried to do it again, he wouldn't. He wouldn't be able to I wouldn't have thought. It's one of them freak ones.
"When they happen in games or during games...Jamaal hurt his thigh against Leeds. I don't think you can look for an investigation into it but we, unfortunately, seem to pick up more than most, which is a frustration. But we'll look into it, that's for sure."
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