Steven Gerrard wrong to remove Tyrone Mings from Aston Villa captaincy – Damien Delaney
Damien Delaney believes that Steven Gerrard has made the wrong call by stripping Tyrone Mings of Aston Villa captaincy this season.
The England international was replaced in the leadership role by midfielder John McGinn.
Delany, in a column for Irish Examiner, stated that the former Rangers manager understated the relationship between Mings and the club fans.
“By all accounts, Mings is a stand-up guy so the manager should have left the situation be,” he wrote. “Gerrard seriously underestimated the bond between the fans and a skipper who, remember, played a huge role in restoring Villa to the Premier League, and retained that cherished status.
“Yes, Mings is prone to errors but he’s a guy with a tremendous rags to riches story from mortgage advisor to non-league football to England international.
“That story resonates with supporters in these mercenary times and no one can question that Mings plays with incredible heart.
“It was a miscalculation on Gerrard’s part and created a more outsized news line for the club than they needed. All the more so now when they were in the trenches and suffering.
“The signing of Diego Carlos meant Mings was demoted to the bench on the opening day of the season at Bournemouth, Gerrard believing he had his first choice CB pairing. The lethargic performance and poor result against Bournemouth meant a forced backtrack.
“Mings was restored for the home game with Everton and delivered an exceptional performance and victory, making the initial decision appear unnecessary.
“Perhaps a more established manager with the correct swagger and track record could have pulled off such a decision. But in my opinion, it was ill-thought out and a little naive.”
Important
Every club have different kind of players to rely on. Some are extremely gifted and are capable of turning the game upside down in a matter of minutes but it is not them who often dictate the course of play.
The players who often turn out to be decisive are the ones who are just fighters on the pitch. They know the value of the shirt they wear and they are willing to sacrifice everything to get a result for their team.
Mings is that one player for Aston Villa who clearly wears his heart on his sleeves and does not believe in giving anything less than 100 per cent every time he goes on to the pitch.
Those kinds of characters are extremely difficult to find and it is important that Gerrard knows how to handle such players because they are a unique breed.
Those are the kind of players who are supposed to be taken care of, not confronted because if they are on your side, you almost get the sense of having an extra player on the pitch.
In other Aston Villa news, £30million worth of shares have been pumped into the club to ensure any debts can be cleared heading into the meat of the season.