View: Position change for John McGinn will help Aston Villa star carry Scotland form over to Premier League

Fri 23 September 2022 8:10, UK

John McGinn has shone once again on international duty, and a slight tweak to his position at Aston Villa can help him carry his form over to the Premier League.

McGinn was on the scoresheet for Scotland on Wednesday night, as Steve Clarke’s side put on a masterful second-half showing to beat Ukraine 3-0 in the Nations League.

It marked McGinn’s third goal in his last 10 Scotland appearances, and he’s also registered four assists in that time. It’s a stark contrast to his form at Villa, where he seems bogged down with expectation since inheriting the captain’s armband.

A goal from Super John McGinn and a brace from substitute Lyndon Dykes saw Scotland beat Ukraine and take all three points to go top of Group B1.

These are your highlights from Scotland 3-0 Ukraine.#SCOUKR pic.twitter.com/UL71r50XF5
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) September 22, 2022

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But the 27-year-old midfielder can never be criticised for his workrate, and a minor change to his position at Villa Park could help Steven Gerrard kickstart his season.

Against Ukraine, McGinn played in a more advanced midfield role, slotting in behind Che Adams like a traditional No.10.

It’s a position McGinn used to adopt for Villa, but the arrival of Philippe Coutinho and Emi Buendia in recent seasons has seen him been pushed back to become more of a defensive midfielder.

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McGinn certainly can play that role and his tackling stats prove just that, but he’s still more suited as a creative midfielder and his time at Scotland proved it.

With Coutinho struggling for form himself at Villa Park this season, it’s a perfect opportunity for Gerrard to experiment with his midfield and try McGinn further forward behind either Ollie Watkins or Danny Ings.

Unshackling him from his defensive duties and giving him license to roam forward into the box could be exactly what McGinn needs to restore his confidence this season.

Douglas Luiz and Jacob Ramsey provide enough energy and defensive assurance in midfield to let McGinn drive forward, and the Scotsman is also well drilled in pressing from the front.

It’s a risk worth taking for Gerrard. At worst he can simply shuffle McGinn back to his current midfield position, but at best he could revitalise the form of his current captain and discover a new goalscorer for his side.

In other Aston Villa news, Jack Grealish has claimed he was more ‘free’ at Villa than at Manchester City