Dan Bardell: John McGinn hung out to dry at Aston Villa
We’re delighted to welcome The Athletic’s Dan Bardell as our exclusive Aston Villa columnist each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at the club…
John McGinn has been put in a no-win situation by Steven Gerrard, making him the captain of an Aston Villa side that is struggling so badly, according to Dan Bardell.
The manager raised eyebrows ahead of the start of the season by taking the armband from Tyrone Mings and giving it to the Scotland midfielder, but the decision itself has been lost among the myriad difficulties of this Lions team.
Bardell doesn’t the tactics suit McGinn and as the captain he is now taking criticism from fans for the collective failings, which he feels is affecting the 27-year-old’s confidence.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News he said: “I think he took on the captaincy in awkward circumstances. It must be awkward taking the armband from someone who you’re close with, who’s been the captain for a few years and is a vocal and big figure in the dressing room.
“Mings and McGinn won’t have a problem with each other all, I can categorically say that, but he’s taken on the armband in awkward circumstances that are not of his doing.
“John McGinn is never going to turn down the captaincy, that just isn’t going to happen, but I feel sorry for him.
“I think it was the same with Mings last season. When Villa were underachieving the fans came after him and he took a lot of heat. McGinn looks like he’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders at the moment.
“But it’s not on him, it’s a collective thing, and when collectively it’s not going well the manager has to take responsibility, that’s just the way it is.
“I don’t look at any of those players and think there’s a lack of effort and a lack of heart, I think the players are really frustrated with the set up. I think it’s pretty obvious from body language that they’re not comfortable or happy.
“McGinn’s part of that because the way Villa are playing just doesn’t suit him at all, but he’s now the captain and getting all this stick from fans which he will know about.
“I think it’s pretty unfair to be singling out people when the club is not performing in general and nobody is playing well, but because he’s the captain he’s taking the heat.
“I just think he’s low on confidence. That weird header that he tried against [Nottingham] Forest when the ball landed to him, I think McGinn a year ago, or when he puts on a Scotland shirt, I don’t think he would do that.
“But it’s almost as if he panicked and I think that’s the same with all the players at the moment.
“I know from players who’ve played for the club previously that Villa can be hard to play for when things aren’t going well. They have an expectant fan base.
“I don’t think Villa fans are asking for the world at the moment. I don’t think it’s unreasonable, because the club have said an awful lot in the last 12 months.
“But when it’s not going well you overthink and try things you wouldn’t normally do, and I think that’s what’s happened to McGinn at the moment, and I think that header probably sums up his season so far.
“My overall view of McGinn at the moment is I feel sorry for him because he’s been hung out to dry and put in an absolutely no-win situation by the manager.”
At the time of the captaincy switch it looked like a risk, but amid the positive expectations of the preseason it could have been the kind of bold move that showed the manager wasn’t afraid to make tough decisions.
It’s turned out to be just one of a growing catalogue of missteps for the former Liverpool captain, who is presiding over a team that is low on confidence and form, and he doesn’t appear to have any real solutions.
Making things awkward for both Mings and McGinn at the beginning of the campaign, which then started badly and hasn’t really improved much since, might have been one of the triggers for what is turning into a pretty miserable season.
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