Dan Bardell exclusive: Steven Gerrard treatment of Tyrone Mings at Aston Villa disgusting
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…
Steven Gerrard’s treatment of Tyrone Mings at Aston Villa was “bang out of order” and ultimately cost him, according to Dan Bardell.
The former Villans manager stripped the centre-back of the captaincy prior to the start of the season, handing it to John McGinn, and tried to drop him from the team before injury to Diego Carlos forced him to reverse the latter decision.
Bardell cannot say enough for Mings as a character and a player at Villa, and believes the way it was handled was highly unnecessary for a figure who means so much to the club.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News he said: “He was absolutely brilliant [in the Manchester United win] and it’s not the first time this season where I’ve thought that, considering what he went through at the start of the season.
“He spoke recently with Gregg Evans at The Athletic about how losing the captaincy did affect him mentally, of course it did.
“I look back to August now, and what happened with Steven Gerrard. He’s got every right to change his captain, that’s up to him if he thinks it’s the best decision, he’s the manager so he should be able to make that kind of decision.
“I don’t like the way it was done, and when I think back now about the things that Mings has done for Aston Villa, he’s been at the heart of most good things that have happened to the club since the new owners came in.
“He was a massive reason we got promoted and a massive reason we got stabilised in the Premier League.
“He’s such a great character and someone I’m really proud to have at the club, and what happened in August with some of the stuff Gerrard said and the way he said it, was bang out of order.
“It was disgusting really coming from someone who didn’t have any credit in the bank at the club at all, to do that to someone who has got a massive amount of credit in the bank, it was really poor and ultimately I think that was one of the things that cost Gerrard hugely.
“He lost a lot of fans that day when he did what he did to Tyrone Mings. Yes he backtracked on it very quickly because he had to, and there was this thing about, ‘He was injured, that’s why he didn’t play,’ which I didn’t really buy.
“Tyrone Mings has been such a great player for Villa and on Sunday (6 November) he was absolutely immense, and I’m excited to see what Unai Emery can do with him because I think he can take his game up another level.
“He’s a late developer, came into professional football late, came into the Premier League late, so I think there’s still room to grow.
“He’s such a good player, he’s such a good person, someone I’m really proud to have at Aston Villa, and what happened at the start of the season was completely unnecessary, completely out of order, and I’m glad that he’s here.
“I’m glad that he’s playing for my football club because I think they’re a better club with him at the place.“
With the benefit of hindsight the captaincy issue was arguably the beginning of the end for Gerrard in that it overshadowed the start of the season, and put unnecessary pressure on two key players.
The atmosphere within the team as they slumped to an opening day defeat at Bournemouth (6 August) was low, and things never truly picked up from there.
With Unai Emery now in charge it is possible to draw a line under the previous era, and while Emi Martinez has worn the captain’s armband of late, the focus on it can subside, allowing the players involved in the previous situation to get on with what they do best.
In other Aston Villa news, Peter Schmeichel has called Villa the most underperforming team in the league.