Dan Bardell: John McGinn was curtailed by Steven Gerrard but can now thrive in Unai Emery system at Aston Villa
Aston Villa captain John McGinn has experienced a rollercoaster ride at Villa Park this season after taking the armband from Tyrone Mings last summer and being set up to fail in an unfamiliar position under Steven Gerrard.
The Scottish international was backed to the hilt by former Villa manager Gerrard in a deep-lying central midfield position that didn’t suit his game, but now playing wider and further forward under Unai Emery, McGinn looks to be returning to his vintage best.
There were many failures of the Gerrard era, but the controversial call to strip Mings of the captaincy in pre-season and drop him from the starting line-up due to poor form proved to be a major mistake.
The centre-back, alongside McGinn, have cut rejuvenated figures under Emery in recent months – bringing yet more of Gerrard’s decision-making into question.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, Sky Sports News and The Athletic’s Dan Bardell admitted that McGinn was “hung out to dry” by the ex-Villa manager and was quickly made the scapegoat of the team’s failings.
He said: “I think at the time when he was named captain by Steven Gerrard, it wasn’t the right call, it wasn’t the right time for McGinn because his own form was suffering.
“However, that wasn’t just down to him. It was to do with the way Villa set up under Gerrard, he was completely curtailing McGinn and asking him to do things he wasn’t good at whilst not allowing him to do the things he was good at.
“I think Gerrard hung him out to dry, and McGinn, therefore, became a bit of a scapegoat from the fans. I think his confidence took a knock and his form then dropped as well.”
Since the club sacked the former England captain in October of last year, McGinn has started to rediscover the bullish form that made him so popular within the claret and blue faithful back in the Championship days.
Instead of being deployed as a deep-lying midfielder, where an emphasis was placed on his defensive and positional discipline, McGinn is operating in a wide midfield role on the right flank under Emery.
With Boubacar Kamara and Douglas Luiz taking on the more defensive-minded role, the former Hibernian man has been given licence to venture into the final third with more freedom – as highlighted by his brace of assists in the 2-0 win against Everton.
On the midfielder’s recent return to form, Bardell added: “The change of position under Emery has been the making of him because the defensive side of the game actually suits him being on the flank in terms of using his body well.
“And when attacking, it means he can come into those central areas and arrive late into the penalty area, break the play up higher up the pitch and really affect the game.”
In other Aston Villa news, Dan Bardell admits one Villa loanee has “no pathway” under Unai Emery, with a recent signing being the final blow.