Dan Bardell: Tyrone Mings is ‘irreplaceable’ and ‘one of the best in the league’ for Aston Villa
We’re delighted to welcome Sky Sports journalist Dan Bardell as our exclusive Aston Villa columnist each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at the club…
Tyrone Mings is “irreplaceable” for Aston Villa and is one of the “best in the Premier League” at key defensive duties, according to Dan Bardell.
The 30-year-old suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in Villa’s opening day clash against Newcastle and, according to The Guardian (14 August) will miss the rest of the Premier League season while his chances of making England’s Euro 2024 squad are “all but over”.
His improvement under Unai Emery has solidified him as one of the league’s most dependable centre-backs, while his ability to excel under the Spaniard’s tactics has made him one of the first names on the team sheet at Aston Villa.
Bardell claims that Mings is just one of three players at Aston Villa who can’t be replaced and his specific set of defensive abilities means he will be more than a significant loss.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, Bardell said: “He’s probably in the top three players that Villa can’t do without. There are three players that can’t be replaced: Ollie Watkins, Emi Martinez and Tyrone Mings. It’s a real blow to lose him.
“I can’t speak highly enough about Mings as a player and as a person. On the pitch, he is irreplaceable. I definitely think this is going to affect Villa’s season in a negative way.
“I’m not being negative but there’s just no positives that can be drawn from his injury. When playing with a high line, he’s so fast. People don’t realise how quick is, he’s definitely one of the fastest centre-backs in the Premier League.
“His distribution from playing out of the back is again something that is completely underrated. He’s excellent on the ball for a modern-day centre-back, again probably one of the best in the league.
“He’s left-footed which offers balance, he’s the leader in that backline and the one that’s always talking. When a cross or a set piece comes in, it’s him that heads them away. When there’s a last-ditch block, it’s usually him.
“All the things you want your centre-back to do, Tyrone Mings does and they’re not going to be there anymore. It’s no coincidence that Emery has come in, identified him and improved his game and given him a new contract.
“Emery knows how big he is for Villa, the complete opposite of what the last clueless manager thought of Mings!
“So, I’m absolutely devastated that he won’t be playing for Aston Villa for the foreseeable future. He’s the second-longest serving player at the club.
“It’s just such a loss and I’ve tried to put into words how irreplaceable he is. I absolutely adore him.
“It’s a shame as he just got himself back in the England squad and you’d imagine this will affect his chances of making the Euros squad which is a devastating blow for a player who’s worked so hard to get himself into contention.
“I feel genuinely heartbroken.”
In other Aston Villa news, Bardell has identified the “most alarming thing” ahead of Villa’s clash against Everton.