Pundit delighted by ‘absolutely ideal’ John McGinn update ahead of Aston Villa showdown v Chelsea
We’re delighted to welcome former Aston Villa full-back Alan Hutton as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Villa Park…
Alan Hutton believes that the Premier League winter break has come at an “absolutely ideal” time for Aston Villa and in particular John McGinn ahead of an important run of fixtures.
The Premier League winter break means that Unai Emery’s side will have 12 days without a fixture between their 0-0 stalemate with Everton at Goodison Park and their FA Cup fourth-round clash with Chelsea.
A number of Villa’s players had shown signs of some fatigue in recent weeks, with McGinn in particular seeming not quite at his best during the showdown with the Toffees and the FA Cup third-round win over Middlesbrough at the Riverside.
Although the fixture list doesn’t get much easier in the coming weeks, Hutton believes that the time off will have done McGinn and his Aston Villa teammates a world of good as they look to continue their push for Champions League football.
“They need it,” Hutton told Villa News.
“Obviously John McGinn, the amount of football that he’s played, not just for his club but internationally, the strain that must be on his body and the way he plays. He’s all action for as much as he plays the game.
“So for those guys to have a rest and you think about Ollie Watkins, Konsa and Martinez, all these guys that play constantly, it’s absolutely ideal for them to have a little rest.
“They can go away, be with their families, if they’re allowed to go on holiday whatever, just rest and get ready to go again, because it’s going to be tough.
“There’s lots of games coming up and not only that, tough games and they’re at the top end of the league which is a little bit of a change. They’re not fighting at the bottom, but it’s just as hard.
“You need to win constantly so it’s ideal that they get a rest at this moment in time.”
Aston Villa make the trip to Stamford Bridge on Friday 26 January, before welcoming Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United to Villa Park on 30 January for their final game of the month.
However, the games begin to come thick and fast again in February, with Emery’s side having four Premier League games and potentially another FA Cup tie to look forward to, all before the Europa Conference League gets back underway in March.
In other Aston Villa news, Hutton has suggested that Ollie Watkins can help Villa complete a transfer that “ticks all the boxes”
For more Aston Villa news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.