John McGinn calms Unai Emery's nerves, but is Aston Villa position change needed?

John McGinn clearly stood out as the Aston Villa midfielder scored for Scotland against North Macedonia on Saturday.

At the Tose Proeski Arena on 3 October, the Villans' captain scored from the spot as Sebastien Pocognoli got his first win since replacing Steve Clarke.

Kieron Bowie put the visitors ahead early in the first half, before the Lions' midfielder stepped up to double his country's lead in the 69th minute.

McGinn has legendary status at Villa Park, but his influence within Scotland seems to be waning.

While the 31-year-old has produced some brilliant moments, he hasn't consistently reached the heights he has shown at club level with the national team.

Some in the Tartan Army have questioned the midfielder's place in the starting lineup, but he certainly silenced his detractors with an impressive display in the 2-0 victory.

John McGinn game in numbers from Scotland win vs North Macedonia

McGinn has faced criticism from within Scotland, but answered his critics well against North Macedonia.

Before kick-off, the midfielder was asked whether he fears for his place under Pocognoli and said that no one was "undroppable".

In McGinn's 90 minutes on the pitch against the Balkan side, he took four shots, with two on target, created two big chances and recorded four key passes, as per Sofascore.

The Scotland international recorded an 87 per cent passing accuracy, completed 100 per cent of his dribbles and recorded a total ball progression of 56.8 meters.

Villa's captain also put in a defensive shift for his country, winning one tackle and nine of his 10 ground duels.

Hopefully, Scottish fans will recognise again the midfielder's importance and the qualities he brings.

Why John McGinn role change makes sense at Aston Villa

McGinn isn't getting any younger at Villa, but still undoubtedly has plenty of years left at the top of the game.

As the midfielder gets older and loses his pace, it wouldn't be surprising to see him take up a more central role in the engine room.

The Scotland international is likely to keep his tenacity and grit, and he will surely have plenty to offer even when playing deeper in the midfield.

Moving McGinn to a number 10 or box-to-box midfield role could help him perform at his best for a long time.

It would also give Unai Emery a chance to change things around at Villa Park if needed, and be more direct with pacy wingers out wide.