Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has improved several key players in his squad since arriving, and John McGinn can certainly be added to that list too.
By his own admission, the 28-year-old was struggling at the start of the season in his attempts to rediscover his best form under former boss Steven Gerrard.
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Instead of maximising his qualities, perhaps the role he was asked to play limited him instead, but it’s fair to say that McGinn had to share that responsibility too as he wasn’t performing at the level he’s capable of.
Fast forward to working under Emery now though, and the Scottish international is constantly improving and developing into a fundamental figure in the Spaniard’s plans, while also now becoming increasingly decisive in games.
McGinn went 13 Premier League games without a goal or assist to start the campaign, but since Emery was appointed, he’s contributed two assists and a goal in 11 outings, his first goal in some time at club level and he was unsurprisingly delighted to finally end that barren run with a superb strike against Chelsea.
“It’s been a long time coming,” he told VillaTV. “It’s obviously been bothering me a wee bit and it was in the back of my mind after I scored with Scotland after 19 minutes. I was thinking ‘ah, typical’.
“So, I just thought I’d keep my head down, the amount of times I’ve had shots blocked from the edge of the box trying to lace it. I’ve just given it the side-foot, got enough power and thankfully it’s gone in the back of the net, so I’m delighted.”
Beyond the goal though, McGinn’s influence is clear. He sets the tone and tempo in midfield with his tenacity and work-rate, and since moving to the right side of midfield with the freedom to get forward more and add an attacking threat to our play, he’s flourishing under Emery.
From the through-ball that set Ollie Watkins away for an early chance prior to his opener, to his own effort which crashed off the crossbar in the first half, McGinn was eventually rewarded and it was all his own doing as he struck a wonderful, curling effort into the back of the net to essentially kill the game and secure all three points.
Additionally, speaking after the Chelsea game, Emery was full of praise for his midfielder’s impact on the pitch, but also his influence off it as he is evidently an important voice and presence in the dressing room.
“On the pitch and in the dressing room he is a very important player,” Emery is quoted as saying by BBC Sport. “Every day he is smiling, he works hard, he is competitive. His commitment is amazing. He understands everything we ask of him tactically, and he deserves the performances he is producing.”
And that’s arguably the most impressive part of McGinn’s turnaround in form. It’s not just a case of putting his head down and running as he jokingly suggested in his post-match interview with Sky Sports, he has adapted well to the tactical side of the game and is not only just ‘doing a job’ for the team, but he’s now coming to the forefront as a driving force from midfield.
With so much on the line between now and the end of the season as we continue to push for a top-half finish and perhaps more in the form of European qualification, McGinn will no doubt continue to play a fundamental role in our ongoing progression under Emery, who is getting more out of, and improving, players right across the squad.