Aston Villa captain John McGinn has provided some insight into the crucial work the squad is getting done during our pre-season tour in the USA this summer.
As always, our summer schedule is fundamental in building fitness levels and match sharpness ahead of the new campaign, but with the influx of new faces in the squad, it’s crucial for them to adapt and integrate into the group.
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We’ve now seen all of our new signings make their first appearance in a Villa shirt, and with games against RB Leipzig and Club America still to come before we return home, it will undoubtedly be a pivotal period for our fitness to improve and to build up chemistry.
Those are the key aspects that McGinn emphasised when speaking about our tour, as the sessions will undoubtedly be intense and that perhaps is part of the explanation behind our 4-1 defeat to Columbus Crew at the weekend, with the players focusing on preparation rather than results at this stage.
“It’s been really good. There are a lot of new faces that we’ve been trying to integrate into the squad,” he said, as per the club’s official site. “The training’s been tough and the sessions are intense. The game (v Columbus Crew) was obviously a bit disappointing in terms of the result, but it was a really good challenge for us against a really good team.
“A lot of new players have arrived and we need this time to integrate them into the squad and for them to know what the manager wants and how it’s different to where they’ve been. We want to be on the same wavelength and these sessions are always a bit longer because the details are so important.
“We’ve got time over the next few weeks to get everyone on the same page and going in the same direction.”
The Villa skipper also makes a key point regarding Unai Emery, as it will no doubt take time for new players to adapt and learn his demands and tactical instructions, and so these pre-season games are a perfect foundation for them to build on and establish themselves in his side by taking on board all the information thrown at them.
It’s hoped that if we do any further business this summer that it’s completed relatively soon, as giving our reinforcements the maximum amount of time possible to integrate and adapt will surely help them to make an impact as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, McGinn also praised the Villa fanbase in the USA, as with our profile growing on and off the pitch through sporting results by qualifying for the Champions League and through commercial deals with the likes of Adidas, it’s hoped that we continue to build our brand and become stronger financially as a result.
“It always takes you by surprise how many Villa fans we’ve got over here,” he added. “Hopefully with the success we’ve had over the past couple of seasons, our profile can keep growing.
“Hopefully we can keep growing the profile and stature of the club.”