Robbie Mustoe praised John McGinn after Aston Villa thrashed Brighton on Saturday, saying the midfielder was brilliant for Unai Emery’s side.
Mustoe was speaking on The 2 Robbies podcast after the Villans made a great statement by defeating the Seagulls 6-1 to give their fans the perfect start to the weekend. John McGinn technically finished the game with 0 goals and one assist. That, however, does not tell the complete tale of his contribution to the game.
Just outside the final third, the Scotland international shone. He made an incredible pass that allowed Matty Cash to set up Ollie Watkins for the game’s first goal.
And there was a lovely ball into Watkins’ path for their fourth, which looked especially crucial given that Brighton had equalized early in the second half.
After Aston Villa stunned Brighton, John McGinn would also slide Watkins in for the strike that allowed Douglas Luiz to put the frosting on the cake.
And Robbie Mustoe suggested that he deserved the underappreciated performer of the week award in the Premier League following his display.
“If you watch this game back and look at the highlights, which we did many times, he is involved in at least three of the six goals directly by doing something that was really effective,” he told The 2 Robbies.
“Through passes, crosses, runs, combination with the front two players. And he maybe doesn’t look like your Rolls-Royce of a midfielder, he’s a stocky little guy, big backside. He can’t half play. And he’s not a winger, but he still has a massive effect on the attacking play because of his work inside. He’s not a wide midfield player, he’s an inside attacking midfield guy, who gets in those little spaces.
“And his game was, I thought, outstanding. And I’m sure he’ll get plenty of pats on the back because it was pretty outstanding this weekend. But a player in general, John McGinn, he’s a good little footballer. And he had a brilliant game.”
Unbelievable bit of business
His impact going forward does not tell the full story either. McGinn won five tackles during the victory, according to Whoscored. Only two players across either side won more than the 28-year-old.
It’s astonishing that Villa paid only £2 million for McGinn (Telegraph). that’s especially strange considering Villa fans were well aware of what a fantastic piece of business that was during their time in the Championship.
When the video of that strike against Sheffield Wednesday makes the rounds on social media, no football fan can just scroll past it.
He is presently reaching 200 appearances for the club and may be improving. So, when you consider the amount, he is undoubtedly well on his way to joining the conversation about the best signings they have made.
Leave a Reply