Although Aston Villa have struggled as we continue to adjust to life back in the Premier League, there have been plenty of reasons for positivity even if we accept there are plenty of improvements still to be made.
No side has really blown us away, although Crystal Palace was probably the poorest for many, and arguably we could already have more points on the board had we taken our chances and not been hit so harshly for our errors.
With last weekend’s clash against Burnley being another disappointment, one man who has certainly continued to impress this year has been midfielder John McGinn. After his exploits last season, the 24-year-old Scottish international already has eight appearances to his name, and he’s chipped in with three goals and one assist so far in the league.
Reflecting on the 2-2 draw as he spoke to the Official Site, he felt we should certainly take the positives, but accept it’s still a learning curve for the players.
“We didn’t manage the game properly. We’re inexperienced at this level most of us, so we’re learning the hard way that’s for sure. It’s painful process at the moment. You want to win no matter what level you play at. If you’ve just scored as well, teams know you’re vulnerable. It’s a kick in the teeth because I believe it’s a game we deserved to win. We’ve said it so many times now, we have to manage the game. It doesn’t have to be pretty – just boot it into the stands and regroup if necessary. We got punished again.”
McGinn did say he felt it was our ‘best performance’ of the campaign so far, so plenty of positives and confidence can be taken, it’s just those small margins where we have to be quicker, sharper and a bit more savvy to see a threat through.
“We’re getting to grips with each other now. Hopefully we can turn a corner now and get wins from these performances.”
If we do, we’ll all be happy.
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Oh and it would remiss of me not to mention Fear’s book! A fascinating look at his battles and victories. You can see all the details, how to buy and the reviews at: https://thefear.net/ and on Amazon (if you don’t have Prime, it is cheaper to buy directly and means he can donate more to the AVFC Foundation: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fear-Conquers-All-mission-inspire/dp/1527244393 and reviews there: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fear-Conquers-All-mission-inspire/product-reviews
