John McGinn scored a wonderful goal on Saturday but Steve Bruce’s Aston Villa lost 2-1 at home to Sheffield Wednesday
You have to feel for John McGinn.
The Scotland international scored one of the best goals anywhere in Europe so far this season against Sheffield Wednesday, firing a stunning volley in off the bar from 25 yards.
McGinn has been superb since his £2.75 million move from Hibernian in August. Unfortunately, however, his wonderful first goal for Aston Villa was rather overshadowed by the time the full time whistle blew on Saturday.
Because Sheffield Wednesday’s 2-1 win at Villa Park has only piled more pressure on the under-fire manager Steve Bruce. And Garry Thompson, the former striker who represented Villa between 1986 and 1988, believes McGinn should feel unfortunate that the focus isn’t on him after his early goal of the season contender.
“Everybody should be talking about the McGinn goal but it was all about Steve Bruce again,” the 58-year-old told BBC Radio WM (25 September, 5.30pm).
“If I’m McGinn I’d be absolutely devastated because that’s an unbelievable goal but all we’re talking about is ‘will the manager stay, will he go?’.
“The manager’s put himself in a situation now where it’s all about him every other week, it should never be like that.”
There has been plenty of criticism aimed towards Bruce in recent months with Aston Villa frequently referred to as a collection of individuals rather than a team worthy of the word.
And Thompson is inclined to agree.
“Two years down the line, you don’t know what the style is, you don’t know how he’s going to play, you don’t know what they want to do without the ball, you don’t know what they’re going to do with the ball.
“They’re relying on individual bits of brilliance which gets you through every now and again.”
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