McGinn’s the mutt’s nuts
John showed he has bark to boss middle of the park for Scotland ... now let him take a bite out of Euro 2020 rivals
JOHN McGINN is like a dog in midfield and now is the time for Scotland to let him off the leash.
The Hibs midfielder was the biggest positive in Thursday’s 1-0 friendly defeat to Holland.
I’m a huge admirer of the 23-year-old and he’s a player who stuck out early on when at St Mirren.
Once a player catches your eye you always try to keep tabs on them – and he is one who has kept improving.
He’s an old-school midfielder who is aggressive and loves to fire into tackles. Like I said, a dog who gets into people’s faces.
But what impressed me most of all against the Dutch at Pittodrie was the footballing side of his game – he produced a performance that shows he is more than ready for the international stage.
McGinn’s range of passing, especially in the second half, was excellent and I hadn’t really seen that side of his game.
He was playing 15 and 20-yard passes into feet and banged three or four balls into the last third.
I was one of those saying in the last six months McGinn and Callum McGregor should be pushing for the starting XI.
I know McGinn wore Scott Brown’s No.8 jersey but he’s different from the Scotland captain who is more of a holding midfielder.
McGinn is better playing a more attacking role. He’s still young and there’s plenty of room for improvement – but I hope he has a big part to play in Euro 2020 qualifying.
He also has the perfect person to guide him in Hibs manager Neil Lennon who has played at the highest level and knows what it’s all about.
McGinn wants to learn and has come on leaps and bounds. This is now the perfect opportunity for him and others to stake a claim for a starting place.
Euro 2020 qualifying doesn’t start until September. I’d like to think once they sort out a manager the SFA will take on a few friendlies. It’s important for players like McGinn to get a feel for international football quickly and give them a taste of what it’s all about.
As a former midfielder I always look at that area. And when you consider we have Brown, McGregor, Stuart Armstrong, Darren Fletcher and James Morrison it’s a real strong one.
McGinn was Scotland’s best player against Holland and McGregor did well in flashes in what is a difficult position behind the striker.
By highlighting those two I’m maybe being a bit unfair on Kieran Tierney who was yet again outstanding on a proud night when he captained Scotland for the first time.
But that says more about him because we have just come to expect that kind of high-level performance. Again he wasn’t playing in his left-back position – Malky Mackay played him at centre-back – but I get the feeling you could play him anywhere.
Honestly, you could stick him on the right wing, in central midfield or at centre forward and he’d just get on with it.
But we still have to find a formation that allows us to play both Tierney and Andy Robertson on the left flank given they are up there with the best in Britain.
Tierney is playing in the Champions League every
of weeks and Robertson, although he isn’t playing, got his big move to Liverpool.
Maybe you could push Robertson one up or play a 3-5-2 with Tierney at the left of the three.
They are our best players and we need to play our best players in a formation that suits them.
But we have time and it’s a good opportunity for a new manager to come in.
It was disappointing to hear the jeers for Ryan Jack on his debut as he returned to Pittodrie for the first time since leaving Aberdeen for Rangers.
Thankfully as the game wore on people were cheering over the boos. It didn’t look to me like it bothered him but it’s crazy to think a fan of any team could boo one of their own players.
It was childish from a section of the fans – he was representing his country.
But after about five or 10 minutes you didn’t really notice it because the cheers helped drown them out.
It’s not good but let’s be honest it wasn’t a surprise.
Yet this was Scotland, nothing to do with the Aberdeen-Rangers rivalry.
I know he has played rightcouple back for Scotland Under-21s plus in the past with Aberdeen and he did okay at fullback. But I wanted to see him in that holding midfield role. Finally it was good to see my old boss Dick Advocaat back in Scotland and it’s no surprise to see him still going strong at 70.
I knew when I first started working with him just how passionate he is and he’ll keep going until he can’t get another job.
He needs to be involved. He
This is now the perfect opportunity for McGinn and others to stake a claim for a start
was always a tracksuit manager and out on the training field.
Some managers stand back and let their coaches take training but he was always out there with his whistle, screaming and shouting. His Holland team kept the ball well and Virgil van Dijk strolled it. He could play anywhere – he’s quick, strong and confident.
It’s not the strongest Dutch team we’ve seen but it was a stiff enough test for Scotland. They did well enough.