LETHAL WEAPON
Ramsey and Coutinho are deadly double act ...with them on case everyone will fear us
JOHN McGINN believes that deadly Philippe Coutinho and Jacob Ramsey are rapidly turning Aston Villa into a team no one wants to play.
The Scotland international was purring about the twin terrors after they ran riot, scoring Villa’s three goals between them, in the midweek draw with Leeds.
Ramsey bagged a brace and Coutinho notched his second goal in claret and blue since his loan move from Barcelona.
But the link-up play between the two caught the eye, with the Brazilian setting up both his team-mate’s goals.
McGinn said: “I hope Jacob and Philippe can combine against Newcastle the way they did against Leeds – we’ll be a team that no one fancies playing. Jacob’s incredible. I spoke to him after the game – he probably doesn’t even realise just how well he’s playing
“That’s the nice thing about him, he’s humble and hard-working – he’s starting to put things together to become a top, top player.
“He was outstanding against Leeds. If he’d been a wee bit more aggressive, he was in with a chance of a hat-trick – and not many players even score a brace in the Premier League.
“It’s great for everyone involved – the local boy, a Villa fan. All his coaches and everyone involved in his development will be proud.
“And if he keeps performing like that, there will certainly be glances from the international set-up.
“I know he’s playing for the England Under-21s. He’s just got to keep playing the way he is at the moment and the world’s his oyster.
“As for Philippe, he sees passes that no one else does. He’s a top-class player. There’s a reason why he’s played for some of the best clubs in the world and won some of the biggest tournaments.
“He will be pleased he’s putting things together, with a goal and two assists in midweek. He tired a bit towards the end because of his commitments with Brazil, but he’ll be all right for St James’ Park.”
Villa haven’t won on Tyneside for 17 years and McGinn said Steven
Gerrard’s players will be going into the fixture with their eyes wide open.
He added: “There’s a new Newcastle manager, new owner and new feeling around the place. Everyone’s excited to be a Newcastle supporter. It’s up to us to dampen that enthusiasm and positivity and make it uncomfortable for them.
“They’ve invested well. It’s not easy, I suppose, when you’re upstairs at Newcastle to sign players in a relegation battle. But they’ve got the finances now. From their point of view, it’s just a case of staying up and building on it, the same way we tried to do.”
McGinn will have the chance to catch up with Scotland colleague Ryan Fraser and, potentially, Villa loanee Matt Targett, although the defender won’t play today due to the terms of his temporary move.
McGinn (above) shares a room with Fraser while the duo are on international duty.
He added: “Everyone in the national set-up is good pals, but, when it comes to the club side of things, you might share a text here and there, though we kind of leave each other to our own devices.
“I’ve roomed with Ryan for many years. I was happy to see him score the other night, but he can go home unhappy when we’re up there.
“It was good to see him and Matty play so well, they’ll be high on confidence. It’ll be up to us to quieten the crowd early and show that we’re a quality side as well.”
Solskjaer never really consistently got to see the player who was so good in a France side that won the World Cup in 2018.
Ralf Rangnick will believe this first-half display shows he may be on to something now he has Pogba back fit after a groin injury kept him out since November.
But is this just the former Juventus man putting on a display to get himself a nice move and a more lucrative contract in the summer?
For now, Rangnick needs him to ensure they are playing Champions League football again and thus attract someone of quality to replace him.
But United didn’t buy Pogba to chase the top four.
He was brought back to make them title contenders and challengers for the biggest prize in
European football. Pogba’s passing was sublime in the first half as he found Sancho and Marcus Rashford in space on the flanks.
He made crucial interceptions and sauntered around the rain-soaked pitch like he owned it. But, as the game progressed, he regressed.
As his influence on the game waned, so did Oriol Romeu and James WardProwse get a foothold in it.
But Pogba can’t be accused of a lack of effort in the second half.
He tried to raise his game again, but nothing would come off.
A spectacular attempt at an overhead kick, which went wrong when United were chasing the winner, epitomised his second-half performance. If he could muster the first-half display across 90 minutes, then he may be able to help United salvage something from another shocking season.
It would be a parting gift – if not the ending to a success story that United had hoped
Pogba would write.