MCGINN: I AM A DIALECT!
Villa’s ace Scot speaks out ...but not in the coffee shop
Neil Moxley
JOHN MCGINN has had no trouble transporting his form from Scottish football to the English Championship – it is just a pity he cannot do the same with the language.
The Glaswegian has settled into life at Aston Villa as though he was tailor-made for the ambitious club, becoming a mainstay under both Steve Bruce and Dean Smith after a £2.8million switch from Hibs.
But coming to terms with life off the pitch south of the border has not been easier said than done. In fact, nothing has been easier said than done – not even in a coffee shop.
He said: “Initially, it was kind of tough for me because people in shops and schools, wherever I went, they just couldn’t understand me.
“My accent is quite strong. Even something as simple as ordering a coffee was quite difficult.
“I’ve ordered a coffee when I’ve been out with Birkir (Bjarnason) and Anwar (El Ghazi) and they haven’t a clue what I’m saying either.
Energy
“So, I need to try to slow down. That’s the problem I think. It’s not got to the stage yet where anyone English has tried to translate for me.”
Mcginn’s energy has been welcomed at Villa – a side that has hit the fast forward button since Smith took over from Bruce.
Goals have been flying in and Mcginn confessed that even after the 4-2 derby win over Birmingham last month, his new boss was not happy with the kickabout football being played as the match neared the final whistle.
He said: “There’s been a different style of play under the new manager. I will be forever grateful to Steve Bruce. He showed a lot of confidence in me but I think at the time we had a lot of new players and hadn’t gelled.
“But the new manager has come in and we seem to be a real threat going forward – which is what the fans want to see.
“I wasn’t involved in the game against Birmingham. But we were winning 4-2 and the manager wasn’t best pleased about us passing the ball about between ourselves at the back towards the end of the game.
“He wants to score goals. He wants to entertain and that’s something now running through the entire squad.”
And so to the visit of Marcelo Bielsa’s pacesetters Leeds.
He added: “It’s a fixture everyone wants to be involved in. When I signed for Villa, it was a game I looked at. It’s a cliche but it’s set up to be a cracker, isn’t it?”