Burnley should make a move for Aston Villa’s John McGinn in January
Burnley haven’t made the best of starts to their Premier League campaign this term after a fairytale run in the previous season which propelled the Clarets to their first European adventure in 51 years.
Sean Dyche’s side found themselves helpless last weekend as Manchester City drubbed them 5-0 courtesy of four second-half goals. After a lukewarm start to the season, the Clarets sit 14th in the standings with 8 points. The fans certainly would have expected their team to replicate their dream run but things haven’t quite gone according to the script for Burnley.
Burnley’s European adventure did not last long. After victories over Aberdeen and Istanbul Basksehir in the qualifying rounds, they lost out to Olympiacos in the playoffs. Their European campaign took a toll on their performance in the Premier League as the players visibly looked fatigued, having to play matches in quick succession without much break.
The Clarets have managed to turn their fortunes around to some extent. Ashley Barnes’ brace powered them to a 4-0 win over Bournemouth and Sam Vokes’ header helped them claim all three points against Cardiff City before the international break. Burnley should not be disheartened by the 5-0 loss against Manchester City and should try to capitalise on the positives from the games against Bournemouth and Cardiff.
In Sam Vokes, Matej Vydra, Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood, Burnley have some decent strikers in their ranks. However, the Clarets lack a creative midfielder to feed these strikers up front. At times, the attackers have been forced to feed on scraps as the midfielders have failed to provide them with enough chances. Burnley do not have a good goalscoring record, having scored only 10 goals so far with a goal difference of (-7).
En route to their successful season last term, Burnley did not establish a reputation for scoring too many goals. Much of their success was due to the exploits of the centre-back pairing of Ben Mee and James Tarkowski. Even though both of them have put in some solid shifts at the back, they do not look too solid as a defensive unit any more. That is exactly the reason why they should start emphasizing a bit more on scoring goals.
And to do that they need to strengthen their supply lines. Johann Berg Gudmundsson has been the standout performer so far. He has chipped in with goals and assists from the right-hand side but Aaron Lennon hasn’t hit top gear this season.
However, the main problem in terms of chance creation lies in central midfield. Jack Cork has been a little below par this season. Ashley Westwood has done a decent job in terms of defence but Burnley need a more balanced midfielder who can contribute to both attack and defence. Both Ashley Barnes and Matej Vydra are capable of playing in a No.10 role but they need a playmaker from the deeper areas of the pitch.
To put things into perspective, Aston Villa’s 24-year-old Scottish international John McGinn should be an ideal choice for the Clarets if they want to spice up their midfield with some creativity. The former Hibernian man has earned rave reviews for his performances in the second tier and has all the qualities to succeed at the Premier League level.
Mcginn has been one of the silver linings of Villa’s faltering campaign so far in the Championship. He is not someone blessed with a lot of pace but makes up for it with his brilliant technical abilities.
He is comfortable with the ball at his feet and has the vision and the awareness to pick out the runs of his teammates from a deep position in the midfield. He is capable of playing in a more advanced role but is more impactful when deployed in a deeper role as a central midfielder.
To add to his technique and vision, he has the ability to create space in the midfield with sharp turns and silky dribbling skills. In fact, McGinn averages 2 key passes and 1.4 dribbles in the Championship this term. He has already registered 3 assists and a goal and looks good for many more.
However, he is not just about dribbling, technique, passing and vision. Mcginn is an excellent reader of the game and has the ability to keep the opposition’s creative players at bay with his superior game reading.
The Scottish international averages 2.2 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game, which is enough to prove his versatility as a central midfielder. to add to that, he has a sweet left foot that is more than capable of finding the top corner with powerful shots. Also, he is good with his movement and tends to drift into wide areas at times to deliver crosses into the box.
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Hence, Aston Villa’s John McGinn should be a good addition to Burnely’s midfield. Going by his form this season, Sean Dyche should not hesitate to table a bid in January and snap him up for a cut-price deal.
