Aston Villa's John McGinn: I’m sick of hearing footballers moan about fixtures
Villa ace John McGinn reckons Premier League managers and players are wrong to grumble about fixture congestion during the coronavirus pandemic, declaring: “We are the lucky ones”.
The Scotland international claims he is ‘sick’ of hearing complaints about scheduling at a time when many people across the UK are suffering from the Covid-19 outbreak.
Villa’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea on Monday was their second match in the space of barely 48 hours, following the 3-0 Boxing Day win over Crystal Palace.
But when asked about the tight turnaround, McGinn replied: “I am sick of hearing coaches and players from other clubs complaining about tiredness and fatigue. I am sure there are a lot of people in the country who would swap places with us at the moment.
“The Villa fans also need to give a lot of credit to the players from overseas. It has now been six, seven or eight months since they have seen their families.
“It is impeccable dedication, amazing effort and it is just a great place to play at the moment.
“We have a very fit squad of young, hungry players and we are very fortunate to be able to go and do what we love.
“A lot of people aren’t getting to do that at the moment so we are not taking it for granted.”
McGinn reserved praise for Anwar El Ghazi after the winger netted his fifth goal in as many matches to earn Villa a point at Stamford Bridge.
Dean Smith’s men, riding high in the table, next travel to Manchester United on New Year’s Day.
McGinn said: “Anwar is a brilliant player and when confident he is up there with the best in the league.
“He is a great guy and his head didn’t drop when he wasn’t in the team.
“He kept fighting and being a good team-mate and now he is getting his rewards. It is a tough run for us at the moment but I think we showed on Monday we are a good team. This season can be what we want it to be.
“We can either build from this and keep going or go the other way but I am sure the Villa fans will agree with the character and belief we have in the dressing room it is not going to happen. There are not a lot of teams in the Premier League who will come here and get a result.
“It shows the character and determination in the squad to put in a performance like that after the efforts against Palace. It is a pleasure playing with them at the moment.”
