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GRAEME SOUNESS: Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings has never achieved anything but has a lot to say


I won’t join the love for Tyrone Mings, the man Steven Gerrard stripped Aston Villa of the captaincy in a move that, summed up in one sentence, said: ‘I just don’t like you.’

Mings is clearly ‘a dressing room favorite’. Well, when he appeared a couple of times on Zoom for the shows we’re doing on Sky Sports during the lockdown, I thought: ‘For a young man who hasn’t achieved anything in the game. play, you have a lot to say.’

He talked about how footballers were viewed as ‘commodities’ at the time and I asked him if he thought players were extremely lucky to be doing their job. them or not. Of course, he had the answers for me, but that meeting told me a lot.

Tyrone Mings has had an unfavorable start to the season under Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard

Tyrone Mings has had an unfavorable start to the season under Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard

As captain of Liverpool at the age of 30, having achieved so much and leading my country, I cannot give an opinion in a full-team meeting. And if I did, Joe Fagan and Ronnie Moran would probably shake their heads and Bob Paisley pretend he didn’t hear me.

Time changes. It’s good to be able to communicate and convey your message. But only as long as you can back it up. Mings is talking about a good game that achieved nothing and I included some of his one-on-one tackles against some of the Premier League’s stronger strikers. It wasn’t even a competition when he faced Romelu Lukaku when Chelsea were at Villa Park last Christmas.

However, I cannot stress enough the importance of what Steven has done here. It’s not like you just let one player out, or even knocked him out after 10 minutes. Here you are claiming that something about this guy is fundamentally wrong. You embarrassed him. He will think he has been publicly humiliated and in that dressing room he will now have two or three allies who will agree that he has been mistreated.

Mings was Gerrard's captain last season but has been left out of this campaign

Mings was Gerrard’s captain last season but has been left out of this campaign

Steven clearly believes it’s something he has to stick with, not worry about. He left Mings on the bench during last Saturday’s loss to Bournemouth and said he would only be back ‘when he looks me in the eye and shows he’s ready’. Those are some statements. It wasn’t like the question was posed to him during a press conference. He knew it was coming, chose his words carefully, and they were damned. He won’t take that decision lightly.

The difficulty for a manager is that he cannot publicly say all he knows. I had very good captains when I was a manager. Ian Rush at Liverpool, Alan Shearer at Newcastle, Garry Flitcroft at Blackburn – the right men. But when Craig Bellamy struggled in Newcastle – we ended up squatting in the boardroom – everyone seemed to be on his side because he was such a hugely popular figure in that part of the world.

Today, one manager asked her press staff to sit down before making this decision, to say, ‘How are we going to deal with this in the future?’ I have never had any of that.

Gerrard has said he will only bring Mings back to Aston Villa when he is ready

Gerrard has said he will only bring Mings back to Aston Villa when he is ready

Without Mings, Villa lost their Premier League opener 2-0 away to Bournemouth

Without Mings, Villa lost their Premier League opener 2-0 away to Bournemouth

Steven has had all summer to think about this and make a judgment on how it will be interpreted. It could be something that happened pre-season – a straw broke the camel’s back – which explains why it’s happening now.

Gerrard gave his all, made a big call and a big statement, and I can understand why he might feel the need to do so. But you can make those big calls as long as you get it right.

From here on, Villa must start winning games and improving because if they fail to do that and Steven has to bring back Mings, the player is seen as the winner of the controversy. Villa have spent the money and Steven is facing questions about his abilities for the first time in his career as a player or manager.

If they win the games, that pressure goes away and Tyrone Mings becomes an unsuitable person who no one even talks about. If he doesn’t, then the decision will be like a wound in the back of his head. Every time he sits down, he will be aware of it.

Mings may have to return to Villa if Gerrard cannot get his team's results

Mings may have to return to Villa if Gerrard cannot get his team’s results

Calling Arnautovic ‘dodgy’ is polite!

It’s funny how the pundits who asked Cristiano Ronaldo to be taken out the door also asked for him to be sent off at half-time following Manchester United’s unfortunate first-half against Brighton last Sunday.

And now Man United are trying to buy Marko Arnautovic from Bologna. Oh my God. Calling that guy ‘dodgy’ is polite. And Adrien Rabiot from Juventus. No no no. It is the same old story of United, desperately trying to buy players from a bad negotiating position at the end of the transfer window.

They bought Edinson Cavani on the last day of the window two years ago when they learned he would be leaving PSG in six months. It’s a mess.

If it weren’t for Ronaldo’s 18 Premier League goals last season, United would be 14th. So answer me this. Who do they really think they can buy, for the premium they will pay, who can score them 18 Premier League goals this season?

Marko Arnautovic has been linked with a Manchester United move before the club cools down interests

Marko Arnautovic has been linked with a Manchester United move before the club cools down interests

The little voice in Eriksen’s head won’t go away

I remember the first team meeting I attended when I returned to management at Liverpool after I had open heart surgery, 30 years ago. ‘If I fall again, I don’t want any of you to shut up. Let me go, I told the players.

I tried to break the ice but the year after that surgery was like nothing I knew before or since.

I am 38 years old, still healthy and have never felt ill in my life, but I am constantly reminded of how vulnerable I am every time I look in the mirror and see a large scar on my chest. It was a realization of how fragile life is and it took me a good year to get it back. There were times—two or three times—I found myself sitting and watching television with tears rolling down my cheeks.

The memory of that experience tells me that Christian Eriksen’s return to football is far more difficult than he has publicly admitted.

Yes, he will have the best medical advice. But the nagging part of him will be thinking: ‘If I go back, it could happen again and if I don’t get out of it this time, I’ve got a young family, two kids. ‘

I think Eriksen is a minor conductor. You let him play offensively and he will score goals and assist because he has a scoring eye and a passing eye. He is an all-round good football player.

Today he returned to Manchester United at Brentford who gave him a comeback and he deserves every bit of acclaim he will receive.

He needs to find the courage to step back onto the pitch when the little voice in his head will say: ‘I have a young family. Should I do this? ‘

Christian Eriksen showed courage as he returned to the pitch after suffering a heart problem

Christian Eriksen showed courage as he stepped back onto the pitch after suffering a heart problem

Klopp needs defense in midfield

I know Jurgen Klopp has dismissed the idea that Liverpool need another midfielder and detailed the young players they have who can advance. But there is a big step up at the club from seasoned midfielders like Thiago, 31, Jordan Henderson, 32 and James Milner, 36, to youngsters like Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones.

Thiago was injured in the match against Fulham. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain couldn’t keep fit. Older players are more prone to muscle injuries. I think there’s room for someone else in that midfield for a 24- or 25-year-old – and preferably a player – who has gone around the box a few times.

This is a Liverpool that wants to win the Champions League and the Premier League.

Jurgen Klopp could still do with another midfielder to close the gap between his experienced young stars after his opening day draw against Fulham in the Premier League

Jurgen Klopp could still do with another midfielder to close the gap between his experienced young stars after his opening day draw against Fulham in the Premier League



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