John McGinn

[Mellin]

Yep. Remember how gutted we all were when he was injured against Brighton. He was flying. The ability is there.

[Monty]

There is a lot of revisionism about McGinn recently. He took to the premier-league like a duck to water in 2019 and was pretty good the following season too. When Gerrard first came in last season McGinn did well- was my man of the match in the FA cup game at Old Trafford.

He has been out of sorts since then but I feel sometimes our fans are too quick to get on a player's back. He probably needs a rest but I would be confident that he can find his form again.

I don't think we've been quick to get on his back. I don't think most people would've had him dropped for the first game of the season, for instance. I just think he's been so abject - and so noticeably below what we know he can do - that we've been left with no choice but to question his place in the team.

[ozzjim]

He started well in the prem,  but was struggling a little before the ankle break and took a long time to get anywhere close to the player he was before when he came back. Since then he's been very up and down,  the odd outstanding game covering the next 3-4 bang average ones,  mixed in with the odd complete stinker.

[Toronto Villa]

The McGinn who we see play superbly for Scotland does it against mostly shit opponents. So if he can’t elevate his game to PL level that’s one things. Tonight was akin to playing the Faroes. And he was still very poor indeed. Most other PL clubs wouldn’t find a spot for him in the starting line up. He’s our captain.

[Percy McCarthy]

Yep. Remember how gutted we all were when he was injured against Brighton. He was flying. The ability is there.

I don’t think he was flying at all. I remember thinking people were too despondent considering he wasn’t playing very well. Nothing wrong with being gutted for him by the way, but I wasn’t gutted for our prospects.

[LeonW]

McGinn’s off days are really off and his good days aren’t enough. That’s fine for a winger but as a central midfielder his number one priority is not to lose possession and unfortunately, he can’t manage that consistently enough. He’s played in this system long enough to know it by now. I don’t think he’s totally a lost cause mind. I just think he needs to be less emotional in how and when he engages the opposition and more reserved in possession. If Gerrard wants him to constantly play long diagonals consistently under pressure then that’s on Gerrard as it’s just not sometime he can do consistently enough.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Apart from with Scotland, McGinn  has had to work with a mix of idiot and poor coaches. Sometimes a change is as good as a rest. His job is always undervalued, we prefer to talk about one touch Coutinho made rather than the number of ankles SJM clipped. Horses for courses. McGinn is there to do the dirty work but as Kamara is showing, it doesn't always have to be in the gutter.

He'll be hard to replace but right now he looks like he's ready for the knacher's yard. Cash in now as next summer, like AEG and Watkins last summer, his value will be halved or more in 12 months time.

[ChicagoLion]

2 things.
1.He does not look technically suited to the role he is being asked to play. ( the set up makes it very difficult)
2. physically he does not look right.

The only person that can not see that he is struggling is the Manager which is baffling.

[sid1964]

Last night thought he did okay like everyone else who started the game

[PaulTheVillan]

He looks completely fucked.
Needs a rest.

It’s August.
If he is fucked, then something is wrong.

If he started using his brains before his legs he’d not be so fucked.

[Bad English]

He looks completely fucked.
Needs a rest.

But they have had a full pre-season.

[brontebilly]

2 things.
1.He does not look technically suited to the role he is being asked to play. ( the set up makes it very difficult)
2. physically he does not look right.

The only person that can not see that he is struggling is the Manager which is baffling.

The first one is the most important. He hasnt the skills to play that role. Does not want to be getting the ball on the half turn. He also doesn't play like a midfielder. Every second pass is a highly ambitious one. Felt sorry for him last night as very little was working. Missed goal chance near end was a bit of a sitter too.

[nick harper]

His touch is way off, either massively over hit or way too short. A sign of hesitancy, a lack of confidence, over keen to get rid of it quickly. He seems unhappy on the pitch and in conflict with himself.

Maybe the burden of captaincy is too much. I think he finds the role he is being asked to play really difficult - the manager’s made things worse for him but looks like there is no choice but to hope he plays himself back into form.

[LeeB]

He seems to lack awareness and composure. Too often looks for the 'Hollywood' ball instead of simply retaining possession for the team.
A captain needs to be a calming influence (at times) not just continually pump the ball forwards.

I think you're spot on with this, it's composure that's lacking, not abillity.

I think it's something that whole team is lacking.

[Mister E]

He played okay last night, particularly i the first half playing on the left of midfield.
His performance deteriorated through the game.