Stiliyan Petrov: Villa Can Get More Out Of McGinn
Former Aston Villa midfielder Stiliyan Petrov believes there is more to come from John McGinn at Villa Park.
McGinn's form has dropped from the high standards set by the Scotland international, but Petrov is confident the Villa skipper will rediscover that form.
Villa are coming to terms with juggling their league commitments with their first involvement in Europe's elite club competition since the early 1980s.
The Midlands side are rank outsiders on football betting sites to win the Champions League, but they are among the contenders for another top-four finish in the Premier League.
McGinn has been crucial to Villa's success in recent seasons and will continue to be a key part of Unai Emery's team but Petrov wants to see more goals from the skipper.
"John is really important, and I expect a lot more from him as well," Petrov said. "I speak with John quite often so I do believe he can offer more. He can improve even more.
"He can demand more (from himself). So far he has had quite good, solid performances.
"But I do believe John can offer a lot more in the midfield, especially in the final third, by scoring goals and creating more opportunities for the forwards.
"It seems like he has filled that role as a captain. He does sacrifice some of his strengths and game, just to make sure he does the right job for the team."
Villa host Bayern Munich, the team they beat to win the 1982 European Cup final in Rotterdam, in the revamped Champions League on Wednesday night, a game Villa start as heavy underdogs on betting apps.
A 2-2 draw at Ipswich was not the best preparation for such a massive game, and Petrov, who played in the competition for Celtic, accepts their European adventure will take its toll.
"Ipswich was one of those games where they probably missed the opportunity to join the top of the league," said Petrov, who will line up for Celtic in the Scottish Masters at Aberdeen's P&J Live on November 14.
"But so far it has been really enjoyable to watch. It's always an issue when you play Champions League football and then come back to domestic competition.
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"I've been in it, I've seen it, I've felt it, I've been through it, so it's normal. But don't forget they haven't lost the game, they've gained another point and their start of the season has been really, really strong.
"It's going to be interesting to see where the team is going to be in January or February when they've played many Champions League games.
"The fatigue and tiredness will kick in, and we’ll see how Unai Emery and the players will deal with that as well."
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