'John McGinn would have to miss out because I'm not dropping Youri Tielemans'

Aston Villa midfield
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


In the most recent episode of our Aston Villa ' Claret and Blue' podcast, Dan Rolinson and John Townley take on the difficult task of picking the best midfield they can.

There are decisions to be made, and suitable conundrums as a result. Here's what our writers thought about the selection dilemmas in the Villa engine room.

Dan: Picking Aston Villa’s midfield is really difficult, right? This is a team. If we play Leicester at home, for example. The key thing here is Onana and Kamara. Because I really want John McGinn in my 11, but I just find it difficult to fit them all in.

I feel like Onana has to play, so does John McGinn, so does Kamara when he comes back as I think he is the glue. It's really hard.

I’ve picked two different sides, the first one is to face a side that we should beat at home.

I like the Torres, Konsa and Kamara back three in build-up. So when we push up against an opponent that is the base that we work off, then you have a left wing-back in Lucas Digne or Ian Maatsen and Matty Cash will play right wing-back. Youri Tielemans and John McGinn as a two, and then you've got Rogers on the left, Bailey on the right and Watkins up top. I like that.

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But I really want Onana in there, so then McGinn would have to come out because I'm not dropping Tielemans. So in this team, essentially McGinn or Onana has to play. It's really difficult to pick.

The other side I would pick is a back four, so you'd bring in Diego Carlos, and Konsa at right back, that kind of base that got wins against Arsenal, Man City and Bayern. McGinn, Rogers and Bailey behind Watkins and then a double pivot of Tielemans and it’s between Onana and Kamara again. It's really hard to pick that midfield, it is really difficult. But those are the two systems that I have kind of a more defensive approach and a more attacking approach.

Dan: I'm going to give you an alternative, that I know people reading will be suggesting: Can Boubacar Kamara just start games at right back?

John : I don't really like that because you really don't have a proper right back.

Firstly if you put it two ways in those two systems I'm talking about, it's much more detailed than this but attacking and defensive essentially. In the defensive one Ezri Konsa is your best defensive right back so you're not going to put Kamara in there and in the more attacking one Matty Cash is your best attacking right back. So for me it would be kind of just putting him there for no real reason. So it's not something I would do.

What do you think? Who would you play? Let us know HERE