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An Aston Villa star was highly criticised by his country’s media after an international defeat.
Aston Villa captain John McGinn has admitted Scotland’s performance in Sunday’s 3-0 Nations League defeat to Greece was “embarrassing”, with many of his nation’s newspapers in agreement.
McGinn played the full 90 minutes as Scotland saw their 1-0 aggregate lead - earned by a resilient performance in Athens last week - trounced by a clinical Greece comeback at Hampden Park.
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Goals from Giannis Konstantelias, Konstantinos Karetsas and Christos Tzolis were enough to turn the tie on its head, and deservedly so as the visitors played out of their skins and gave their travelling supporters a night to remember. Boos were loud and wide for the hosts, on the other hand, as Scotland lost their play-off fixture and were relegated to the second tier of the Nations League.
John McGinn was a "dimmed light" as Scotland were thrashed 3-0 by Greece at Hampden Park.John McGinn was a "dimmed light" as Scotland were thrashed 3-0 by Greece at Hampden Park.
John McGinn was a "dimmed light" as Scotland were thrashed 3-0 by Greece at Hampden Park. | Getty Images
“It's an embarrassing night for us, everyone is flat in the stadium, we let ourselves down,” McGinn admitted to STV post-match.
"No threat in behind, probably too easy to pick up. Greece deserved to win. That will maybe give us a kick up the backside for the World Cup qualifiers - we know they are no mugs.
“We've got to reflect now before two friendlies in the summer to prepare for the World Cup qualifiers.”
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National media hound McGinn & co
There are quite often standout performers even from a defeat but that wasn’t the story on Sunday, with the whole team stuttering collectively. Even McGinn, so often the Tartan Army’s hero, hasn’t been immune from criticism in the aftermath.
Three of Scotland’s biggest national newspapers were sure to hold the team to account in their match report and player ratings articles, with some members of the national team hounded more than others. The analysis for McGinn wasn’t anywhere near as harsh as that of some of his teammates but he was still jibed.
First off, The Scotsman handed McGinn a 5/10 rating and wrote: “Hurt himself putting in a strong tackle that stopped a dangerous Greece attack. Unlucky not to score when played through brilliantly by McTominay. Didn't offer Scotland enough tonight though, by his own lofty standards. Normally the shining star, he was a dimmed light tonight.”
Next up, The Herald, also giving Villa’s skipper a 5/10, added: “Branded the display as "embarrassing" as he stepped up to media duties right on full-time. He was right. Provided his usual physical presence and had bags of energy in midfield but couldn't be the catalyst for success he has been in the past for his country. Had genuine chance on 30 minutes but could only fire straight at goalkeeper.”
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Last but not least, the Edinburgh Evening News was a little more generous with a 6/10 rating. McGinn wasn’t exactly praised but the newspaper decided to leave out many of the negatives that were included by rival publications, reporting: “Aggressive in his pressing and denied at the near post just after the half-hour mark. Not able to pose much of an attacking threat thereafter.”
McGinn and his Tartan Army teammates will no doubt take the feedback on board and will desperate to right their wrongs. There’s a while to wait, however, with the next fixtures - two friendlies against Iceland and Liechtenstein - not until June.
In other news, Villa are reportedly plotting a summer transfer for an international star who once cost £113 million.