We’re thrilled to welcome Sky Sports journalist Dan Bardell as our exclusive Aston Villa blogger, as he’ll be providing his thoughts on the club’s most pressing issues each week…
According to Dan Bardell, Aston Villa set-piece coach Austin MacPhee deserves more credit from the club’s fanbase for his “brilliant” contribution to the club.
While Dean Smith sat in the dugout, MacPhee, who is also Scotland’s assistant coach, went to Villa Park in 2021. Since then, he has been through three managers, with Smith, Steven Gerrard, and Unai Emery all believing he is strong enough to stay at the club.
His presence has had an immediate influence on the pitch, with the Villans significantly improving at set-pieces. According to The Athletic (26 April), MacPhee struggled to have an impact under Gerrard but eventually became a “vital” element of the backroom staff.
Bardell has praised the Scotsman as a “top” set-piece coach, especially given the Aston Villa squad’s diminutive stature.
“MacPhee has been absolutely brilliant,” Bardell stated exclusively to Villa News. He’s been a fantastic coach for Villa, and he wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t! Managers bring in their own personnel. Steven Gerrard kept him, however he didn’t use him effectively.
“But Unai Emery has kept him on board. Villa are pretty good at set-pieces. Sometimes people look too simplistically just in terms of goals, but that doesn’t necessarily quantify if you’ve been a success or not.
“He’s done a fantastic job. He’s working with a small group of people. They aren’t all six feet tall, and we aren’t physically imposing or domineering. So, given the circumstances, I believe he has been a breath of new air.
“The fans do not give him the credit he deserves, and long may this continue.” He’s been a fantastic addition to the team, and Emery definitely agrees.”
In other Aston Villa news, following the departure of one player, an Aston Villa Women defender has been awarded a club accolade.
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