Intense training sessions and challenging friendlies on the club’s USA tour are giving Aston Villa the best preparation for the upcoming season, according to John McGinn.
The heat in Washington DC added to the demanding nature of Unai Emery’s training means the squad are being well and truly readied for what lies ahead.
Captain McGinn returned from his summer break in time to join his teammates Stateside and, while he didn’t feature in the first of three games in the USA, he says the new-look squad is taking shape.
“It’s been really good. There are a lot of new faces that we’ve been trying to integrate into the squad,” he said.
“The training’s been tough and the sessions are intense. The game (v Columbus Crew) was obviously a bit disappointing in terms of the result, but it was a really good challenge for us against a really good team.
“It’s nice to be in a different setting. A lot of new players have arrived and we need this time to integrate them into the squad and for them to know what the manager wants and how it’s different to where they’ve been.
“We want to be on the same wavelength and these sessions are always a bit longer because the details are so important.
“We’ve got time over the next few weeks to get everyone on the same page and going in the same direction.”
Columbus Crew, who are in the middle of their MLS season, provided a tough test first up, with games against RB Leipzig and Club América to come.
Coming up against new teams provides valuable experience for Villa with a Champions League campaign on the horizon.
McGinn said: “We’ll be going into European competition again this season, so it helps coming up against completely different opponents and styles of play.
“Columbus the other night proved that it was a good test. Leipzig will be a different one as well and it will help us going into the season.
“We’ve got some really exciting friendly matches and that shows the level we’re at as a club.”
It’s the second year in succession that Villa have toured the USA, having featured in the Premier League Summer Series 12 months ago.
McGinn feels the club’s profile is continuing to grow in the country ahead of games in New York and Chicago on the current tour.
“It always takes you by surprise how many Villa fans we’ve got over here,” he said.
“Hopefully with the success we’ve had over the past couple of seasons, our profile can keep growing.
“It’s a country where soccer isn’t their first choice but it’s growing and becoming more popular. Even though you can remain anonymous in the street, you do get Aston Villa fans coming up and saying hello.
“Hopefully we can keep growing the profile and stature of the club.”
