It’s clear to see since Aymeric’s Laporte’s injury that Pep Guardiola and Manchester City are in need of reinforcements in defence. Maybe it was a mistake to allow Vincent Kompany to leave so early. Even so, it was probably a mistake not to add to their defensive pool in the summer window. Without the qualities of Laporte, City’s defensive alternatives are stretched. John Stones has been given enough opportunities to prove himself, but has failed. Nicolas Otamendi is always seen as the weak-link amongst Guardiola’s defence and with Laporte out till February, Stones keeping the treatment table warm regularly and the evergreen defensive midfielder Fernandinho filling in, there is a desperate need to make improvements to the defence. A defence that could lead to Guardiola relinquishing his Premier League title to Liverpool.
So who could Guardiola look at, to solve his recurring centre-back issue? He should look no further than Aston Villa’s centre-back maestro.
Tyrone Mings.
Composed. Assured. Dominant. Despite the terrible racist chants and abuse aimed at him from the Bulgaria fans in England’s rampant 6-0 victory, it was a debut to remember for Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings. Those three words mentioned aren’t even enough to describe Mings’ consummate performance alongside Harry Maguire in defence. As well as impressing Southgate on his first start for his country, the Villa captain also put in a strong case to be Maguire’s permanent partner in England’s back-line, a position that has continued to become a problem for Southgate and his backroom staff.
John Stones, Michael Keane and Joe Gomez have all been tried and tested but to no avail, and it is about time Gareth Southgate looked elsewhere to attempt a ‘trial and error’ method, and the Bulgaria game gave the former Middlesborough player and coach an indication that Mings could become his long-term solution to partner with Harry Maguire.
Not just on paper, but by the stature and presence of both Maguire and Mings, England’s centre-back pairing could be formidable. We all know the qualities Maguire possesses but we also need to take a closer look at Tyrone Mings. A player that has undeservedly been under the radar as much as his England defensive counter part.
The Aston Villa captain’s rise to prominence has been remarkable.
It’s crazy and absurd to think that – having just made his dream debut for the England national team – there was a time when Mings was on the verge of walking away from football. Dropped by Southampton’s academy for being ‘too small’ – he is now a towering 6ft 5in presence – he was close to giving up on non-league football at Yate Town and Chippenham Town because he couldn’t drive and was struggling to pick up minutes on the pitch. He was a long way away from making a living in the game, having being turned down for a simple job at his local corner shop and ending up working mortgage broker. It seemed as though it would be a football talent wasted.
None of those setbacks stopped Mings, though. The Bath-based player preserved and was resilient to fulfil his aspirations. His fortunes changed when he received a call-up from Mick McCarthy to ply his trade at Ipswich Town in December 2012. Snapped up from Chippenham Town for £10,000 – it was a signing that seemed a real coup for McCarthy and Ipswich Town.
Mings had to bide his time at the club, but his chance at first-team football came in the summer of 2014 when Aaron Cresswell was snapped up by West Ham for £3.75million. Mings never looked back after that, making the left-back position his own, grabbing the opportunity with both hands. Fast, powerful, athletic and bursting with such confidence, Mings was a key part of that unheralded Blues team which made an unlikely run to the play-offs in the 2014/15 season.
He caught the eye of a number of Premier League outfits, and duly moved to Bournemouth in June 2015, in a deal initially worth £8million, which saw winger Ryan Fraser and striker Brett Pitman arrive at Portman Road. It was a move which hurt the Ipswich Town fans as Mings was a player who endeared himself to them so faithfully through his character, drive and commitment. He was also a person who gave back to his community, feeding the homeless and paying for new team shirts for some frustrated fans after he changed his shirt number from 15 to 3.
Mings’ time at Bournemouth was blighted by injury though, only making 10 Premier League starts in four years. His career seemed to spiralling out of control considering the amount of injuries he suffered but again he was offered a lifeline, moving to Villa on loan in January 2019, becoming the fulcrum of what was a successful Championship season as the club won promotion to the Premier League. He joined the club on a permanent basis last summer for a fee of around £26million.
At Aston Villa, Mings has become a born leader, a player who has finally realised and is harnessing his powerful and domineering abilities. He has become such a leader and a massive presence in the dressing room in such a short space of time. You could argue his experiences and struggles earlier on in his career has made him the player he is today.
It is unlikely Mings will have the desire to leave come January, he is the main man at Villa Park, and is embarking on a journey to become one of the most established centre-backs of his generation, and it will take huge money for Guardiola to prize him away providing he is interested in his services. However, Mings is someone Guardiola will have to look at as a long-term solution to his defensive issues. Also, we know the leadership qualities Kompany brought to the table, even when he wasn’t playing and that is what City require both now and in the near future, and there is arguably no better leader around than Tyrone Mings.
Mings has deserved all the plaudits coming his way right now, becoming the forefront of Villa’s push to remain in the big time. His dominance aerially, composure in possession, defensive positioning and awareness as well as his tall frame is a huge asset for Dean Smith at Villa Park.
It is more likely that Guardiola will look on foreign soil for his centre-back addition but the Spanish coach should look closer to home. With Phil Foden, John Stones, Raheem Sterling and Kyle Walker the only English players in his talented squad, the addition of Mings will boost his home-grown quota and provide him with a player who surely has to be considered as one of the best English talents around. Tyrone Mings deserves his spot at the pinnacle of English football, and who better to take him to that point in his career than the great Pep Guardiola.
Next stop for Tyrone Mings, Manchester City? On the surface, it looks the perfect match.
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