- Published
In Skopje these past few days it's been difficult to figure out the most devout people - the local followers of the city's most sacred daughter, Mother Teresa, or the arriving Scots and their most cherished son, Saint John McGinn.
asserted
it → publish → daughter
Faith in the blessed one is absolute (and the same goes for Teresa).
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same → go → Teresa
Raise a critical note and you could be shot down in flames.
uncertain
you → raise → flames
Point out that McGinn's talismanic excellence has been on the wane in international football for a little while now and you're liable to reap a whirlwind.
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you → point → whirlwind
This is a weekend when Andy Robertson wins his 100th cap, but McGinn isn't far behind.
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McGinn → win → cap
After Saturday night he'll be on 92, third on the all-time appearance list while currently sitting in fifth in the all-time scoring chart, one behind the immortal Lawrie Reilly.
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he → sit → Reilly
There is something to be said, though, and you say it with the hesitancy of a bomb disposal expert approaching a suspect device.
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you → be → device
For Scotland, McGinn could do with finding his best stuff again.
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McGinn → do → stuff
When he arrives to chat at the Todor Proeski Stadium in Skopje he is compelling when talking about his form, his confidence, his status as inspiration of the team and whatever pressure that comes with it.
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that → arrive → it
"The nature of the beast is, at club and country, you have a lot of responsibility, a lot of weight on your shoulders," he said.
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he → have → shoulders
"When you do something well, you're the best thing since sliced bread.
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you → do → bread
When you don't have a great couple of games, or you're not producing assists, or you make a poor pass in a pivotal moment of the game, you're automatically not good enough.
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you → have → game
It's the nature of competing with Scotland and with Aston Villa.
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It → compete → Villa
I take the praise with a big smile.
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I → take → smile
Any criticism that comes, it's just part of it."
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it → come → it
McGinn's influence for his country has probably reduced from the mighty highs of before.
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influence → reduce → highs
None of the pride and passion and phenomenal work-rate has gone, but the game-defining moments have not been there, save for the odd glimpse.
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moments → go → glimpse
Haiti, and the double deflection, sticks out, but beyond that, McGinn has been too quiet for too long.
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McGinn → stick → that
It's unfair to saddle him with the expectation of being superman every time he plays, but he's the one who fans look to, his is the name they chant in good times and in bad.
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they → saddle → times
His last Scotland goal before Haiti at the World Cup was coming up for two years ago.
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goal → come → Cup
Opproprium will rein down for the mere mention of him being under pressure to deliver, of course.
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him → rein → course
Being McGinn, he could dominate and score in Skopje, but a reminder of his talent is overdue.
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reminder → dominate → talent
You ask if he feels, as a 91-cap colossus, undroppable.
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he → ask → colossus
I'm certainly not undroppable, " he replied.
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he → reply → ?
"I remember Steve Clarke put me on the bench and I had absolutely no issue with that.
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I → remember → that
"I don't think anyone in the squad is undroppable.
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anyone → think → squad
It's the challenge to anyone coming into the squad and I encourage that challenge.
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I → come → challenge
The best players will play for Scotland.
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players → play → Scotland
If the manager said to me, 'You're on the bench, I need you for five minutes, ten minutes, zero minutes or 90-plus', we're here to represent Scotland.
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we → say → Scotland
"The thing that's made us so successful over the years is that it doesn't matter if you play for Aston Villa, Motherwell, Hibs, St Mirren, anyone.
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you → make → Villa
You represent Scotland and at the end of the day the best team will take to the pitch.
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team → represent → pitch
"If that's a team without me in it, I'll be the biggest Scotland supporter on the bench."
What keeps him driving on?
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What → keep → him
He's quick to answer.
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He → answer → ?
"What keeps me going is how I felt on that first night (his 2016 debut) against Denmark - the pride, the emotion.
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I → keep → Denmark
When you're picked to play for your country, you never know when it's going to be your last, so you don't take it for granted.
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you → pick → it
"Quite possibly tomorrow night, you never know.
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you → know → ?
It could be the last time you're chosen."
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you → choose → ?
McGinn, of course, has glorious history and iconic status with St Mirren and Hibs, but at Villa something extra-special has happened.
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something → have → Villa
Talk to their fans and it's not an appraisal you get but a hagiography.
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you → talk → fans
McGinn (more than most others) was the one who got them out of the Championship in 2019, the one who kept them in the Premier League in 2020, the one who dragged them from 17th to 11th to 14th to 7th to 4th in the English top flight, the one who helped bring Champions League football, the one who captained them and scored for them when winning a European trophy last season, the one who broke their European goalscoring record.
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who → get → record
…and 27 more, not listed.
The Aporia
