Bulgaria game

[WWHO]

Mings was the reason Villa went up.

Try McGinn...

Josh, the time I take your advice on football will be the time I buy a season ticket for Halesowen Town. 

They were defensively poor until Mings was brought in, his inclusion enabled them to build a better foundation to play the more expansive game Smith was employing with limited results beforehand. This and the return of Grealish enabled them to go on the run they had all the way to the play-off final.

As much as I detest the greasy little twat, he was the reason they went up. Mings undoubtedly contributed, but the greaser was the main reason, the twat.

What a simplistic argument which is entirely subjective. It's a combination of things that got Villa up, which no one can ever prove. However, Grealish, McGinn and Mings all stand out as major reasons in all discussions around the topic.

Are you new to message boards?

[Squid]

Mings was the reason Villa went up.

I thought that was down to Graham Scott

It most certainly was, and he cost the Vile nothing!

I mean we don’t know that for sure.

I do. They were very average at the Hawthorns. Gayle would have torn them apart. Instead we had to rely on Jacob Murphy.

We also had a not fully fit Matty Phillips and no Gareth Barry.

[EastMidsBaggie]

Mings was the reason Villa went up.

Really ?  Very average every time we played them.

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Mings was the reason Villa went up.

I thought that was down to Graham Scott

Spot on ! Never forget.

[Tom Joad]

My tuppence, FWIW. Villa had the rub of the green no doubt, but player-wise I'd say Greasy's return got them up. Both McGinn and Mings were nothing special in the play off semis. During 90 minutes at villa park, we outplayed them for all but a 4 minute spell during which Greasy lured our entire midfield towards him, before laying the ball off for a clean strike and goal and then "won" a penalty. He turned us over in 4 minutes despite not being particularly outstanding all game. Mings improved them considerably after he joined and McGinn was a constant 8 out of 10 all season, but it was the return of slippery one that got them even into the play offs.
We didn't miss out on Mings. We strengthened right back (a problem position at the time), and tried a few replacements for Harvey Barnes. It didn't work out for us and I don't think Mings would have made up the gap, either. £26M? I reckon we dodged a bullet.
...and back to the OP! Last night was actually sickening. Much credit to all our black players for dealing with that, and plenty also to Southgate and co for seeing the job through in those circumstances. Now, EUFA, throw the book at the Bulgarian F.A.