Former Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish has delivered his verdict on the situation surrounding Tyrone Mings. 

The lowdown: Captaincy stripped

Mings was removed as club captain ahead of the Villans opening Premier League encounter with Bournemouth and was replaced by John McGinn.

However, the 29-year-old - who has represented the club on 128 occasions - was also dropped from the starting XI by Steven Gerrard, raising further questions over the long-term future of the central defender.

Sky Sports even spotted during the live text coverage of the game that the former skipper looked 'miffed' on the bench.

Upon hearing the fallout, one well-invested pundit has had his say on the situation and Mings' future at Villa Park...

The latest: 'Something has happened'

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish - who of course has Villa connections and now contributes for Sky Sports - suggested that it is now over to Gerrard to resolve the matter.

He said: It seems like something has happened between them. Either Steven doesn’t fancy him or he thinks he should be doing better, that’s entirely the manager’s prerogative.

“I thought the change of captaincy was something that would help the team and free up Mings in terms of his defensive duties. He was possibly feeling the pressure a bit, that’s how I saw it. It seems that it is something more than that.

“It is within a manager’s right to do what he does for the team but when you are losing, it is going to affect everything. That’s what Stevie has to sort out. If they don’t start winning then all of these things will be thrown at him.

“I’ve had it myself. That’s the way the game is. If you don’t get the results and you have made some changes, sometimes these things happen. We don’t know what goes on inside those walls.”

The verdict: Get it sorted

Although there can be little doubting that Mings' form took a decline last term, the 17-cap England man remains an experienced operator at the top level and one that could feasibly recapture his best once again.

Last season, the man once hailed as an 'outstanding leader' by Gareth Southgate earned an impressive 6.91 Sofascore rating whilst winning 3,9 duels, making 4.2 clearances and 1.3 interceptions on average per game, and at the very least his leadership qualities should improve some shambolic team defending.

Although the signings of Boubacar Kamara and Diego Carlos as well as the improvement in Ezri Konsa could see Mings remain down the pecking order, Gerrard must resolve the situation surrounding the £27million valued ace, who has been influential for so long at Villa.