Harvey Elliott not ‘tactically erudite’ enough for Unai Emery at Aston Villa as Ross Barkley preferred
Harvey Elliott is ‘increasingly disappointed’ by his lack of game time at Aston Villa as a report details the reasons for Unai Emery continuing to snub the Liverpool loanee.
Elliott joined Aston Villa on deadline day on a season-long loan which includes an obligation to buy for around £35m if he makes just ten appearances this season.
He’s made six so far, but just two as a starter, and he’s been restricted to just four minutes off the bench – at Feyenoord on October 2 – in the last six weeks, failing to even make the matchday squad for the Premier League wins over Manchester City and Bournemouth.
The Athletic report that both Paris Saint Germain’s Marco Asensio and West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta were Emery’s ‘preferred options’ in the summer and claim that Elliott’s lack of football this term is ‘largely because he has not yet fully adjusted to Emery’s strict footballing demands’.
Emery ‘prefers a more methodical approach’ from his attacking midfielders than what Elliott was used to when coming off the bench for Liverpool to change games.
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Morgan Rogers, John McGinn and Youri Tielemans are Emery’s preferred options in midfield, while Emiliano Beundia’s renaissance sees him ahead of Elliott in the pecking order, and even Ross Barkley – typically used more as a No.6 by Emery – has recently been called upon ahead of the England U21 star.
When asked why the 22-year-old wasn’t in the squad for the win over City, Emery said: “He is training well, and he played some matches, but the performances weren’t what we needed. Some players are playing as a No 10, and they are playing well, like Buendia and Rogers. Also Ross Barkley, after he was out.
“In the squad, we needed to take one player out, and I decided for (it to be) him. I am happy with him. He is training good. His commitment is fantastic and he is a good guy. (It is) Only a tactical decision.”
The report states that ‘the No 10 in the Spaniard’s system is a key player who must be tactically erudite, recognising pressing triggers set by the striker, but also calm and composed in possession’, and Emery evidently doesn’t believe Elliott is the man for that role, at least for the time being.
‘There’s a growing frustration on the player’s part, because the situation is getting worse not better,’ the report adds, and Elliott has grown ‘increasingly disappointed over the past month as sitting on the sidelines wasn’t what he expected or was told lay ahead when he signed’.
