Harvey Elliott’s loan move from Liverpool to Aston Villa has so far failed to bring about the change that many had hoped for.
Villa head coach Unai Emery has called for the young England star to be given more training time and more tactical discipline.
But Elliott has played in only a handful of games and has been benched or sat out, raising red flags.
Elliott joined Villa with much fanfare. The 22-year-old, a key figure in Liverpool’s recent success and England’s success in the European Under-21 Championship, was seen as an attacking upgrade for a Villa side looking to rebuild under Emery.
Harvey Elliott struggles to perform at Aston Villa
It has been reported that this loan deal will last for one season and could lead to a permanent transfer, raising expectations that Elliott will be a key figure in pushing Villa up the Premier League table. However, the reality so far has been different.
Elliott, who has played in five games in his Villa career, has not started in the last three games and has failed to make an impact.
Despite his public support, Emery urged the young winger not to rely solely on talent, insisting that “hard work and patience are the keys to starting his Villa career”.
According to a report in the Express newspaper, Emery said:
“I am very demanding of myself in choosing the starting players, the players on the bench and the substitutes for each game, and I always try to get the best overall performance through each individual player, first of all.
“Harvey is No. 10 in our system, in our shape, and he has played a few games, but there is still some adaptation to add himself individually to our system, and that is the challenge we have. Of course, he has been training well and his commitment has been very good, but his performances (up to this point) have not been good enough.”
“At the same time, we have other players who can play as number 10 and they are performing well and I have another player.
“This is the main reason why he will not be able to play in the last game, but he has to continue to work as he has been doing in the training sessions and of course we have to gain the confidence in the performance that we need through him.”
Young people need to work hard to fulfill their potential
The potential remains high and it’s clear that Liverpool continue to believe in his wide-ranging talent, but this period could be crucial for both his confidence and long-term future.
Elliott’s loan to Aston Villa is still ongoing. Despite early high hopes, his adaptation has been slower than expected, with Emery suggesting the player must now match his talent with his willingness to take on challenges.
If he can combine his work ethic with the opportunity, this move could propel him forward, but otherwise he will face a difficult period at Aston Villa.
Aston Villa are working towards a deal with the 23-year-old, although negotiations are ‘not that far along’