Could Harvey Elliott Be “Like A New Signing” For Iraola?
One of the major—and I believe wholly justified—accusations against Arne Slot was his poor squad management during both of his campaigns in charge, including the title winning one.
One of the players the he quickly sidelined was Harvey Elliott, who had been a fan favorite under Jurgen Klopp’s tenure. Although he never reached regular starter status under Klopp, many had expected to kick-on at Liverpool, having shown genuine flashes of brilliance in his ability to both pick out a pass and find the back of the net.
However, after mostly riding the pine during Slot’s first season, he was understandably ready to find playing time elsewhere. A move to Aston Villa—with an obligation to buy if he got a paltry 10 league appearances—seemed like a great move for all involved. Unfortunately, Villa decided to keep the talented attacking midfielder on the bench, thus making it a loss for all involved.
Well, Elliott is back at Liverpool, and doing some pre-preseason training, hoping to make a case for himself with new gaffer Andoni Iraola.
Iraola has spoken briefly about Liverpool’s squad, including the players who weren’t as fancied by Slot.
“For me, and I will tell them, [they] are all new signings,” Iraoloa explained. “For me, you are all new signings and I think we have a lot of quality in our squad, and [I’m] really looking forward to working with them.”
Under both Klopp and Slot, Elliott found it difficult to nail down a spot due to some shortcomings in his physique, not ability. He’s a bit too slow to really be used as a winger, and a bit too easily bullied off the ball to be a midfielder.
His pace (or lack thereof) on the wing might be a concern for Iraola too, but his workrate and football intelligence could help him find a way into the thin squad, especially since we know how much the new boss likes utilizing the five sub rule.
Hopefully Elliott can make space for himself within the squad under this manager, and if not, hopefully he can find a permanent move somewhere that allows him to shine.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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