Why Harvey Elliott deserves to be a starter for Liverpool

As one period ends at Anfield, a brand new one begins. Jürgen Klopp’s unbelievable nine-year run introduced each trophy attainable (bar the Europa League) to the membership, and Arne Slot is the person tasked with ushering in new successes to the Reds.

The early indicators have been optimistic, bar a behind-closed-doors defeat to Preston, Slot’s facet has beat Actual Betis, Arsenal, and Manchester United – scoring six objectives and conceding simply as soon as.

Whereas outcomes don’t matter in pre-season, getting your concepts throughout does. The previous Feyenoord boss’s concepts have been clear.

Whereas some themes have remained from the earlier regime, others have modified. One key distinction is that Liverpool now operates with an attacking midfielder (or quantity 10).

Harvey Elliott’s Liverpool profession

One participant this might profit massively is Harvey Elliott. Regardless of being simply 21 years outdated, Elliott has racked up over 160 appearances for the membership he supported as a boy.

Nearly all of these, nonetheless, have come from the bench. Elliott has suffered from accidents, however he’s additionally suffered from not having a longtime place within the facet. His finest spell got here because the right-sided central midfielder in a 4-3-3, fluidly combining with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mo Salah. 

He’s additionally been used as a back-up to the Egyptian, as a result of Liverpool’s lack of choices in that space. The reality is although, whereas he can do each – they don’t actually optimize his strengths.

His strengths are very a lot on present whenever you get the England under-21 within the remaining third of the pitch.

He’s placing up 0.22 anticipated assists per ninety, which ranks him within the sixty fourth percentile for attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s prime 5 leagues (keep in mind he’s performed loads of soccer in central midfield the place that will rank him within the 94th percentile).

Final season he had 6 assists, and through his time on mortgage at Blackburn – the place he was in a position to begin additional up the pitch – he had 11.

Liverpool followers really feel Harvey Elliott can have a very good season.

Harvey Elliott’s Function

Give Harvey Elliott the ball across the opposition’s D, and good issues will occur. On Arne Slot’s first pre-season tour, Elliott bought the prospect to be Liverpool’s #10. He was extraordinarily efficient, significantly in opposition to Arsenal.

His first help – a by means of ball from his personal half to launch Salah – was good. His second was even higher. 

Elliott receives the ball from Dominik Szoboszlai and has little time to suppose or area to function in. Fabio Carvalho makes his run into the field and his former Fulham youth teammate acts virtually on intuition, flicking the ball over the Arsenal protection. It wasn’t the primary time he’d damaged Arsenal’s defenses within the sport, slipping a ball by means of to Diogo Jota who hit the submit.

Elliott performed most minutes in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and South Carolina, and moreover his spotlight reel of assists, he impressed. At instances, he holds on to the ball too lengthy, however for probably the most half, he provides power and creativity to the facet. 

Slot’s appointment provides Elliott an opportunity to cement himself as a starter for the membership, and he has loads of attributes that the Dutch supervisor appreciates.

With absences initially of the season due to worldwide commitments and prolonged holidays (in addition to the membership’s lack of motion within the switch market up to now) give Elliott to ascertain himself as a starter, from there he has the expertise to cement himself as a star.

Picture credit score: IMAGO / Information Pictures