I really enjoyed the Under 21’s Euro final last night. Of course I watched with red-tinted spectacles. Were we right to sell Jarell Quansah as he looked a serious player? Does Tyler Morton have a future with us? The main talking (or thinking) point, however, was around young Harvey Elliott.
Player of the tournament with goals aplenty. Surely with the prowess he showed we should consider keeping him? We’re a reactive bunch, and I think we should contemplate the issues rationally in the cold light of day.
Firstly, have we really learnt anything we didn’t already know? He’s a really good player with an eye for goal. He might be young, but at 22 he’s been around the team for a good few years now, so maybe less room for improvement than we might hope. There’s no doubt that at the highest level he was far more experienced than many of those around him last night.
In my opinion, there is one main question to be answered. Is he ever likely to be a regular first teamer in our current squad, or even likely to challenge? I think if the answer is ‘no’, then he won’t want to stay, so our desires are a bit of a moot point.
I have to say that when I’ve seen him start, I don’t think he’s taken the game by the scruff of the neck, even against poor opposition. I do like him coming on as sub, injecting much-needed energy into our midfield. He’s unlikely to be happy with that, however, and that’s completely understandable.
Looking at his skillset, he’s neat on the ball with good feet. He’s busy, and always makes himself available. I do think for him to fulfil his ‘role’ he would need a yard of extra pace.
I’ve seen calls to ‘get rid of Jones instead of Elliott’ on Twitter, but that shows a lack of knowledge on the needs of our squad, and also the players themselves. Curtis Jones may seem lacking at times, and can occasionally delay in moving the ball on, but he often excels in the middle of the park when needed. I’d imagine being a local lad who doesn’t always start might be enough to keep him here. Elliott is also more niche, only operating on the right side of midfield.
Another point about last night’s England win. It really was football of a vastly lower level than that which we see at Anfield every other week. Decent players stood out within the general mediocrity; that’s not criticism of the young lads giving their all , simply fact. I think what was impressive last night was how Lee Carsley got the team to be more than a sum of their parts, always a good quality in a manager.
The arrival of Florian Wirtz also affects Harvey’s chances of getting regular playing time. A world class attacking midfield player who simply has to start. My feeling is that it will be Dom Szoboszlai who will come off the bench to give energy levels a lift when needed. Ryan Gravenberch has made the defensive midfield role his own, and Alexis Mac Allister is top-class and would always be in my starting eleven.
My personal conclusion is that Harvey Elliott should probably go in order to further his career. I hope he does really well – he’s a good lad. It would be nice if recent England performances will boost our asking price. Hopefully the 40 million or so will go towards the Isak kitty.
