Unai Emery aims Harvey Elliott criticism amid “lazy” claims

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Unai Emery has very publicly called out Harvey Elliott on what he needs to improve amid Aston Villa’s winless start to the season.

The Villains have not had the best start to the new campaign and are yet to win after their 1-1 draw with Sunderland this past weekend.

It’s then not been the best situation for Harvey Elliott to walk into after arriving on a loan with an obligation to buy if the 22-year-old makes 10 appearances for Villa this season.

The obligation to buy clause is thought to be valued at £35 million.

Against Sunderland on Sunday, Elliott came on for a 32-minute cameo, but Unai Emery was not entirely happy with his performance and let the Liverpool man know:

“We were lazy sometimes.

The goal we conceded, we were lazy.

(Ollie) Watkins is not having chances to score.

For example, Harvey Elliott, a little bit he was getting the ball and so quick doing passes behind the defence without options.

He needs to understand: ‘Okay, Harvey, you have skills to play more passes, more passes, more passes, and then to do the pass behind, outside or inside,’ in better positions to get something more.”

“And then, as well, we were lazy, sometimes defensively lazy?

For example, the way we conceded we were lazy.”

Elliott’s situation is complicated by Villa’s disastrous start to the season, which has seen them remain winless in the Premier League and sit 18th in the table after five games.

The midfielder ended Villa’s goal drought earlier this season, scoring their first goal in a Carabao Cup tie against Brentford, but Premier League success has proven elusive.

If Elliott fails to make the required ten appearances, the permanent transfer wouldn’t be triggered, potentially forcing Liverpool to find another solution for a player who clearly wanted regular first-team football.

The Reds structured the deal with considerable protection, including buy-back and sell-on clauses that reflect their continued belief in Elliott’s potential.

Liverpool is in line to net a significant profit on their initial £4.3 million investment in Elliott, having identified him as one of the brightest prospects in English football when they signed him from Fulham in 2019.

READ MORE: Liverpool forward to “miss a few games” through injury

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