On Harvey Elliott, the Business of Sport, and Loyalty

Liverpool are a club that, given the big spending that took place over the summer, looks a little light given the spate of injuries in different departments of the first team. Although the biggest concerns are on the defensive side, with right-back and centre-back particularly light with injuries to Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez, questions remain over Arne Slot’s ability to turn to the bench as a game-changer.

With the return of Mohamed Salah after his stint at the Africa Cup of Nations, things are perhaps a little less dire, but it is true that Slot does not have as complete a squad as one might hope given Alexander Isak’s long-term injury. Right now, if the manager were to play his preferred four strikers, the bench would give Federico Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha as the main candidates to select if he chases a goal. That is to say, the pickings are slim.

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One name that has stuck in the minds of many Liverpool fans this season and could also be a decent option off the bench and as a rotational starter is Harvey Elliott. The young midfielder’s loan move to Aston Villa, while certainly sad for fans who saw him as a reliable option off the bench, would not come as a surprise given that Arne Slot’s midfield and attacking setups did not appear to benefit the young talent. And with the purchase of Florian Wirtz, a young attacking midfielder who can also play on the wing (albeit on the opposite side of the pitch), it felt like his days at Anfield were still numbered.

To say his loan spell at Aston Villa didn’t go as planned, however, is an understatement. With the young player looking more or less out of Unai Emery’s side, Elliott made an appearance for Villa late last week, sparking a brief moment of hope. All of that was dashed, however, given Emery’s now quite famous and crazy rant attempting to essentially lay the blame for Elliott’s lack of playing time at the feet of Liverpool – a club the player is not currently registered with.

This is beyond infuriating because a footballer’s career depends on the good graces of a manager who clearly does not want to trigger the automatic purchase clause in the deal. In other words, Elliott’s future is absolutely out of his control.

I have to say I’ve been losing my mind a little over this story for the last day or so. Mainly because beyond the absolutely unbalanced and indefensible position exposed by Emery – which includes the subtext that Villa’s own form could stand a bit of the infusion of talent that Harvey possesses. Emery chooses to gamble with his team’s chances of catching Arsenal simply because he no longer likes the terms he agreed to during the player’s loan deal.

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No, I don’t care because this story is a really sad situation for Harvey Elliott. Here is a player whose window to reach the career ceiling that some predicted would quickly close. And this, without any real fault on their part.

Maybe in the end, Harvey just isn’t a superstar. After all, we’ve seen what Florian Wirtz has achieved in his short time at Anfield. But I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if he had landed in a place where, like Jurgen Klopp, he had been entrusted with more.

It’s a sliding doors moment that happens to many footballers, but this one hits home for some reason. Maybe because we got to see Harvey break into the first team and become a reliable player. We were able to see him experience moments of triumph on the field that hinted at this tantalizing potential. And, perhaps most importantly, we got to see a fellow Red live out all of our dreams and succeed.

But I think this whole circumstance also makes me sad because the fandom experience is so disorienting. We demand a lot from athletes and, perhaps because of their wealth, forget the brutal realities in which they make their living. I’ve seen fans talk about the team’s “heroes” and “icons” in one moment, then demand they be shipped out the next. Then those same fans feel burned or offended when one of those same players even deigns to think about playing elsewhere.

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I am not immune to this; in fact, I feel a little strange going this far on this given that it’s this ecosystem that allows me to write this very screed and earn a (very modest) amount of money for doing so. I am, to paraphrase a wise woman, also the problem.

So, yes, I am incredibly furious with Emery and I find the whole thing a bit of a sickening farce. But I’m also very sad for Harvey Elliott and all the players who find themselves in similar circumstances.

I hope that, for Elliott’s sake, a solution can be found. Or, at least, that he can find his place in a team where he can show his talent. And conversely, I hope Emery has to sleep on a bed that’s a little too short and a little too hot for the next 5 years. I feel like both of those things would bring me some peace.