Written by James Cranford – @jamescranford89
The long wait between Liverpool’s first two Premier League fixtures has led to (what we are now obliged to call) ‘heated debate’ online amongst Reds fans over the state of the midfield. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a long-term absentee, Thiago picked up an injury in the 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage, and Naby Keita has struggled to put together a run of consecutive league fixtures during his time at the club.
If Jürgen Klopp decides not to go into the transfer market before the window slams shut on September 1st, he will be relying on Harvey Elliott to start more games than he could last season following a horror injury. The Surrey-born star is clearly in the manager’s plans given that he has signed a five-year contract extension today.
On the latest episode of our Journo Insight Show, we asked goal.com’s Neil Jones for his thoughts on Harvey’s place in the squad, and the reasons behind his new contract.
Neil said:
“Rewards. Curtis Jones I think was one who went through the levels quickly when he started establishing himself. Trent was another one, he gets a new deal then gets another new deal, moving up the pay grades if you like. He’s got some work to do, he’s still got to get in the side and stay in the side. They obviously think massively of him, they see him as a star of the team. It makes sense to have him on a long-term contract and to reward him for the progress he has made.
The doubt about Harvey Elliott is can he handle physicality; can he get stuck in to the hurly burly of a midfield? Actually, what you do is you put him in those type of games and let his class play around that element. I’ve got no doubt that he is going to be capable of being a Liverpool player long-term, it just depends where and in what kind of guise.”
Redmen Reacts
Harvey was the surprise package of Liverpool’s 2021/22 pre-season, excelling following a switch from right winger to a right sided central midfield role. The management team had such faith in Elliott, who had not long turned 18, that he was a starting midfielder in the first few games of the season, until his injury.
Klopp and Ljinders clearly believe the teenager is both good enough and ready for an increased role in the side. Hopefully he can use the current midfield injury crisis to establish himself back in the first team and provide competition for the right-sided no. 8 role.
If Liverpool do not go into the transfer market (which looks the most likely eventuality at the time of writing) then Harvey can replace some of the Premier League minutes lost by the absences of Thiago and Oxlade-Chamberlain. Jürgen and Pep were sure that Alisson and Virgil were the right men for the Reds, they seem to believe in Harvey to a similar extent, so the young man likely has a great future ahead of him.
