When Harvey Elliott shone in midfield last pre-season for Liverpool, it was something of a surprise to see Jurgen Klopp reinvent the teenager in such a role. He’d just flourished out on the right on loan at Blackburn Rovers after all, and never played in the engine-room before.
But as the teenager took his summer performances into the opening weeks of the campaign, it was clear that the Reds boss was onto something. Before his ankle injury suffered against Leeds United in September, the England youth international had been first-choice, to distract from the departure of Gini Wijnaldum, and proven himself to be Liverpool ’s best performer in those opening weeks of the season.
When Elliott returned from thank dislocated ankle in February 2022, he burst back onto the scene with a well-taken maiden goal on his return against Cardiff City, before later starting at the San Siro against Inter Milan and coming on and scoring the penalty shoot out victory over Chelsea at Wembley in the League Cup final.
But once the adrenaline from his return had worn off, the midfielder was taken out of the firing line. Ultimately, as Liverpool chased an unprecedented quadruple, he was left watching on from the wings, featuring just three times during the final three months of the season as Klopp kept him in reserve ahead of unleashing him once again in the summer.
Now, a year on from those impressive pre-season showings last year, Elliott has picked up exactly where he left off pre-injury. This time his performances are no surprise, the Reds’ worst-kept secret is back.
Having played on the right against Manchester United for his half-hour outing on Tuesday, Elliott was back in midfield against Crystal Palace as he was allowed to run riot. It was his cut-back to Jordan Henderson that set up the opening goal, while he was unfortunate not to get on the scoresheet himself when firing wildly wide on his weaker foot after finding space at the far post.
With Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in front of him and James Milner behind him, the 19-year-old linked up brilliantly with his compatriots in this pre-season showing against the Eagles. A return of the attacking triangle we saw utilised at times on the right last season, he popped up wherever he was needed to complement his two widemen.
If Liverpool needed him to come short to receive the ball, he dropped deep. If Milner or Oxlade-Chamberlain pulled wide, he filled the central space to devastating effect as he ran out the Palace defence and linked up with the likes of Roberto Firmino.
And when it was Oxlade-Chamberlain moving central, Elliott would provide the overlapping run. To an extent, that is where Liverpool’s opening goal came from.
If this is the 19-year-old with two rotation Reds options, imagine this right flank when he is reunited with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold. This new ‘number eight’ role was created with the midfielder in mind after all, with it a shame injury ultimately stopped it being implemented to its most effective best last season.
But now Elliott is back and Klopp can follow through on what he started with this initial pre-season experiment last year.
Of course, such a change of role ultimately makes sense for the teenager, considering it’s Salah who would stand ahead of him in the pecking order in his original right-wing position. And while he could ultimately end up still being both the rotation option and the long-term replacement for the Egyptian, it won’t stop him flourishing in midfield.
With critics insisting Liverpool need to strengthen their midfield this summer, Elliott has provided the perfect answer. It might only be early days in pre-season, the evidence continues to suggest it won’t be long before the teenager is a key player for Klopp and the Reds.
He is exactly why the German has complete faith in the current options at his disposal. Three years on from his move to Anfield from Fulham and it’s clear the maximum £4.3m compensation package Liverpool could end up paying the Cottagers will prove to be an absolute bargain.
Super Salah scores
It’s safe to say that 2022 has not gone to plan for Mohamed Salah so far.
Ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations in January, the forward had scored 23 goals and would have been of continental glory with Egypt before returning to Anfield and helping Liverpool clinch a Premier League and Champions League double at least, if dreams of an unprecedented quadruple had not yet formed in mid-campaign. The best player in the world at the time, he was storming to the Golden Boot, would have been desperate to qualify for the World Cup and would have had his sights on the Ballon d’Or too.
Yet the goals dried up as Egypt lost the Africa Cup of Nations final before losing their World Cup play-off to Senegal. And while the Reds would clinch a domestic cup double, they’d narrowly miss out on club football’s two biggest prizes. Meanwhile, netting just eight times following his AFCON return, only five would come from open play as his Ballon d’Or hopes swiftly died.
Outsiders craved answers for this ‘loss’ of form. Was he distracted by speculation regarding his future? Was he fatigued following his international exploits or mentally suffering after such heartache? Or was it just impossible for the forward to keep up his Autumn 2021 form?
Whatever the reasons, the summer break and a new three-year contract appears to have done Salah the world of good and he was back in the goals against Crystal Palace on Friday.
It won’t be his prettiest strike this season, despite the neat footwork to cut inside and beat a man, as a deflection ensured his strike ricocheted in off goalkeeper Vincent Guaita’s midriff. But such a strike was ironically exactly what he would have needed as the goals dried up when winter turned to spring.
The 30-year-old was sharp against the Eagles as he looked to link up with new strike-partner Darwin Nunez, and caused Palace problems throughout his 45 minutes on the pitch. On another day, he gets an assist too after cutting the ball back to the Uruguayan only to see him shoot straight at Guaita.
The prize attraction in Singapore, supporters cheered just the sight of him on the big screen in the first half, while he finished the friendly with the captain’s armband on his arm after Klopp’s final nine changes.
Up and running for 2022/23, the smile on Salah’s face is back. Premier League defences beware.
Nearly Nunez
Far too much was made of Darwin Nunez ’s debut performance for Liverpool in the 4-0 defeat to Manchester United, as rival fans took great glee in the potential £85m skying one simple chance to open his account for the Reds. Given that club-record fee, there are those already queuing up to see the Uruguayan fail.
Jurgen Klopp hit out at such criticism in his pre-match press conference ahead of facing Crystal Palace, but his new striker was left frustrated once again in his second outing for the club.
Moments before Salah had doubled Liverpool’s lead, a shooting chance went begging for the forward as the ball squirmed through his legs at the far post. Meanwhile, soon after he would fire straight at Vincent Guaita after the Egyptian had cut the ball back to him.
Later forcing one shot goalwards from an acute angle after being forced wide under pressure, Nunez’s desperation to open his account is clear. To an extent he is trying too hard to make this immediate impact. Klopp's arm around the shoulder will continue to reassure him until his duck is broken.
Yet, inevitably, critics again took their shots at the forward with one site wasting no time in drawing attention to a fan-made 'highlights' package mocking the 23-year-old's latest outing in front of goal. Having endured similar treatment against Manchester United, the opportunity of an open goal fanning the flames of football tribalism at the expense of perspective is too much to resist, it seems.
The striker won’t be judged for what he does in pre-season but for what he achieves once the campaign actually gets underway. Despite his failure to score so far, there are positive signs at least as relationships continue to blossom.
He is linking up well with Salah and making the attacking runs Klopp expects from him, even if the service from the likes of Alexander-Arnold, Thiago and co. is currently slightly lacking as the Reds look to adapt. This is what pre-season is for, of course.
Nunez might have been left frustrated when leaving the pitch in Singapore after a second goalless outing but his manager won’t be worried. Outside tribal criticism will continue but it's only a matter of time before gloating critics are made to eat their premature words.
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