Harvey Elliott has responded publicly and professionally to recent criticism leveled by Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery, insisting he “took no offence” and will use the feedback as fuel to improve.
The 22-year-old’s comments signal a willingness to adapt to a new tactical environment even as he searches for consistency early in his Villa career.
Elliott, who joined Villa this season on loan from Liverpool in a deal that carries an obligation to buy, was restored to the starting XI against Fulham following a period of limited playing time.
The decision to start him came in the wake of critical remarks from Emery, who had questioned Elliott’s tendency to play quick passes behind the defence — a style the coach suggests does not always align with Villa’s identity.
Before the match, Elliott addressed the media, admitting there was no tension in the criticism and that he accepts the challenge. “The comments are always going to come. For me I just take it in my stride,” he said. “I listen to what he has to say and I try to apply it in my game. … I took no offence to it. I knew myself in that game that some things were forced by myself and for me it’s an opportunity now to put it right, try to take what he’s said and put it into today’s game.”
That willingness to learn may be crucial in light of Emery’s own remarks after the match, when he substituted Elliott at half-time.
Emery clarified that the change was not a punishment, but rather a tactical decision: “He needs to adapt in everything, but I changed him not because he was playing bad. … He was playing good, but I changed him thinking about the energy Emi Buendia gives us in that moment, and his skills as well.”
Emery’s earlier criticisms had cast a spotlight on Elliott’s adjustment period. Speaking after a 1-1 draw with Sunderland, the coach singled out moments in which Elliott played passes behind the defense prematurely, suggesting that such choices undermined the team’s structure and identity.
“He has to understand our identity better as well,” Emery said, noting that while Elliott is a talent, he must grow in his understanding of Villa’s system.
The roots of the friction, if any, are not entirely surprising. Elliott’s arrival came under high expectations: as a young creative midfielder moving from his boyhood club Liverpool, he would be expected to contribute decisively in open play.
He had already demonstrated his attacking instincts — scoring in the Carabao Cup earlier in the month — but the more fluid, reactive setup employed by Emery requires discipline, controlled build-up and consistent positional awareness.
Villa’s early Premier League form compounds the pressure. The club went several matches without a league win and had struggled to impose itself in games, prompting Emery to publicly lash out at his squad for perceived lethargy, saying they had failed to show identity or intensity.