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Unai Emery singled out Liverpool loanee Harvey Elliott for criticism in the wake of Aston Villa’s 1-1 draw against Sunderland on Sunday.
The result continued Villa’s woeful start to the new campaign and it is yet to win a single match this season. Matty Cash’s second-half goal was the only Villa has netted from five Premier League games.
To make matters worse, Villa played against 10 men for the majority of the game after Reinildo was sent off in the 33rd minute. Despite taking the lead via Cash’s long-distance strike, Villa was pegged back in the second period when Wilson Isidor equalized.
Elliott, who scored Villa’s first goal of the season in the midweek Carabao Cup loss to Brentford, was introduced off the bench in the 58th minute at the Stadium of Light but struggled to have an impact.
Somewhat surprisingly, he was singled out by Emery during his post-match press conference.
“Some players need adaptation,” said the ex-Arsenal boss. “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.
“Then, as well, we were lazy, sometimes defensively lazy. For example, the way we conceded we were lazy.”
Pushed on what he meant by lazy, a comment that didn’t seem to be directed at Elliott, Emery added: “Ah, lazy — sometimes lazy when we are playing here away, we have to fight the duels, and we were not fighting all duels.
“I watched the goal we conceded, and we were lazy. We were lazy, but all the team, not just the center-backs or Cash. We are lazy.
“Usually the players have [the right] attitude. But sometimes maybe they are a bit upset or not feeling good, they are not fighting.
“It is not something I can tell them like a punishment. Collectively, we have to try and understand and feel better.”
The draw at Sunderland was Elliott’s third Villa appearance since he joined from Liverpool on transfer deadline day.
The boyhood Red sent an emotional message when he departed the club on an initial loan deal that includes an obligation to buy next summer for £35million ($47M).
“The love I have for Liverpool is still going to be there forever, that's not going to change, I'm still going to be watching and looking out for them from afar,” Elliott said in a recent interview.
“I'm wishing them all the very best, but sometimes in football you need to be selfish. I made the decision to leave because I wanted to do what's best for me.
“I take all of my experiences and everything I learnt from Liverpool. Hopefully, I can start to kick on now.”
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