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UNAI EMERY ON HARVEY ELLIOTT: ‘BRILLIANT TALENT, BUT NOT YET TACTICAL’

Harvey Elliott is frustrated with his lack of playing time at Aston Villa. A report reveals Unai Emery prefers more systematic players, leaving the Liverpool loanee out of matchday squads despite his eagerness to contribute.

Unai Emery on Harvey Elliott: ‘Brilliant Talent, But Not Yet Tactical’
Emery Chooses Barkley’s Tactics Over Elliott’s Flair - Photo Credit: Getty Images

As a source explains why Unai Emery keeps passing up the Liverpool loanee, Harvey Elliott is "increasingly dissatisfied" with his lack of playing time at Aston Villa.

Elliott signed a season-long loan with Aston Villa on deadline day, with the option to purchase him for almost £35 million if he makes just ten appearances this year.

He has made six appearances so far, but just two as a starter. In the past six weeks, he has only been allowed to play four minutes off the bench, including on October 2 against Feyenoord, and he was not even included in the matchday squad for the Premier League victories against Manchester City and Bournemouth.

According to The Athletic, Elliott has not played this season "mainly because he has not yet fully adjusted to Emery's rigid footballing demands." Marco Asensio of Paris Saint-Germain and Lucas Paqueta of West Ham were also Emery's "preferred alternatives" in the summer.

Elliott was used to coming off the bench to change games for Liverpool, but Emery "prefers a more systematic approach" from his offensive midfielders.

Emery's favourite midfield alternatives are Morgan Rogers, John McGinn, and Youri Tielemans; Emiliano Beundia's comeback puts him ahead of Elliott in the hierarchy; and even Ross Barkley, who Emery usually uses more as a No. 6; recently, Barkley was called upon before the England U21 star.

Emery responded, "He is training well, and he played several matches, but the performances were not what we required," when asked why the 22-year-old was not included in the squad for the victory over City. Some players, like Rogers and Buendia, are performing well when playing as a No. 10. Ross Barkley, too, after he left.

We had to remove one guy from the team, so I chose to do so with him. I am content with him. He is training well. He is a decent man with amazing dedication. (It is) Just a strategic choice.

"The No. 10 in the Spaniard's system is a critical player who must be tactically erudite, identifying pressing triggers set by the striker, but also calm and serene in possession," according to the source. Emery clearly does not think Elliott is the right man for that role, at least not right now.

According to the report, Elliott has been "more and more unhappy over the past month since sitting on the sidelines was not what he expected or was told lay ahead when he signed." "There is a growing irritation on the player's behalf, because the situation is getting worse, not better," it continues.

BRUNO SALTOR OFFICIALLY JOINS TOTTENHAM AS ASSISTANT COACH FOR THE NORTH LONDON DERBY

Tottenham appoints Bruno Saltor! Discover the new coaching team under Igor Tudor and the departures following Thomas Frank's exit.

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Tottenham Confirm Bruno Saltor as Assistant Coach Under Igor Tudor

Tottenham Hotspur just shook up their coaching staff, bringing in Bruno Saltor, a guy who’s worked with Chelsea and West Ham in the past.

Saltor’s stepping in alongside interim boss Igor Tudor until the season wraps up. Spurs let go of Thomas Frank earlier this month, and, like Manchester United, they’ve decided to go with a temporary setup for now and figure out the bigger picture in the summer.

Tudor, who’s managed clubs like Marseille, Lazio, and Juventus, is set to take charge for the first time this weekend in the North London derby against Arsenal. Saltor will be in the dugout for his first Spurs match, too.

If you’ve followed Saltor’s career, you might know he’s often worked with Graham Potter. That’s how he ended up at both Chelsea and West Ham. When Potter left Chelsea in 2023, Saltor took over as interim head coach. His one match in charge ended in a 0-0 draw with Liverpool. Frank Lampard replaced him soon after, and Saltor stayed on as part of the coaching staff until Mauricio Pochettino arrived, at which point he moved on. He later reunited with Potter at West Ham but left when Potter did in September.

Tottenham’s official statement confirmed the news: “Following the arrival of Igor Tudor as Head Coach until the end of the season, we can now confirm the appointment of three additional coaches to our Men’s First Team coaching staff. We welcome Bruno Saltor as Igor's assistant coach." Born in El Masnou, Spain, Saltor started his playing career in his home country before joining Brighton in 2012. He made 235 appearances there over seven years, then moved into coaching with the Seagulls after retiring in 2019. Since then, he’s picked up experience at Chelsea and West Ham.

Along with Saltor’s appointment, Spurs also announced some departures. Justin Cochrane, John Heitinga, and Chris Haslam are all leaving the coaching staff after Frank’s exit. The club thanked them for their efforts and wished them well.

GLASNER OUT? CRYSTAL PALACE CONSIDERING IMMEDIATE EXIT FOR BOSS AFTER DISMAL EUROPEAN DRAW

Oliver Glasner’s exit is imminent! Discover why Robbie Keane has emerged as the favorite to lead Crystal Palace out of crisis.

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Odds crash on Robbie Keane becoming the next Crystal Palace manager.

Oliver Glasner was supposed to stick around at Crystal Palace until the end of the season. That was the plan, anyway. But after another rough run of results, his exit could come a lot sooner.

Thursday night in Bosnia should’ve been nothing special, just a routine first leg against a team Palace should handle easily, with the real test back at Selhurst Park next week. Instead, a 1-1 draw against Zrinjski Mostar turned into another mess in a season that’s gotten uglier by the week for Glasner and Palace.

The travelling fans didn’t hide how they felt.

Palace have only managed one win in their last 15 games. That’s not a blip; it’s a full-on collapse, and it looks like Glasner’s time might be up even faster than everyone thought.

People at the top of the club have started openly asking if letting Glasner finish out his contract is actually hurting more than helping. He said back in January that he’d leave when his deal was up in the summer, but with results falling off a cliff and morale at rock bottom, those discussions have picked up speed.

Word is, Palace have already started looking for Glasner’s replacement, planning for a summer hire. But now, it looks like they might bring in his successor right away.

One name has shot straight to the top of the list: Robbie Keane.

TalkSPORT’s Alex Crook says Palace are considering Keane as a short-term fix if Glasner goes before the season ends. Keane’s reputation has soared lately. He won the Israeli Premier League with Maccabi Tel Aviv, then took the Hungarian league title in his first season at Ferencváros.

His win rate at Maccabi was over 73 per cent. He’s also done time as an assistant coach at Leeds and Middlesbrough. People who’ve played for him, like Ireland’s Callum O’Dowda, rave about him. O’Dowda said, “As soon as he opens his mouth, you want to listen. It’s phenomenal, really. On the coaching side,e he has been good.”

For now, Keane is still in charge at Ferencvaros, who are still in the Europa League, so prying him away won’t be simple.

Palace sit 13th in the Premier League, eight points clear of the relegation zone, but that gap feels less safe with every week they fail to win.

Tottenham even considered Keane as an interim manager before they went with Igor Tudor.

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