Harvey Elliott

[baitman]

It would be interesting to watch more of his play, particularly without the ball to see his work rate and movement.

Harry Wilson was banging them in but not sure if he had the graft of positional maturity to progress.

[The_weatherman]

It would be interesting to watch more of his play, particularly without the ball to see his work rate and movement.

Harry Wilson was banging them in but not sure if he had the graft of positional maturity to progress.

Wilson scored one and assisted two yesterday incidentally. But if there wasnt football on *all the time* I might be inclined to watch Elliott for a game or two. But he is still 17 I think, Wilson didn't rip up the Championship that early.

[Shaggy]

Stewart Downing, who is among Harvey Elliott‘s team-mates at Blackburn, has lauded the Liverpool loanee as a “frightening talent” and “almost the go-to man for us.”

Elliott endured a rare quiet day for Blackburn in Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Stoke, after having scored back-to-back goals against Norwich and Rotherham in previous outings.

The 17-year-old’s solo strike against Norwich was particularly eye-catching, driving into the box and nutmegging Canaries centre-back Grant Hanley before firing through the ‘keeper and in.

He is Blackburn’s leading creator this season, with 33 chances created and four assists tallied, with Harry Wilson (2.6) and Emi Buendia (3.3) the only players to average more key passes per 90 than Elliott (2.4) in the Championship.

There is no surprise, therefore, that Rovers see their No. 16 as the “go-to man,” with Downing – who rejoined the club on a free transfer in November, having seen his contract expire in July – heaping praise on his team-mate.

“We have to be careful with him because he’s still very young, but he’s almost the go-to man for us at the moment, he’s playing well and getting goals,” the ex-Liverpool winger told Blackburn’s official website.

"When you're the go-to man you can sometimes crumble under the pressure - I was the go-to man at Liverpool and I know what it's like - but he's handling it very well and it's hard to believe he's still only 17.

“The manager’s probably trying to see whether he can rest him at some stage, but you have to play him at the minute.

“He’ll have ups and downs in his career, but he has that quality through a goal or an assist.

“But he’s fitted in so well here, he’s got a good environment around him and the lads all really look after him.

“It’s important for him to just keep enjoying his football.”

Downing sees Elliott as a “frightening talent” who “never panics” and is “buying into everything” at Blackburn in terms of pairing his obvious on-ball talents with the work rate required off it too.

“I think the lads have spoken to each other and mentioned that you look back to when you were 17, you’re a bit a headless chicken, aren’t you?” Downing continued.

“But Harvey’s game understanding, his quality, his knowledge of when to release the pass, even with his goal, he never panics.

“For the equaliser [against Rotherham], as soon as he took his first touch I was turning back because I knew it would be a goal.

“He has the finesse, the quality, but he’s also fitted into the group very well.

“He’s definitely got the quality, but he runs around and works hard as well.

“I think most would look at him and say ‘he’s good, he’s got the technical ability’, but he’s buying into everything, the pressing, the tracking back, he’s a real team player.”

[Cormack74]

“We have to be careful with him because he’s still very young, but he’s almost the go-to man for us at the moment, he’s playing well and getting goals,” the ex-Liverpool winger told Blackburn’s official website.

"When you're the go-to man you can sometimes crumble under the pressure - I was the go-to man at Liverpool and I know what it's like - but he's handling it very well and it's hard to believe he's still only 17.

Which week was that?

[baitman]

Which week was that?

Surely a kurtangle, not even the giraffe would be that brazen

[Cormack74]

Surely a kurtangle, not even the giraffe would be that brazen

FFS

I'm blaming daytime Xmas drinking

[Shaggy]

[Exiled_red]

Nice Shaggy edit there

I had no idea Downing was still playing

[SB]

Which week was that?

Got you good

[Cormack74]

Got you good

Yeah guilty as charged; actually drunk in charge to be more accurate

[SB]

Yeah guilty as charged; actually drunk in charge to be more accurate

Tis the season

[BobTheCharmer]

Bring this lad back. He's full of confidence, full of energy and loves to beat a player. Madness to have him on loan now.

[Fredo]

I wouldn’t. He needs a couple of years of playing regular football. Last thing he needs is to come into a struggling team and expecting the world of him. He’s not ready.

[Pablo]

Yep agree with Fredo on this one. He's in the right place, things are going well for him and he should see the season out at Blackburn assuming things continue to go well for him.

[SB]

Yeah I’m with Fredo on this too. He’s doing well & long may it continue for the whole season there. Great educational experience this.