Harvey Elliott received his first positive reviews from the Spanish media after helping Valencia rescue a point against Racing Santander. The stellar reviews were a major U-turn from their previous thoughts on the English midfielder after branding him "out of shape" and claiming he needed to "do more" for the team.
Valencia spent the international break languishing in the relegation zone, but the arrival of new head coach Javier Aguirre brought some hope to the team. They secured a 2-2 draw against Racing with Dani Raba and David Otorbi on the scoresheet. Otorbi's goal came just minutes after Elliott was subbed on, and his performance was praised by several Spanish media outlets.
Media praise for Elliott's impact
Sport stated that the switch in formation when the Liverpool loanee came on helped Valencia "recover" from being 2-1 down. While Hugo Duro "squandered" a great chance to win the game, Otorbi was hailed as one of the best players on the pitch alongside Elliott. The media outlet rated the 23-year-old at a 7/10 and claimed his substitution "helped change Valencia's offensive rhythm." Elliott was "very dangerous" and showcased his "technical quality" with some "excellent" skills.
They claimed he gave the team "imagination, mobility and solutions on the ball" and was one of the top performers alongside Javi Guerra. Mundo Deportivo agreed with this rating of Elliott, stating Valencia "got back into the game" once he came on in the second half.
Manager's verdict on the midfielder
Marca rated the midfielder 6/10, claiming the draw was a "fair reflection," despite Duro missing a sitter in the dying minutes. Cadena Ser reported that Aguirre "shook things up" by bringing Elliott in in search of a draw, and the decision "paid off" in the end.
Meanwhile, the Valencia boss had words of his own on Elliott as he praised the midfielder for his efforts since he joined the team. Aguirre said: "I saw him, Raba and Elliott doing very well since I arrived." Highlighting the 23-year-old's impact off the bench, the manager added: "The 2-1 scoreline hurt us a lot. Things got ugly then, but we brought on players from outside the team, we showed solidarity as a unit, and we demonstrated that we have a chance to win, but the draw is fair."
Valencia's position in La Liga
Valencia remain in 19th place in La Liga but now sit just three points off of ninth-placed Celga Vigo, meaning they can turn things around quickly under their new head coach.
