With centre-half Tommy Elphick known to not overly be in manager Steve Bruce’s plan, the decision to let him leave Aston Villa on a loan spell on deadline day was bizarre, to say the least.
Tommy Elphick: “I’m in the last year of my contract at #avfc and something would have to change drastically at the top for me to be wanted back. Bruce gave his blessing for me to go out on loan without many CB’s in the building so that says all you need to know.” [hull live] pic.twitter.com/NqurgtDC0v
— villareport (@villareport) September 6, 2018
The 30-year-old headed to the KCOM Stadium and Hull City on a loan deal until the end of the 2018/19 campaign and he is of course out of contract next summer, so he’s another player we won’t see return unless something even more bizarre happens between now and the end of the year.
Speaking to the Hull Daily Mail as he continues to settle into life at his new club, the most salient thing for Villa fans I think was the comment.
“Bruce gave his blessing for me to go out on loan without many centre-halves in the building so that says all you need to know. The last two league games I played for Steve, we beat Bristol City 5-1 and he took me out, then we beat Hull 3-1, I scored and he took me out again. The writing was on the wall after that.”
The writing was on the wall before that in fairness, but in terms of Elphick getting a proper chance this season given our woeful defence at the minute certainly went out of the window and that’s what fans struggle to get their heads around, especially as it left us scrambling around on deadline for cover – and now turning out attentions to the loan market – whichever way you look at and regardless of what side of the fence you sit on when it comes to the gaffer, it’s a failure, a lack of planning and an indication that if your face doesn’t fit the possible best interests of the club aren’t what drives decisions.
It does, @TommyElph4. Tells me Bruce needs to be relieved of command.
Top professional. Thank you for everything up until now. ???? #AVFC #UTV
— Sam McAllister (@SupersizedSam) September 6, 2018
Don't understand how he wasn't being picked for us, feel like Bruce doesn't like some of the players for some reason like lansbury, adomah, bjarnason, elphick etc
— Callum Glasgow (@CallumGlasgow2) September 6, 2018
Feel a bit sorry for him. He was leader on and off the pitch when we signed him. We didn't make him look like half the player he was at Bournemouth.
Bruce definitely has his favourites and jedinak is one of them.
— Matty Morrall (@mattym1985) September 6, 2018
Can’t say I’ve ever been that impressed by anything I’ve seen of Elphick other than his crazy pre-kickoff routine on the Holte End net ???? That said,he’s been in & out of the team,never really had a run of games to find his form. Still incompetent of Bruce to loan him now,however!
— Paul McGrath’s knees (@JasonRo61148698) September 6, 2018
But jedinak is a better option at CB?
— Matty Morrall (@mattym1985) September 6, 2018
Whatever individual views are on Elphick, and he’s had his moments of being less than impressive, we conceded one goal with him in the side and ten without him. That goes up to two conceded to twelve if you include the failed EFL Cup approach.
