Pundit Steve Nicol discussed about Liverpool’s midfield predicament while slamming 22 year old Liverpool youngster. He says that the ‘Reds won’t win anything this season’ if the youngster starts regularly at the midfield this season. The Saudi league is having a significant impact at Anfield, as Jordan Henderson and Fabinho both recently left. As a result, Liverpool is once again lacking in midfield, with Romeo Lavia the leading prospect for succeeding two Champions League-winning players. But, Curtis Jones is now playing as a holding midfielder because Southampton has already rejected two Liverpool bids for signing Lavia.
ESPN pundit doesn’t trust Curtis Jones in Liverpool’s new midfield setup
Liverpool will not win anything next year, according to Nicol, if Curtis Jones starts typically as a holding midfielder. Last year, the 22-year-old was outstanding, starring throughout the Under-21 European Championships. However, Jones has hardly played as Liverpool’s deep lying midfielder, which may be a concern.
Nicol said: “If Liverpool want to be pushing for the Premier League title or the Champions League, any of the big prizes, they need someone who is going to be playing now and who’s going to do the job. They can’t wait on a [Romeo] Lavia getting better or hoping that [Curtis] Jones can fill in. That doesn’t get you Premier League titles or Champions Leagues. It’s a big problem right now”.
Jones is gearing up for the upcoming campaign for Liverpool and will hope to play in as many games as possible. He is not, however, a defensive midfielder. Hence playing in that position would be quite difficult for him.
Klopp shows faith in Curtis Jones after deploying him in the no. 6 role
However Jurgen Klopp appreciated Curtis Jones following the Liverpool midfielder’s latest performance while playing the no. 6 role against Bayern Munich. The Reds boss was pleased with the 22-year-old’s performance in the Liverpool midfield, telling LFCTV: “Curtis played a really good game in an unfamiliar position.” Playing in midfield alongside Alexis MacAllister and Dominik Szoboszlai, Jones played the holding role in Klopp’s attacking lineup, which reflected in Liverpool’s defence on the day. Klopp also shows faith in him saying:
“I think it’s no secret that we are still looking for players to join us, that’s one thing and the other is using what you have and I think Curtis can absolutely play that position. Having him on the pitch makes sense. In this position, if nobody else is there he can play that definitely.”
Curtis Jones is being experimented with as Liverpool’s number six after the departure of Fabinho this summer. Jones excels when given greater flexibility in attacking areas, so he’s not the most ideal fit. However It would be unfair to criticise Jones when he is playing in a new defensive position. Liverpool might have to enter the transfer market swiftly in order to add another midfielder to their team.
With a month left in the window, it may be the strongly linked Romeo Lavia or a different candidate.
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