I am surprised Curtis hasn’t developed more as a footballer technically and be a regular part of the squad by now and should be playing really well with Jurgen as his mentor. He seems abit average
I hope a run of games will snap him out of it but whether he get them or not is the thing - either through not being picked or being injured.
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I think that’s why he gets a lot of criticism, because he doesn’t do the flashy things. I think he’s being shaped by Jürgen as his new Henderson, the technically competent midfielder who’s more tactically disciplined to run the midfield.
A lot of the criticism that gets slung his way is essentially the same criticism as early-years Henderson. I rate him better than the other prospects his age because of his ability to understand that part of the game and control himself to do them well.
That’s why he was trusted to move from left-forward when he first broke through with us to centre-midfield as part of a 2 rather than a 3.
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This, but I wasn’t surprised. People were looking for reasons to criticise within 10 minutes. A lot of people just don’t like him, that’s how it is.
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Think he is somewhat unlucky. A young player needs games to develop and with the injuries to Keita and Ox this season would have given him the games. But he himself got injured. Hopefully he stays fit.
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Not much, but he played it a few times, once even as a single pivot and here and there in a double pivot.
Just off on a tangent…but Jonesy reminds me of one of the lead singers in Tears for Fears…I wonder!!!..just wish Jonesy at times would run at em…rather pass back or across the pitch…
One of our better midfielders yesterday, hope he stays fit for rest of season.
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Weird part of the fanbase that are instantly critical of any player from Liverpool. I guess they see it as tokenism them being in the team.
Hope he stays fit. Real chance for him to take Henderson out of the lineup given the recent form of the captain.
If he can start the majority of games for the rest of the season then at least he will have been given a real go and we can assess what we have to work with.
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Eight goals and 10 assists in 4230 mins. This would have been even better if he wasn’t handicapped with an injury last season.
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A friend I talk to during the match loathes him, not sure where the vitriol comes from. His progression has been hampered and I’d worry that he is replacing others who are out for too long but that eye thing was another freak one.
Does feel like we were cursed, maybe we need to get some priest in at this rate.
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Would be a great benefit for Henderson as well, get some rest to be at his best.
He’s been desperately unlucky in that when opportunities to stake a place have arisen through other people’s injuries, he has also been injured. Keita and Ox have been similar. I remember Lovren being a bit like that as well.
Keïta has by far the worst of it. Fit whenever we have a glut of centre midfielders, but never there when we’re down to the wire in terms of available players.
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33 mins, 90 mins, 27 mins. Three consecutive games. 
I hope he stays fit and keep getting mins till the WC break.
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Don’t know how anyone can’t rate him, yes he holds onto the ball a little bit too much but he’s such a magnet for the ball and is exceptional at retaining posession. It makes such a difference to our ability to sustain attacks and not be continually smashed apart on transition if our front line and midfield don’t have a touch like Dirk Kuyt… He was so much better than Salah and Bobby at that.
There really aren’t many players around his age who don’t have some rough edges to round off.
Really think he’s going to make an excellent midfielder here, hopefully stays injury free and pushes on.
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Yep, good performance vs Napoli. Really solid on and off the ball.
Certainly looks better receiving the ball higher up the pitch, it’s nice to see the ball stick to someone up there.
Can anyone say Georginio Wijnaldum?
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Gini was exceptional at retaining the ball under pressure. That one sequence against Barca when he turned 3 players and started a counter is what a lot of people remember, but that was the exception in terms of producing something productive. 999 times out of 1000 with him it was purely about retaining possession under pressure. A huge attribute, but different than what Jones does. Jones holds onto the ball precisely so he can coax the defense into a position he can exploit. That reverse pass to Milner running into the box that wrong footed 3 Napoli defenders trying to get the ball from him is a textbook case of what he’s trying to do when he gets the ball to his feet.
Mo’s second against City at home last year was another example. The ball into Salah’s feet was on as soon as he received it. Instead though Jones hung onto the ball a bit longer, moved it (and the defense with it) into a position where he could make a more incisive pass than was on before.
When defenses are this well organized, moving the ball as little as a couple of inches can make an important change in terms of the angle of the pass relative to how the defender can challenge the attacker for it. tha can be the difference between increasing the chance of retaining possession, or even spinning the defender. Almost all of what Jones does when he gets the ball to his feet is about trying to manipulate that situation.
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Curtis Jones is a good player. If he can stay fit and continue to see playing time, he might become a very good player for us.
As it stands, he is at least worth a place in the squad, even after the expected midfield reshuffle, and it is quite possible that he will become a fixture in the side.
Maybe we already have three important midfielders here already, for the long haul? Jones, Bacjetic and Elliott.
Add two primo options - Caicedo and Bellingham, or Kone and Fernandez, something like that, and we’re laughing.
Whatever remains of the older group can help steer the young group in breaking through too.
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