I wish he stayed, though. These last few weeks where he’s been playing in an unfamiliar role (and, in my opinion, he’s been playing it well) have only reiterated my opinion that club should keep him here. That said, I don’t think he’ll want to stay, partly because of his status as squad player, partly because I have the feeling he’s not getting along with Slot.
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He should spend this entire summer working on long passing and crossing. Lately he has been trying to do these stuffs, it is not great yet but it is getting better. I think he can finally fix his problem of holding on the ball too long if he can pass across the field effectively (previously he can only do short passing).
I’d agree on Macca, not so much on Grav. But that’s beside the point.
What I was saying is that if Curtis is first name on the team sheet, we’re in trouble. That Curtis is probably, on current form, one of our best midfielders is less a reflection on him and more a reflection on his dreadful the midfield has been generally.
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He seemed yesterday…to look at the game…and pick it up by the scruff of the neck and run at the mid and defence…thru’ the middle…if he got fouled it was a free kick to us…nearer the goal area…
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Nonsense, he just needs to be told by the coach not to linger and move the ball. This also needs others in the team to make themselves available and have some worked plays in training. The most important is that he get sufficient game time to be able to read his team mates better.
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We’re in trouble!
He’s ahead of all our other midfielders ATM!
My midfield for this season is Jones, Szoboszlai and Wirtz!
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In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is King.
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Best of a bad lot…well not bad but…lackadaisical lot…misguded by a out of touch manager…
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It also depends on skill. Possessing long ball skills absolutely helps in finding passing targets more quickly.
So, Inter are stll interested apparently. As the article points out though, he’ll be available for free next year. In those circumstances I can’t see an Italian club shelling out 35 million GBP.
Would be sad to “lose” him. Makes a lot of sense for Inter, they’ve been getting their midfield signings bang on the money in last years. They have a clear direction. I think he would be good there and obviously if he wants a new challenge, both sporting and life wise, I understand it.
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https://x.com/eddiegibbs/status/2056301425043665358
Inter Come Calling For Liverpool’s Last Scouser
There is something bleakly symbolic about Curtis Jones edging towards the Liverpool exit door at the exact moment the club feels furthest removed from its own identity.
For all his flaws, and there were flaws, Jones carried something modern football strips away too easily. He understood the weight of the shirt before he ever wore it. A Scouser in the team still mattered to many people, even as football drifted further into the hands of recruitment models, resale value and sterile efficiency.
The truth is uncomfortable for everyone involved. Jones believes he should be starting every week. Liverpool have never seen him as more than an option, useful, versatile, expendable when necessary. Once that gap in expectation opens, the ending usually writes itself.
And yet it’s impossible to ignore how poorly this has been handled. Liverpool’s midfield has creaked for much of the season, Mac Allister’s legs gone, Gravenberch not the elite DM many were keen to proclaim, energy gone, control disappearing in plain sight, and still, Jones was rarely trusted. Shifted about, occasionally stranded at right back, always seeming one mistake from exile while others survived on vibes and reputation.
Some supporters will say good luck and move on without a second thought. Others will mourn the loss of another local lad who loved the club in a way no signing ever truly can. Most honest observers probably sit somewhere between the two.
Jones was never Steven Gerrard. He was never the future captain some imagined, either. But he was part of Liverpool’s soul, and every time one of those players disappears, the club loses a little more of itself.
If Inter really are waiting, Liverpool may soon discover how expensive it becomes when a club stops recognising its own heartbeat.
I’ll miss him.
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If this lad goes, it will be a symbol of the bad state this club suddenly finds itself in. What a shame that such a scenario can even be looked at as realistic. This lad should have been secured with a new contract since a long time.
Once again, the DoF role has to be heavily questioned. Remember me again: isn’t Hughes’ role not also to re-negociate contracts with players before they enter their last year? Isn’t his role also to anticipate possible tensions between players and managers, and to appease them? He seems to do nothing of the sort. So, what is he actually doing apart from residing on the south coast (sorry, I keep coming back to this, as I find this news really shocking), and possibly looking for new fancy players to buy during the summer while removing all our homegrown ones?
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Heitinga said he’s a bit of a robot when negotiating so I’m sure this doesn’t make things easy.
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Swap for Dumfries, maybe with a couple of quid coming our way on top. Ugh.
Hope I’m way off. Hope a new manager is announced and Jones signs an extension.
This to me gets to the crux of the matter, have we seen the best of Jones? personally I think not,a young player who does not enjoy the confidence of the Manager(yeah I hate the Head Coach bullshit),is going to struggle, many players would but young lads more so.
I want him to stay, but under a Manager who has faith in his players.
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Why does Hughes seem to be blind to the homegrown quota?
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I think I mentioned this when Harvey was looking to go.
However Slot likes working with a small squad which seems to be about having holidays during the season. This is a way of justifying them, I suppose.
Honestly though it’s criminal to deliberately grind your preferred players into the ground without using your squad.
It’s the first thing that got me started on Slot not being up to the task, he destroyed Gravenberch imo.
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