Not since the final scene of Shakespeare’s Richard III have Leicester Wetlands been such a dramatic backdrop.Curtis Jones, whose career looked as dead as Bard’s, headed home Mo Salah’s long-range shot to put Liverpool ahead.
There was something about the composed finish and bold run that reminded Liverpool fans of the promise the young player once showed. Of course it only took 5 minutes. Then he did it again.We all know how this story started. Even John F. Kennedy can tell you where Curtis was the night he scored. On a chilly Monday evening, a local boy will turn Carlo Ancelotti blue. From then on, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before we saw him in a red shirt on a regular basis. There was a flash as he ran short.
Jones has a great first touch, explosive acceleration and a possession that works well. It was a joy from childhood. He plays without obstacles and freedom. When he sprints, he leans his entire body forward and runs like a cartoon character. Liverpool’s midfield of Henderson, Milner and Wijnaldum, once described by The Guardian’s Brian Ronay as working tirelessly like a team of piano lifters, has always been elusive.
In Jurgen Klopp’s top teams, the pressure to score has always been on the front three. Liverpool lacked the directness and goal-scoring power of Steven Gerrard and even when they were winning, their fans wanted a player who could control the game and get into the box at the right time.
Curtis Jones wanted to try goalkeeping from the start. You wanted to see him play for Liverpool. It made me want to see him succeed. Fans are starting to get their hopes up for a midfielder who can not only pick up the piano born of Klopp’s madness, but also sit down and make Cole Potter cry. But Liverpool were a well-oiled machine at the time and it would have been difficult for anyone to break into the starting XI.
Competition for the trophy-winning team was fierce and Jones’ options were limited. His meteoric rise was not as quick as some had hoped, but he continued to stake his claim with promising performances in the reserve and cup games. As a young player, the flaws in his game were very clear. He often played with his head down, always holding the ball for a second or two. He was sloppy when he needed to move quickly and, like all young players, often rushed when he needed to be calm.
Experienced senior midfielders can instinctively pass the ball before opponents enter the field, but Curtis likes to bring his midfielders close, like schoolyard boys trying to beat opponents to show how good he is. . As a result, players with god-given abilities often speed up the game. It was inevitable that his career would suffer a setback in the second act. After all, every good story has one. 21/22 amazing in the fourth season Liverpool threw all the cylinders.
Taiga removed the guts, Harvey Elliott’s spark was again available after injury and the umbrellas worked. James Milner also featured regularly and was named man of the match in a league game against Aston Villa at the end of the season. Of Liverpool’s eight senior midfielders (including Elliott), Jones is most comfortable in the lower ranks.
