Curtis Jones starred for Liverpool against Tottenham at Anfield
„Curtis is Curtis. Our boy. Thank God. Imagine if you have to sign him? He is already here four years and wants to stay, so that is a top, top-class player.“
That was the view of Jurgen Klopp after witnessing the latest impressive performance by Curtis Jones in Liverpool’s dramatic 2-1 win over Tottenham at Anfield on Wednesday.
Klopp has been deprived of some key players this season but another has emerged and the young midfielder’s ability to fill the void left by others may yet prove to be the crucial factor in helping Liverpool to retain their Premier League title.
Bukayo Saka is the only teenager in the competition to have played more minutes than the 19-year-old Jones, but he is doing so in a struggling Arsenal side. Jones is contributing to the team at the top of the table – the reigning Premier League champions.
Does that make it easier or harder? Easier to fit in, perhaps. To keep things ticking over and try not to look out of place. That job was achieved by Jones throughout much of November.
Harder, though, to make a real impression. To outshine the stars. That is what Jones did in what Jamie Carragher described as a man-of-the-match performance against Tottenham.
The pace was frenzied but Jones was not just keeping up with it, he was dictating it. His tally of 105 successful passes was the most of anyone on the pitch and 81 of them came in the opposition half. The entire Tottenham team only completed 57 passes in the Liverpool half.
There was a drag-back and square ball to set his side away again in the second half that just exuded confidence. Jones has said that „the last thing I will ever do is doubt myself“ and that is now evident in his play. There is a growing maturity to his game.
The quality was already there, of course. His curled winner in the Merseyside derby FA Cup clash against Everton last season revealed that much. The repeat strike in another man-of-the-match performance against Lincoln earlier this season was proof that it was no one-off.
But Jones has needed time to adjust to the new environment. Just because he can do those things does not mean that he always should. His decision-making has had to improve because his role in the group is different, as Klopp has explained.
„That is what he had to learn in the last few years because he was absolutely exceptional and maybe the top player of each age group he was in,“ said the Liverpool boss.
„He has made massive steps in that department.“
In a sense, less is more. Taking that 30-yard shot every other time might make sense if you are the best player in the team. When Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah are making darting runs to receive the ball ahead of you, an alternative choice might be more logical.
Jones has had to pare his game back and now he is adding those touches of finesse of which he is capable. „Doing the right things in the right moments,“ as Klopp puts it.
What is clear is that there is an appetite to learn. Jones says that he likes to study his own game and Klopp describes him as a hard-working boy who loves the feedback and analysis.
The biggest indication that Jones is responding to what is being demanded of him is the trust that his manager is placing in him. As recently as September, Klopp said that „Curtis knows himself there is a lot of space for improvement, like being in a game really over 90 minutes, really being involved“. Look at the faith that has been shown in him since then.
Prior to this season, Jones had started only one Premier League match. He did not complete his first 90 minutes until November 22 in the 3-0 win over Leicester. Now, Klopp has kept him on the pitch for the whole game in each of Liverpool’s last three Premier League games.
„And now, the door is open,“ says the boss. „The plan is to use him as often as possible.“
If Jones features at Crystal Palace on Saturday, he will have played more Premier League minutes this season than Diogo Jota. He is already well ahead of Thiago Alcantara.
Much of the focus has been on what the new signings might add and what Liverpool might lose as a result of the injuries to key players such as Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.
But the emergence of Jones might just reframe the debate. The injury crisis was an opportunity and it is an opportunity that has been seized. One month ago, Liverpool had a young talent hoping to fill a gap. Now they have a player who is adding to their game.
When the story of the season is told, that could be decisive.
Soccer Accumulator Bonus
Our fantastic Euro Soccer accumulator offer gives you the chance to earn a bonus of up to 100% on accumulators on the top domestic leagues in Europe along with the group and knockout stages of the Champions League.
This offer applies to returns on pre-match accumulators of 3 or more selections on Full Time Result or Result/Both Teams To Score markets for the English Premier League, Italian Serie A, Spanish Primera Liga, German Bundesliga 1 or UEFA Champions League.
The maximum bonus that you can receive is ˆ100,000 or currency equivalent. The bonus will not apply where a stake has been fully Cashed Out. Where a stake has been partially Cashed Out, the bonus will be calculated based .on the remaining active stake. If a qualifying bet is edited .using our Edit Bet feature. The bonus will be calculated based on the new stake. Where a bet has been edited to include or amend a selection for an event that is In-Play, the bonus will no longer apply. Double Chance bets or combination bets with bonuses. Such as Lucky 15’s or Lucky .31’s do not apply for this offer.
If your bet is successful, we will add the following bonuses to your returns:
Bet Type Bonus
14-folds and upwards 100% bonus
Terms and Conditions
Applies to straight pre-match accumulator bets on the Full Time Result or Result/Both Teams To Score markets for UEFA Champions League, English Premier League, Italian Serie A, Spanish Primera Liga, German Bundesliga .1 or Australian A-League matches. Maximum bonus ˆ100,000 or currency equivalent. Soccer Accumulator Bonus does not apply to Double Chance bets or combination. bets with bonuses such as Lucky 15’s, Lucky 31’s etc.
If any selections are postponed/void then the bonus will still apply, but the percentage bonus added will reflect the actual number of winning selections. For example, an 8-fold accumulator with 7. winners and 1 postponed match will receive a 30% .bonus to returns.
The bonus part of your returns will be added to your account within 24 hours of your final selection having played.
This bonus will not apply where a stake has been fully Cashed Out. Where a stake has been partially Cashed Out, the bonus will be calculated based on the remaining active stake.
If a qualifying bet is edited using our Edit Bet feature, the bonus will be calculated based on the new stake. Where a bet has been edited to include or amend a selection for an event that is In-Play, the bonus will no longer apply.
Where any term of the offer or promotion is breached or there is any evidence of a series of bets placed by a customer or group of customers, which due to a deposit bonus, enhanced payments, free bets, risk free bets or any other promotional offer results in guaranteed customer profits irrespective of the outcome, whether individually or as part of a group, bet365 reserves the right to reclaim the bonus element of such offers and in their absolute discretion either settle bets at the correct odds, void the free and risk free. bets or void any bet funded by the deposit bonus.
In addition bet365 .reserve the right to levy an administration charge on the customer up to the value of the deposit bonus, free bet, risk free bet or additional payment to cover administrative costs. We further reserve the right to ask any customer to provide sufficient documentation for us to be satisfied in our absolute discretion as to the customer’s identity prior to us crediting any bonus, free bet, risk free bet or offer to their account.
All bet365 offers are intended for recreational players and bet365 may in its sole discretion limit the eligibility of customers to participate in all or part of any promotion.
bet365 reserves the right to amend, cancel, reclaim or refuse any promotion at its own discretion.
