By Jack Lusby, ThisIsAnfield.com
Talking the morning after his facet’s 1-0 win, the Dutchman held Jones up as possessing a top quality he and sporting director Richard Hughes have ceaselessly mentioned with a watch to the longer term.
“In fact, me and Richard speak rather a lot about this season and subsequent season, and it’s good to have versatile gamers,” Slot informed reporters assembled at Liverpool’s AXA Coaching Centre. “And Curtis is unquestionably one among them.”
Although Jones sees himself as a midfielder, most snug as a No. 8 or No. 10, at the start the 24-year-old describes himself as a “footballer.”
“If I’m taking part in eight, if I’m taking part in 10, if I’m taking part in off the left, if I’m taking part in as a false 9 which I’ve performed as properly, as a defender, it’s fantastic, I’ll go on the market,” he informed Optus Sport after the Merseyside derby.
In his 38 appearances underneath Slot to date, Jones has already performed seven completely different roles – including to his personal record with extra duties as a No. 6 and a supporting striker.
There isn’t a shock, then, that the academy graduate has change into a agency favorite of Liverpool’s new head coach, and that ought to level to the place the membership are aiming within the switch market.
Whereas Slot has put in sure gamers as specialists inside his squad – Cody Gakpo has virtually completely been used as a left winger, for instance – it’s clear that he prefers flexibility wherever potential.
That features Dominik Szoboszlai taking part in as a striker; Luis Díaz splitting duties between the left wing and centre-forward; Jarell Quansah and Joe Gomez being employed as full-backs; and Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch filling in at centre-back.
Jones is the gold normal the place that’s involved, although, and that’s the reason he has been used essentially the most out of some other participant exterior of Slot’s most popular beginning XI – heading in the right direction to interrupt his personal document for minutes in a single season.
It permits Slot to work with a smaller core squad, which he seemingly prefers, figuring out that he can depend on the flexibleness of sure gamers to adapt when required.
“And he has this mentality, should you give him a problem, he likes to be challenged. Yesterday was a problem for him, as a result of it wasn’t his regular place,” he continued in his reward of the No. 17.
“Some gamers hate to be challenged, they need to keep of their consolation zone, however Curtis is the kind of participant who needs to be challenged.”
That need to tackle a problem was evident from his first day coaching underneath Slot, figuring out that Liverpool had appointed a coach extra aligned together with his personal beliefs as a possession-hungry participant.
Whereas Harvey Elliott‘s brief stature and lack of tempo has seen him wrestle to interrupt into the common rotation, the bodily qualities that made Jones such a favorite underneath Jürgen Klopp have translated completely to this new setup.
And the place Elliott might discover himself surplus to necessities in the summertime, with studies the membership would settle for the suitable provide for the 22-year-old, there may be each signal that Jones can be the blueprint for any signings introduced in.
Younger, hungry, assured, tactically astute, technically excellent and, crucially, keen and in a position to play in a wide range of roles.
Hyperlinks with Ajax defender Jorrel Hato and Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapié – equally snug as centre-back or left-back – adhere to that temporary, as does reported curiosity in Southampton’s utility teen Tyler Dibling.
In Jones, although, Slot inherited an much more priceless asset in that he combines that skillset and mindset with the intangible advantages of being Liverpool through-and-through.
Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s imminent departure to Actual Madrid will create a emptiness for a brand new Scouse poster boy and the lad from Toxteth – who went viral this week for a lighthearted alternate with a younger Everton fan at a petroleum station – is readymade to fill it.
Liverpool will need as a lot of these characters as they’ll, however whereas it might be unimaginable to fulfil the dream of a staff filled with Scousers, Slot and Hughes will search for second-best in concentrating on the identical versatility within the switch market.
Count on the Reds to usher in much more versatile gamers in the summertime forward, as Jones’ profitable outing at right-back has proven how priceless that may be.
(Cowl picture from IMAGO)
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