Curtis Jones has been a key contributor for Liverpool this season, and Jamie Carragher has lauded his play by making comparisons to a former Reds midfielder.
The Sky Sports analyst compared the 22-year-old’s job to that of the Netherlands international [Gini] Wijnaldum, who spent five years at Anfield before leaving in 2021.
The 45-year-old was very kind of his fellow Scouser when speaking to the Liverpool Echo about several members of Jurgen Klopp’s current roster.
According to Carragher, Jones “has done really well.” His current job is best described as “a bit Wijnaldum-esque.” Even if his work is unremarkable, I believe that everyone values his efforts.
His main change is that he now passes the ball on considerably more quickly and uses only two touches when playing. That’s it; he just has to keep the ball moving quickly. He reminds me of Wijnaldum in the way that he presses effectively, has a lot of energy, and is adept at gaining the ball back.
You already have guys in the midfield who can replace Wijnaldum in terms of goals and assists. Szoboszlai is responsible for that.
Those that have an understanding of the game and are paying attention to what Curtis is doing recognize the significance of his contributions. He is a regular starter for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool team.
Klopp has invested much in his midfield, but he continues to start Curtis Jones every game as proof of his success.
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Wijnaldum may not have been the most flashy player on Liverpool’s 2019–20 Premier League championship side, but he was undeniably one of Klopp’s most dependable contributors.
The Dutchman’s incredible availability (he missed just 11 of the Reds’ 190 Premier League matches throughout his time with the club, according to WhoScored) speaks volumes about the manager’s faith in him.
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Jones is becoming an equally important member of the current squad, as he has started all but one Premier League game in which he has been available this season (Transfermarkt). If not for his suspension after receiving a red card against Tottenham last weekend, he would have started today’s game against Brighton.
The 22-year-old’s ball-winning skill harkens back to Wijnaldum’s tenure at Anfield, as just four Liverpool players have made more tackles than him through the first few weeks of the league campaign, per FBref.
It’s unfortunate that he won’t be able to play in our next three Premier League games, but now is the time to find out how much of a loss he could be to Klopp’s squad.