Curtis Jones is one of those Liverpool lads where you watch him and think: what is he missing, really? He’s got strength, a clean pass in him, he can carry it, he’s press-resistant, and he’s got the engine to get about the pitch. On his day he looks like a midfielder you’d trust in any big game because he doesn’t play like the moment scares him.
But that last bit, the jump from “proper player” to “elite every week”, tends to live in the small decisions. Not the glamorous stuff. The timing. When to keep it, when to shift it first time. When to take the contact and ride it, and when to just let the ball do the work.
The talent is obvious, the tempo is the test
Jones can do the hard parts that plenty can’t. He can take it on the half-turn, protect the ball, and wriggle away from pressure without panicking. That’s massive in the Premier League where teams lock on and try to make your midfield play facing their own goal.
Still, there are moments where you can see the next step for him is speeding up his choices, not his legs. A first-time set into a teammate, a quicker switch, a simple recycle when the lane isn’t on. If he adds that, his whole game looks sharper and the team’s tempo improves with him.
Position changes don’t help rhythm
The other thing that’s probably slowed his momentum is the role bouncing around. It’s hard enough earning minutes at Liverpool, never mind trying to learn different jobs while you do it. You don’t always get that run of 10 or 20 games where you make your mistakes, learn the patterns, and come out the other side settled.
When a midfielder is learning, repetition matters. It’s not just about fitness. It’s the picture: where the next pass is, where your cover is, how quickly you can play forward without leaving a hole behind you. That only comes when you’re trusted for a spell.
Why the deeper role suits him
There’s a lot to like about Jones when he plays deeper, especially when he’s on form. He can step away from a marker and break lines with a carry or a punchy pass, and that’s gold against sides who sit in and dare you to find the pockets. If your deeper midfielder can turn pressure into progression, you’re halfway up the pitch in a blink.
And there’s something else too: by all accounts he’s got the right attitude and seems a good lad, which matters when you’re trying to establish yourself in a dressing room full of standards. Truth is, if the decision-making catches up with the ability, Liverpool could have a midfield player who feels made for the top end of the league.
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