There is no doubt. Liverpool’s midfield this season isn’t much different from last season. Jurgen Klopp managed to change this area in the summer transfer window, but it’s true that someone at the club has changed at least as much. It cost nearly $187 million to sign Alexis McAllister, Dominic Soboslai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenbirch, but Curtis Jones was supposed to return.
Liverpool’s number 17 picked up an injury against Bournemouth but the Reds will be hoping he is out for a long time. Liverpool have lost just one important game this season. The late defeat to Tottenham came when United were reduced to nine men and an unprecedented VAR error cost them a legitimate goal.
Jones started there but was ejected for a challenge similar to Justin Kluivert’s challenge on Luis Diaz this weekend.Apart from the blemishes that put a big asterisk on Liverpool’s record, Liverpool have been a different team this season. This was mainly due to the midfielders regaining control. Klopp’s men looked tired in midfield last season but look set to dominate this season. Jones played a big part in that. Compared to midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues, he is in the 97th percentile for passes and touches in the opposition penalty area.
Jones simply helps Liverpool maintain possession but is also a threat in the back three. He ranks in the 91st percentile in assists and go-ahead shots and 92nd in points scored off shootouts. It is his duel threat that makes him perfect for the type of football Liverpool want. When Klopp can’t pick a midfielder, you really notice.
Once famous for his so-called heavy metal counter-attacks, Klopp now has much more control over his style of play. Liverpool are now much closer to Pep Guardiola’s mentality, prioritizing dominance over exciting action. Bernardo Silva, one of Guardiola’s favorite players, is statistically the third most similar player to Jones according to the FBref model, and the similarities are clear. Silva, like Jones, is someone who can intelligently control situations in any area and knows when to put his foot down and hit the killer ball. Some people still laugh at it.
Jones is the type of player Guardiola wants in his squad. Instead, Liverpool have carefully cultivated a similar midfielder at Anfield, with Klopp’s patience paying off. Jones was once an exciting and flexible attacking midfielder, but now the Liverpool man is far more effective. As Bernardo Silva has been for some time now, his performances are quietly flying under the radar, but that won’t last long.
