Jürgen Klopp has just chosen the Liverpool ‘press-setter’ while Gini Wijnaldum could finally be replaced

Jürgen Klopp has just chosen the Liverpool ‘press-setter’ while Gini Wijnaldum could finally be replaced

It has often been commented that Liverpool never replaced Gini Wijnaldum, but a home-grown star’s performance against Leeds United was reminiscent of the Dutchman.

There are plenty of reasons for optimism following Liverpool’s 6-1 defeat by Leeds United, with Jürgen Klopp’s side putting in one of their best performances of the season. The rebirth of a native star in the making will have delighted the traveling Kop on Elland Road.

Reds academy graduate Trent Alexander-Arnold’s performance last night rightfully earned high praise as the West Derby ace continued his reinvention as a reverse full-back, building on an impressive second-half performance against Arsenal with a flawless performance against Javi. Gracia’s wrestling outfit. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to suggest that the 25-year-old’s performance was one of the best individual performances of the campaign to date, with the popular star already looking like a man reborn in his altered role. However, the Klopp stalwart wasn’t the only homegrown player to look revitalized and back to his sensational best against Leeds. Although Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Diego Jota received plenty of praise for their contributions on the evening, it would be remiss to overlook the efforts of midfielder Curtis Jones, who also arguably produced one of his best performance since rising through the ranks. first team four years ago.

The 22-year-old has faced his fair share of criticism lately, with some observers wondering if his long-term future lies at Anfield, but his performance at Elland Road suggests more patience is needed. No doubt the Toxteth-bred midfielder has managed just 418 Premier League minutes this season has raised concerns over the player’s fitness, but three consecutive starts culminating in his best performance of the season against Leeds are showing Klopp’s willingness to give the youngster a chance. to assert their right to playing time.

It’s hard to discern where Jones sits in the midfield pecking order at Anfield, especially given the performances of teenagers Stefan Bajčetić and Harvey Elliott, who have both had a breakout season this year. That said, his manager’s recent show of confidence in the form of three consecutive starts, even with Thiago back fit enough to make the squad, would suggest that Klopp Jones is ready to give him a tough decision this summer.

The temptation in the next transfer window would be to sign up to four midfielders, with as many names leaving on free transfers at the end of this season. Realistically, however, Klopp will be all too aware that the extent of his purchasing power will likely be influenced by Liverpool’s ability, or lack thereof, to secure European football in the remaining games this season.

With that in mind, Klopp could see an opportunity to support Jones to put his injury woes behind him and re-establish himself in his setup over the next eight Premier League games. It would be a surprise if it hadn’t occurred to the manager that the England Under-21 star’s performance against Leeds was very reminiscent of Gini Wijnaldum, who was so often an unfamiliar but effective presence for Klopp’s successful past sides with the his ability to break up the opponent’s attacks, propel the ball forward and religiously guard possession. By comparison, in the 6-1 win over Leeds, Jones had an impressive passing accuracy of 87.9% while winning 11 of his 16 duels on the ground and dribbling in all four of his games. In Wijnaldum’s last season at Liverpool, the Dutchman had a passing accuracy of 92.7% while tackling just 0.7 times per game.

Essentially, Jones’ performance epitomized everything Wijnaldum was known for during his time at Anfield, with his support for Jota capping off a truly masterful performance. Unsurprisingly, Klopp was particularly impressed with Jones’ efforts when it came to putting the press alongside his midfield partner Jordan Henderson, with the German boss praising the pair during a press conference. post game.

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Klopp said: “I think the back pressure mode was set by Curtis [Jones] and Hendo [Jordan Henderson], it was absolutely brilliant how they chased just about everything on the pitch. It was super important.

Interestingly enough, Klopp was set to hint in August 2021 that the Dutchman’s replacement would come from within Liverpool’s ranks, with the manager reviewing Elliott and Jones as candidates to take on the PSG-linked midfield role.

Discussing whether Jones in particular could be a key candidate for the midfield role, Klopp said:

“Curtis is 20, played 15-20 games last season and he can, he will, he has to take the next step.”

He added: “People think that because we’ve lost a midfielder and haven’t replaced him, we have to be light there. But if you count our midfielders, that’s an area of the field where we really have all the skills.

“[We have] all the dynamics: creativity, defensively oriented players, offensively oriented players. There is no gap.”

If Jones can find some consistency in his performances through to the end of the season, it’s clear he has plenty of food for thought for his manager ahead of a crucial summer. Perhaps his performance can be a stepping stone for the homeland midfielder to finally take over from Wijnaldum at Liverpool, just as Klopp originally intended.

Every time we win a game it’s so predictable that everything is rosy and so on and so on. We conveniently forget previous hits and the fact that half the team is aging or injury prone.

If Jones can find some consistency with his performances between now and the end of the season, it is clear that he may provide a lot of food for thought for his manager ahead of what is a pivotal summer. Perhaps, his performance can be a springboard for the homegrown midfielder to finally succeed Wijnaldum at Liverpool, just as Klopp initially forecasted.