04 Jul 2022 01:24:31
I really can't wait to see how Elliott starts the season. It seemed he had earned Klopp's trust early last season before the injury and I'm hoping that happens again.

I'm sure there will still be some growing pains, but I was always excited to see him on the field last season and I'm anxious to see how he starts this season.

1.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 09:40:30
Not having a go but it’s interesting to see how opinions are created about players. Elliot (who I think could be a very good player) played 4 games at the start of the season, suffered a horrific injury and was clearly (and understandably) off the pace when he came back. Everyone can’t wait to see him this coming season.

Jones, on the other hand, who was. 20 at the time, was given a challenge to adapt his game to basically be more positionally aware and to add to his skill set. He the suffered a horrific eye injury that nearly blinded him and which clearly undermined his confidence when he came back. A fair number of fans (regularly) offer their opinion that Jones won’t make the grade with, to me, the clear inference that they wouldn’t have him anywhere near the starting 11 next season. In my opinion Jones also has the making of a very good player especially if he doesn’t have to carry a large number of fans on his back.

Just saying.

{Ed001's Note - I am with you, both have the capability of a long term future at the club.}

2.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 10:52:18
Good post WDW. As with every player the ball is firmly in their court. All fans will have favourites and players they don’t rate but as long as those players are impressing Klopp then outside opinion means very little as he will pick them.

Whoever the gaffer picks gets my full support on match day be it from the stand or from in front of the tv.

3.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 11:06:22
I don’t want to get on Jones back or make it an Elliott vs Jones debate. But, Jones has not shown enough with the opportunities he has had. He is young so there is still time. However, he needs to take control of games more as he often tends to fade pretty quickly. Elliott in the few games he had pre injury let me know all I had to regarding his potential and what he is capable of. The fact the Klopp started him and dropped others shows the faith him and his coaches have in the young lad. I do agree with you that after his injury there was nothing to note but that is to be expected right? If I was a betting man, my gut tells me Jones won’t be at Liverpool long and will probably carve out a good career for himself at a mid table team, although I hope I’m wrong.

{Ed001's Note - but going by your logic, Klopp picked Jones and dropped others so why is it you think he did not do so well? I think people just don't understand the role he plays, which is totally different and less obvious than the Elliott one. It reminds me of Thiago's first season, when people were on his back because the media were telling us he made Liverpool worse, even though it was utter nonsense. It is just that pundits have no idea what they are talking about. Jones is playing a similar role and it, like Thiago's, does not offer the same flash of excitement to make him look good that Elliott's does. However that does not mean he is not playing it well.}

4.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 11:08:25
I think the squad management with a view to the longer-term has been quietly competent personally. There's always an element of the unknown with younger players, but it can't be said the club management haven't completed their due dilligence to ensure some future continuity

With Jones (21), Elliot (19), Carvalho (19) and Morton (19 - got high hopes for him), we've a good spread of youth for the midfield.

Added to Konate (23), Trent (23) and Ramsay (18) for the defence plus Kelleher (23) between the sticks.

Then Nunez (23), Diaz (25), Jota (25) and hopefully Kaide Gordon (17) up top.

5.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 11:41:41
I like Jones. I'd liken his trajectory so far to that of Jordan Henderson. A talented player, struggling to cement a starting role but with the right attitude to succeed long term. I think he'll shock a fair few in the coming years.

6.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 12:28:07
And Van Den Berg to that list too Pompey, nearly 100 senior games at the age of 20.

7.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 12:52:27
I think Jones has everything to be a top class player for us for the next 10 years +. I think Jones work rate is great he can run with the ball beat a man shot tackle his 6ft 1 and at 21 still got to grow into his body at this point for me his biggest weak point is keeping hold of the ball just for the sake of it and slowing the play down but I am sure he will learn he only turned 21 at the end of January and he is learning how to play the number 8 position what was not his position growing up so let’s give the lad time to learn with Jones Elliott Carvalho and Morton we have 4 great young midfielders with lots of promise so it’s great to have such good young players in this me position to push and challenge each other.

8.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 13:24:43
I cannot understand the Jones bashing - he still has lots of improvement but he offers a lot too. As an example, I thought he was brilliant in the away game in the league cup against arsenal, and he had other good performances too. He just needs more game time and the confidence will come. To me he seems to be over thinking his game, I think he just needs to relax a bit more into his role and he’ll be fine.

I really hope he makes it, I think it is special to have English talents on the team, especially if they’re scouse too. It just helps bond the team and fans together. Although with Klopp at the helm the is no risk of that, everyone to a man is a class act on and off the field. (Though I can think of one exception ?)

9.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 13:38:05
On the subject of releasing the ball I’d imagine training with and watching Thiago everyday will be a great mentor/ example for a lot of our players.

10.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 14:18:55
I really like Jones as a player and think he has a really solid future with us. I think it's silly to try and compare him and elliot and the impact they've had, as they're different players, different trajectories, and being asked to perform different roles.

The way I look at it, I remember Jones making his debut for us, and from where he started to the player he is now, there's been HUGE growth, so I think it's fair to expect he'll continue to grow and improve with more and more experience and great players and coaches around him.

11.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 14:26:15
My post actually didn't say anything about Jones. Also excited to see what he can do, but I'm not sure how a post about Elliott became a dig at Jones.

I'm hoping to see a lot of both of them this coming season.

12.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 14:43:16
Jones has all the tools but his concentration is Null.
He won’t make it in this Liverpool team, now that’s not saying he’s a bad player, he would walk into some prem teams of Europa league quality. But if we’re talking about this Liverpool team, no chance, it’s an elite side one of the best we’ve ever had.

13.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 15:30:04
Ed1. I knew Thiago was class so never jumped on that bandwagon but I hear what you’re saying. That’s the beauty of football, which is a difference in opinions. I will not jump on his back as he is young and everyone progresses at different stages. However, and again I hope I’m proven wrong but I don’t think he will make it here. What with the talent we have at our disposal and Klopp appearing to be keen to add to the midfield role in his attempts to bring in Aurélien Tchouaméni. Also the noise surrounding our interest in Bellingham. I understand there is rotation but depending on the formation, that leave a few slots for him to fight for and he might end up leaving in a few years to get first team footy for the sake of his career. I just want to be clear so I’m not misunderstood or feed into the narrative of “Jones Bashing”. I want it to work because clearly he is talented just needs to push on now and hopefully he will.

{Ed001's Note - but those players play a totally different role from Jones. They are Henderson/Milner replacements who can provide cover for Fabinho. Is that not telling?}

14.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 16:31:23
I have always maintained that CJ is an absolute baller. The thing is that he is being moulded into the type of midfielder Klopp likes, one who can take care of the ball and cover the ground first and foremost before getting to the next level of offensive decision-making which I think he is still learning. He is a dribbler, very skillful on the ball and pretty versatile cos IMO, he can play wide left cos I read somewhere that he played on the left side of CM in the U23's.

All in all, CJ just needs to keep learning to play the way Klopp wants him to play and as long as he is doing that, Im happy cos that is what matters the most, not what some agenda-driven pundit (s) or some fan who wants him sold/ gone cos he is not doing what he wants him to do, like Thiago was.

15.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 17:26:09
I’m personally in the pro Curtis Jones camp. I actually think he’s improving. I think he’s definitely learning from Thiago and for me it was evident in his start against Villa away. His progressive dribbling was very impressive in my eyes and I think the lad will only get better as he continues to learn from someone like Thiago.

{Ed0666's Note - I’m of the impression he will not make it at Liverpool but will go on to have a reasonably successful career

16.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 17:29:54
Ed1. I understand they are in different positions. I was trying to explain that would leave a number of midfielders vying for the other midfield positions. If Klopp changes formation to 4-2-3-1, the 2 midfielders at the base would be Fab, Thiago, Hendo (reduced playing time) and another midfielder who I think Klopp earmarked Aurélien Tchouaméni or someone of the same ilk for. Then Jones would be up against Diaz, Carvalho, Elliott and Salah for the 3 behind the striker. That’s 5 players for 3 spots and I have the other 4 ahead of him. That’s just my opinion but I respect those who think otherwise. This is all hypotheticals as we might not even play that formation. Again, I hope he proves me wrong as talent is not the issue.

{Ed001's Note - all based on a half--arsed notion that Klopp is completely changing the formation.}

17.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 18:16:13
Just for a little debate Elliot has a big following on here and if he does start the season well and then we have City on the 15 Oct and all players are fit who would people have the midfield 3.

As I’m interested to see who would have Elliot in and if so who would be the one to drop out.

Argument being we play 433.

For me If Elliot does start well and is very creative then I’d have Elliot, Fab and Thiago. So amazingly it would be Hendo that drops out.

But for that to happen then a midfielder outside of the current first choice 3 needs to have a great start to the season because replacing 1 of Thiago or Hendo in a game of a City magnitude would be no easy feat.

18.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 19:01:06
How would people feel if Fabinho and Henderson were to suffer injuries that kept them out for some time?

19.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 19:18:43
I've got to be honest, I don't think Jones had enough consecutive games to signify his ability last season - and for that reason, not many performances stood out to me. However, I've said before, I think it was the first City game and Jones completely owned KDB for 90 minutes. There's definitely a player in him, so I hope we get to see more of him this season!

20.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 23:24:39
Neither players have played enough games consecutively to make a definitive judgement at this time. Of the two I prefer Elliot he just seems to have more about him whereas Jones has not improved since he scored against Everton. That can change they are both still young.
I do have to pull Ed1 up on the Thiago debate though. In his first season and the start of the second his positioning and ball retention was woeful. He really struggled to get with the pace of the league and constantly played silly passes and silly tricks in dangerous positions which allowed teams to break on us. To say the criticism was because people didn’t understand his role is just not true (certainly not in my case anyway) . Whatever his role was I’m sure it wasn’t to chase the ball around like headless chicken and give it away in his own half!
He’s class and he got to grips with it last season the more it went on but at first he was infuriating. The Richarlison injury and C.V. sure didn’t help matters either.

{Ed001's Note - nonsense, he still gave the ball away in dangerous positions last season. He still plays silly passes in dangerous positions too. The only difference is the media stopped focusing on those parts of his game. As for his positioning, he was playing a different role in the team, perhaps in your 'understanding' of it you missed that? The problem Thiago had in his first season was that his teammates were not getting what he was doing and no one was moving soon enough to give him an option. It wasn't him struggling with the pace of the league, it was his teammates struggling to understand that he was ready to play the pass first time and that they needed to run for it. When no one was doing that, he was having to reset and that was why he was being caught out.}

21.) 05 Jul 2022
05 Jul 2022 05:47:27
I hate it when Thiago attempts a silly pass that could create an opportunity and it ends up giving the ball away. I much prefer our midfielders to go 40 yard backwards to Allison or Vvd.

{Ed0666's Note - you’d rather Thiago pass the ball back 40 yards to Allison than try a low percentage pass? I think the exact opposite

22.) 05 Jul 2022
05 Jul 2022 09:34:11
I'm thinking that was sarcasm JK?

Who dares wins Rodney...

23.) 05 Jul 2022
05 Jul 2022 14:12:14
Ed01 I think JK was joking, man.

{Ed001's Note - ???}

24.) 05 Jul 2022
05 Jul 2022 07:43:04
I think you missed JK's tongue in cheek there Ed!

{Ed0666's Note - Oops I was obliterated mate it was 4th of July!

25.) 05 Jul 2022
05 Jul 2022 07:59:55
Ed0666 you missed the 100% sarcasm in my comment mate.

I love watching Thiago play and as much as I love our ability to keep possession and dominate teams you can’t beat a fast break away or a little trick or flick from Bobby / Salah or a super pass from Trent, Vvd or Alison to get me off my seat.

{Ed0666's Note - Oops I was obliterated mate it was 4th of July!

26.) 05 Jul 2022
05 Jul 2022 08:53:57
I believe JK was employing irony as a weapon ed0666.

{Ed0666's Note - Oops I was obliterated mate it was 4th of July!

27.) 05 Jul 2022
05 Jul 2022 15:18:23
Ed0666 a shot in the dark but by any chance were you obliterated for 4th or July ?.

{Ed0666's Note - whatever gave you that idea mate??? ?

28.) 05 Jul 2022
05 Jul 2022 17:21:13
Ed0666 a sixth sense mate ?.

{Ed0666's Note - let me guess you see dead people?????