We’ve looked totally brainless really. A lot of dumb play
All down to the midfield that. Keita's injury chaperoned a draw towards Brighton. Obviously, we win this game comfortably with him playing the full 90. Fabinho and Thiago can't come back soon enough.
Word about Curtis Jones - abysmal display. He may thinks he works hard enough but it's clear he still needs to work harder if he's to have a long term future at Liverpool. I cannot believe the lackadaisical nature of his "efforts" to run back during Brighton's equaliser. His efforts on the press were poor and mistimed. Worse, he was nowhere when the second ball was needed to be won. There was a moment a few minutes before he was taken off (around 81 minutes) where Hendo shirked and mis-cued a ball high up in the air. There must have been at least two chances for Jones to step in and take control of it and he failed both times. Brighton take the ball and were set off (thankfully with no results). With Thiago, Fabinho, Keita, Milner in his position, we probably take control of that second ball and we are facing them down on their own goal. But the opposite happens with Curtis Jones. With him in midfield, what should be Liverpool attacks turn into opposition attacks.
It's bizarre that such an obvious deficiency in performance was allowed to go on for so long. Jones playing 87 minutes is quite remarkable for just how poor he was and he was the centre of all our troubles.
Chamberlain's going to get flak and he didn't cut out the angle when the ball was spread out to the left in the lead up to Brighton's second. But at least Chamberlain offered something on the ball even if much of it was to no avail. But off the ball you can see that Chamberlain's also offering the same 0% that Jones is providing off it. I felt sorry for Hendo today. You could see he was frustrated at the massive gaps and space that Jones and Chamberlain left today for Brighton to run amok. Jordan was playing like a man asked to bail water out of a sinking ship with just a toy bucket in hand.
I do worry about Jones to be honest. I think we give him the benefit of the doubt because he's a scouser but not enough is shone on his deficiencies which is costing us big time defensively. Does he want to be the next Steven Gerrard or Jay Spearing? On that display, it's certainly closer to the latter. He's got a long way to go if he is to make it. He's got age on his side at least but when starting at home to Brighton the very least you should be displaying is solidity and competency. Not tactical cluelessness and a display that sweeps the initiative all towards the opposition.
The saddest thing ultimately about Jones's display - towards the end no one in a red shirt was passing to him. Even when he was in space. That says it all.
« Last Edit: Oct 30, 2021 05:22:59 pm by Frankly, Mr Shankly »
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