A scouser immediately back. “The king is dead, the king for a long time” and such.
With Trent Alexander-Arnold absent due to injury and with his future to say the least, it was left to the other local boy in the team to fill his shoes: Curtis Jones.
The International of England started a competition match for the first time in his senior career and perhaps offered a glimpse in the future in a world without Alexander-Arnold, the entire back was allowed to leave for Real Madrid as many expect.
Mail Sport understands that nothing has been signed in terms of moving to the Spanish capital and reports last week that suggest that it was a 'done deal' were somewhat exaggerated, although the expected outcome is that Alexander-Arnold will indeed jump.
But regardless of all that, Liverpool has to start formulating their plane-tendency in pencil-front when their vice-captain leaves. And here was an opportunity for Jones to show Arne Slot what he can do there.
He passed that audition with flag and pennant. He completed 68 of 73 passes, won three of the five duels and won owned six times.
But apart from the raw figures, he offered the kind of creativity that Liverpool was missing in the final of the Carabao Cup. Jarell Quansah started that match and it felt like the unorthodox death of Alexander-Arnold was greatly missed.
Jones does not have the keys to unlock the defense himself, spirit, but this was a great performance that has been thinking about something that has been thinking about for a number of months – and something that Liverpool has been working on since they returned to the training on Saturday.
He was the leader on the right in a Carabao Cup match in September 2023, but this was the first 'big' game he played there. He recorded it like a duck in water.
“Curtis was excellent,” said Andy Robertson. “He played a really good game, he is such an intelligent football player. We made a joke yesterday – he played left wing, like a no. 10, a striker, a no. 6, a no. 8 and a right back.
“It shows how intelligent he is, he took the game in his pass. So comfortable on the ball and also defended well. '
It must also be mentioned that Jones often plays with his heart on his sleeve – perhaps with his disadvantage in the reverse match in Goodison Park when he was sent away – and the local boy is a favorite of fans.
Slot added: 'It is not something that came up last week, it is something we thought for a little longer. The first half of the season was moments we were talking about with him. I thought he could do this if it could do it in times.
'Three full backs are injured, so then it is a choice to play a center back, but we thought that to have the chance to win the game that we had to play better than play in the road. A risk to play there as a midfielder, but I thought he could help with creativity.
“He did very well defensive, strong performance of him and nice to have another option.”
Both Robertson and Slot pointed to his calmness on the ball and his creativity was certainly his most important characteristic here – but the greatest moments came in defensive sense. There was a final grasp in the stopping time and a few well -timed tackles.
One match in the right back does not mean that Jones is the answer if Alexander-Arnold would leave this summer Conor Bradley would have something to say about that, but it was certainly a pleasant audition and one more thing before Slot to consider in the future.
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