Curtis Jones has become the latest Liverpool player asked to fill an unfamiliar role during a season full of positional compromises.
With Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez all struggling for rhythm, fitness or form at different stages, the Toxteth midfielder has recently been used at right-back.
That has helped keep Dominik Szoboszlai in midfield, but it has also added to the feeling that Arne Slot is having to use too many square pegs in round holes.
Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com before our trip to Aston Villa, Jones made it clear that he’s happy to play wherever the team needs him.
The 25-year-old said: “I just enjoy playing. If I’m as a right-back, if I’m a centre-back, or if I’m a striker, I just want to go and play.”
Jones added: “I want to be in centre-midfield, and I know that I’m good enough and I ‘should’ be playing there, but it’s all about the team and that’s what you have to put first.”
That is exactly the attitude supporters would expect from a local lad, even if most of us would still prefer to see him used in his natural position.
The England international has always been comfortable on the ball, so the inverted full-back role does make some sense when Liverpool have possession.
Jones described himself as a “full-back/centre-midfielder”, adding that playing inside still allows him to get into areas where he can score and assist.
However, the Chelsea draw showed the risk of asking a midfielder to defend that space for 90 minutes, especially when Marc Cucurella was pushed high into an unfamiliar role.
Jason McAteer later said: “Curtis is not a natural right back… he likes to drift inside.”
Chelsea coach Calum McFarlane also admitted that using Cucurella there was something they thought could “maybe expose” Liverpool.
That doesn’t mean Jones deserves heavy criticism because his effort and confidence are never in doubt.
But it does show why Liverpool need a proper long-term answer at right-back, rather than relying on another midfielder to solve a problem that keeps hurting us.
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Only position I want to see Curtis Jones playing, is somewhere else
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