© Propaganda Photo / Sports Mole
Liverpool have found it difficult to cope in midfield this season, but Curtis Jones has played well when given opportunities by boss Arne Slot.
Liverpool must consider making Curtis Jones a starter in midfield if they are to improve their performances, Reds expert David Lynch has claimed.
The Merseysiders suffered a bruising 3-0 loss against Manchester City on Sunday, a defeat that left them eight points behind first-placed Arsenal.
City managed to exploit the Reds’ frailties in midfield on the weekend, with all three of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch struggling.
Speaking to Sports Mole, Lynch argued that Jones deserves a place in midfield considering he has played well when called upon, saying: “What’s hard for managers is to drop players who are out of form but have delivered for them in the past because they could click out of nowhere.
“Mac Allister had looked back to his best before the City game, but whether it’s him that comes out of the team or someone else, there’s a real case to put Curtis Jones in the XI.
“Liverpool have got a set of midfielders that if they manage to come into form should help to solidify their performance level and help improve their results.”
Gravenberch and Mac Allister have struggled in recent weeks, and while Szoboszlai has excelled regardless of where he has played, he failed to match the standards he had set previously on Sunday.
Importance of winning duels: Why Arne Slot must address midfield
Gravenberch, Szoboszlai and Mac Allister won a combined five out of 22 duels against City, and given the Premier League has become increasingly physical, it is not surprising that Liverpool failed to win on Sunday.
The latter has failed to impress for large parts of the season, and the disjointed nature of the Reds’ defence has forced him to cover significantly larger distances than in 2024-25, which has exposed his lack of athleticism.
Lynch insisted that the Argentine is capable, but his poor displays are becoming concerning, telling Sports Mole: “Mac Allister is competent in winning second balls when he’s fit and firing – he’s a scrapper for second balls. That’s one of his strengths, but the problem is he’s just been playing awfully all season.
“He has looked weak in moments he hasn’t been able to zip into challenges and get there first, though there were quite a few moments in the Real Madrid and Villa games where he was sharp and in players’ faces immediately.
“He’s fully capable of that, but he’s been nowhere near his best and this is the nightmare of being a football manager because how do you know when he’s going to get back to his best? Slot’s been playing him all season trying to get him to click.”
Mac Allister won 4.3 ground duels per 90 in the Premier League last season but is averaging just 2.1 ground duels won per 90 this term, and his dip in form has made the Reds vulnerable in the middle of the pitch.
Dominik Szoboszlai: The next Steven Gerrard?
Despite the struggles of the team as a whole, Szoboszlai has still managed to perform well, regardless of whether he has been used as a number 10, in deeper midfielder or as a right-back.
Many supporters have argued that the Hungarian has been Liverpool’s player of the season, with the midfielder having been key at both ends of the pitch.
Lynch singled out Szoboszlai for praise despite his mixed performance against City, drawing comparisons to Steven Gerrard, when he told Sports Mole: “He knows what the demands are at Liverpool and he’s showing that in the Champions League as well.
“I made a comparison to Steven Gerrard before, but I’m looking at his performances now – it might be an unfair comparison because Gerrard was one of the greatest players I’ve ever seen in my life – and there are some similarities there.
“He has been Liverpool’s best player so far and he seems to be emerging as a leader. You see him talking to the players, cajoling them, telling them where they should be in the press. He’s also telling everybody else that they need to be backing him up. An intelligent, brilliant and physical central midfielder.”
Liverpool are reportedly keen on extending the 25-year-old’s contract, and securing his long-term future should be seen as a priority.
