Curtis Jones is often criticised for slowing down play and holding onto the ball, but the Liverpool midfielder has explained his approach, saying: “I don’t want to be in a rush.”
Jones is known for being comfortable on the ball. In fact, of players to feature in 10 or more Premier League games this season, only seven take more touches per 90 minutes, per FBref.
The Scouser averages 85.9 touches per 90, the most of any midfielder and behind only William Saliba (94), Lewis Dunk (90.5), Virgil van Dijk (90), Joachim Andersen (87.9), Trevoh Chalobah (87.5), Matheus Nunes (86.9) and Jan Paul van Hecke (86.4).
While this could be viewed as a positive, it is also an area that attracts a lot of criticism for Liverpool’s No. 17.
Curtis Jones: ‘You have to do an awful lot to take the ball off me’
“I’m just one of them who loves to play, I just enjoy having the ball at my feet,” Jones told the club’s official website after Saturday’s 2-0 win over Brighton.
“I’ve obviously heard that there’s criticism at times that I don’t move the ball quick enough.
“That’s just because I’m comfortable on the ball.
“I don’t want to be in a rush and then I give a ball to a lad who is not as comfortable as me on the ball and he is kind of in a little bit of a challenge and then he gets the blame.
“I’d rather just take it on me and know that a lad who comes to press me is going to have to do an awful lot to take the ball off me.”
Jones is one of those to benefit from Arne Slot‘s latest tactical shakeup, and on Saturday that often saw him drop into the deepest midfield role to maximise his value in possession.
It also requires the 24-year-old to commit himself defensively which, as he continued his interview, Jones showed he is willing to do so knowing a clean sheet is priority.
“If I look around at the lads in the team, I know that these guys are going to score and assist and help with the goals,” he said.
“If the guys at the back and in central midfield can run more and fight even harder to come away with a clean sheet, there’s no doubt that we’ll start to win more games.”
Slot has now started Jones in each of the last three games, and bar four missed due to injury this season he has featured in every game he has been available for.
If there were any internal issues with the way he slows down the tempo, that would almost certainly not be the case.