Curtis Jones has revealed the advice that Jurgen Klopp gave him before Liverpool’s match against Chelsea in midweek.
The 22-year-old came into the line-up for his first Premier League start since October, and his first in any competition in five months (Transfermarkt), having had to contend with a stress problem in the tibia which has required careful long-term management.
The midfielder outlined that his manager told him to relax and play his natural game after being named in the starting XI at Stamford Bridge.
Jones told the Liverpool Echo: “The manager told me to be myself. I have been off for a while, so I thought I’d come in and try to be steady.
“I was trying to do too much. I just wanted to get on the ball, be me and gain confidence again, so that is what I tried to do. So I am happy I took the next step and we’ll see what happens next with the games coming up and stuff.
“I wouldn’t really say it was a game where I was able to get on the ball and dribble and shoot really. I thought they had a lot of the ball. It was a game that was more about gaining the manager’s trust again.”
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It would’ve been understandable if Jones was nervous prior to the game against Chelsea, having had such an extended period either relying on substitute cameos or not getting a runout at all, but he came through the night with a tidy performance.
As per Sofascore, he completed 50 passes in the match (third-most of any Liverpool player) for a 93% accuracy rate, the best of any starter in Klopp’s side. He also won two tackles as he put in an honest shift in midfield prior to his 79th-minute withdrawal.
His ongoing tibia issue means that he’ll likely continue to be handed only sporadic starts, especially when fixtures are coming at an intense rate – the Reds play seven times in 28 days between the Arsenal game on Sunday and the visit of Brentford on 6 May.
Having done a good job on Tuesday, following on from scoring for England under-21s during the recent international break, hopefully that’ll give Jones a confidence-boosting platform on which to build throughout the rest of the season.
Well In a. Nutshell you were looking fking shite!!!!!