Curtis Jones’ Brighton display showed benefit of playing him at right-back for Liverpool – McManaman
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Curtis Jones was the latest midfielder to play at right-back for Liverpool during their FA Cup match against Brighton on Saturday.
The last two matches have seen Dominik Szoboszlai and then Wataru Endo feature out of position for the Reds.
Saturday brought Jones‘ turn, as he started for a first time in six Liverpool matches.
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It was a significant display for the Scouser, as he registered his first goal since Boxing Day 2024, a full 57 appearances ago.
Jones’ display at right-back was good overall, but the goal was the moment which stood out, leading former Liverpool winger Steve McManaman to hail a hidden benefit of playing the 25-year-old at full-back.
Curtis Jones praised for attacking instinct
Although Liverpool’s lack of a natural right-back has potentially been keeping Slot up at night recently, playing a midfielder in there does have its positives.
Speaking to TNT Sports at half-time of Saturday’s match, McManaman said that the main one of these is the instinct of a player like Jones to get in and attack the opposition box.
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“A right-back would not make that run,” said the former Liverpool academy graduate. “But the fact he’s a midfielder playing there, he’s sniffing out the goal. Curtis Jones technically is brilliant.
“What a good ball, his deft touch just to control it and keep it down, it was a really difficult finish but an excellent finish from Curtis.”
The goal was actually one Liverpool full-back to the other, and highlighted exactly how Slot wants to set the wide defensive positions up for the Reds.
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Ally McCoist makes ‘observation’ on Jones at right-back
Jones has regularly looked very comfortable while playing at right-back, and although he is never going to be a marauding defender in the mould of, say, Conor Bradley, his technical ability does make him stand out.
One knock-on effect of that is that Liverpool play a little more narrowly, something Ally McCoist noticed on commentary for TNT Sports, spotting that Jones is much more of an under-lapper than an over-lapper.
“An observation would be that he’s more underlap than overlap,” McCoist said after witnessing another surging run from Jones. “More than most right full-backs.”
It is usually the same when Szoboszlai or Endo play at right-back as well, and when Liverpool enjoy the lion’s share of possession, it can end up meaning they have one more attacking player on the pitch. On Saturday, it ended up getting them a goal.
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