Curtis Jones — Scouting Report

Introduction:

Curtis Jones’ resurgence has been a delight to see from a personal viewpoint. As soon as he broke through, I was intrigued by the type of player he was. From a physical profile standpoint, he is as complete as it gets for a midfielder. Along with his technical quality, there was a lot to like. I was very impressed by this combination. However, it always came down to application and opportunity if he was ever going to reach his potential. It seems that this time he is finally making tangible progress for everyone to see. This piece will be a scouting report that seeks to sum up his player profile and how it correlates with the overall team dynamics.

Strengths:

• Jones is very comfortable receiving the ball between the lines at 360 angles, which is super helpful as it makes it easier for the ball carrier to know that he can pass to Jones at almost any angle, thus making the pass even easier and allowing for stronger passing connections.
• Press resistance is Jones’ bread and butter. His first touch is often within close proximity and often informs his next action. Jones also utilizes his body very well when receiving pressure from behind, using it to create separation between his marker and the ball in order to safely pass the ball.
• Jones prioritizes short passes, which indirectly offer the team a form of control. This means the team is in close proximity and in a position to progress the ball and counter-press if the ball is lost. His insistence on short passes in tight spaces also means players will be able to rotate and combine more fluidly in the attacking phase.
• Jones has shown he has the ability to progress the ball via carrying, especially in transition. He has shown strong tendencies as a powerful runner of the ball when given the space to stretch his legs and get into his stride. However, he needs to do this with more regularity, especially as it can be used for secure progression from the 1st to 2nd phases.
• This ball-carrying tendency also gives him the option to play as a winger situationally (Klopp has already used him in this manner). His safe but progressive carrying means he often allows his team to gain territory in a safer manner. This tendency also allows the left winger to tuck inside and get closer to the goal (half-space).
• In transition moments, it can be seen how beneficial Jones’ physical profile and body mechanics are. His long, dense legs allow for long, powerful strides, making him hard to dispossess and a viable threat in transition.
• Jones has also recently shown improvement in his speed of play (something Klopp has highlighted) during transitions. This improvement has revealed itself in the latter stages of the season. Jones is much quicker to play that pass in transition than he was a season ago.
• When pressing, Jones excels at maintaining his cover shadow and often executes his pressures immaculately. He can be seen doing things such as curving his run, adjusting his body orientation, and scanning. He is excellent at maintaining intensity in his pressures, especially in the last 10 meters between himself and the player on the ball.
• Curtis Jones’ physical profile (6ft) means he has a solid foundation to contribute to the team defensively. It also gives him an advantage aerially when competing for duels. His long legs allow him to have an advantage when tackling or duelling, as having longer legs allows you to reach the ball or engage in duels in fewer steps.

Weaknesses:

A lot of the weaknesses I’m about to state refer to previous seasons. Jones, in his recent resurgence, has clearly been working on the weaknesses I am about to state. However, nonetheless, I’ll be including weaknesses I’ve spotted in recent seasons to provide a more holistic view of the player.

• Jones is a naturally risk-averse player. He almost always picks the safer option, and though this is hugely beneficial to the team for a number of reasons (stated in his strengths), it can come at a cost at times. He often takes an extra touch or chooses a safer option in situations where he shouldn’t (transitions, counterattacks, game-states where LFC are chasing the game).
• For more final third effectiveness (key passes, assists, chance creation), he must learn to temper his temperament and recognize moments where he should be more aggressive with his actions to ensure he is contributing to the team’s attacking stats.
• Dynamism — Jones is a ball-to-feet player. He enjoys being ball-oriented for the simple fact that it gives him easy access to his teammates as they are in close proximity. This also allows him to combine and rotate with his teammates more effectively, something he excels at. Jones must begin to recognize where the space is but also where the space will be. You often find that if the ball is on the other side of the pitch, Jones is often stagnant in his movement. He prefers to come alive when the ball is closer in proximity. Simply being more active in his movement in relation to the movement of the ball, scanning to assess his teammates’ positioning on the pitch before making an informed decision on where the space is/will be. Increased dynamism will also allow for more dynamic and cooperative superiority down the left side for Liverpool, something I think is slightly lacking in comparison to the right side (Trent — Henderson — Salah). As someone who has publicly stated that he wants to get more goals and assists, in my opinion, this is his golden ticket to doing that.
• Off-ball positioning, counter-pressing, and intensity — Again, as previously stated, this is something that Jones has improved substantially in. However, for the sake of longevity, this must be discussed. Jones sometimes lacks concentration and can sometimes find himself in awkward positions as a midfielder, especially when Liverpool get caught in transitions. You’ll find that his concentration wanes or his intensity in his actions off the ball leaves much to be desired. It is imperative that he continues/starts to show appreciation for this side of the game, especially in a team managed by Klopp.
• His intensity when counter-pressing (again, lots of improvement in this department) is also something that needs to improve. Increasing his intensity in those short-distance sprints is something that will help, ala Bajcetic. This will also help him to increase the effectiveness of his defensive actions. Liverpool utilizes a ball-oriented approach, covering short distances quickly and intensely to engage in duels is a frequent occurrence for a Liverpool midfielder. It is something they must be adept at.
• Jones has been seen to gas out around 60–70 minute mark this season, this understandable as he had a long stretch out of the team but I still feel it is a observation worth noting as he will be required to contribute off the ball for 90 minutes if he is to stake his claim in the first 11, it can be especially seen he loses the power to ride duels, he must improve his endurance and perhaps learn to manage his intensity levels in-game (something that will come with experience)
• It is clear Jones has expert ball-striking; however, it is clear he doesn’t quite create the separation necessary to get his shots. He often does not take his step count into consideration. You often find he can’t quite move his feet quickly enough to get his shots off.
• It is also clear that although Jones has exhibited elite ball-striking tendencies he often does not use it when passing, he often does not execute any long passes, his passing range leaves much to be desired. This is a slight cause for concern as when playing deeper you need an expansive passing range to reach your team-mates, short passes aren’t always optimal. I believe this is down to his mental profile and coaching. Jones came up through the academy as a left winger and 10. He hasn't been coached to have an expansive passing range and I believe this falls under his tendency to be risk averse, he needs to take more risks with his passing whether that be a switch of play or a pass between the lines.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, it can be seen that Jones is a player who can play deeper in the early phases, retain the ball, and circulate it adequately. But he can also play higher up and in the left half-space to combine in the final third. His counter-pressing has improved tenfold, as his energy and tenacity are obvious. Regarding his defensive positioning when defending transitions, that remains to be seen if he has truly improved in that capacity. In the new system Liverpool uses, the interiors (LCM & RCM) have defensive duties that focus more on counter-pressing over short distances. His ball-striking is top-notch, but he needs to exercise it much more often, taking his shots closer to goal and being better at creating separation (though I suspect his body mechanics may have something to do with this). There also seems to be scope for Jones to improve in the dynamism department. He seems to be able to understand the concept of the spare man (see goals against Tottenham and Leicester) and has shown he is willing to be more dynamic in his off-ball movement to aid the team. I would also like Jones to be more progressive in his passing from the early phases. While he can retain the ball, his progression from deep via passing leaves much to be desired. All in all, Curtis Jones is definitely a talent worth developing. His best positions are LCM and LW, as he loves the left wide and half spaces but has the capacity to play RCM or even as a 6 situationally.

Visual Analysis:

Jones’ use of his body here is impressive, he is able to keep it between the man and the ball which allows him to successfully retain possession. Also note how his first touch allows him to keep the ball within a safe radius in order to retain the ball. Also note he is somewhat crouching before his first touch this gives him a lower sense of gravity which puts him in an advantageous position to absorb contact from Bowen.

Here is a classic case of Jones being able to receive the ball in the deeper phases, while then having the composure to dribble put of trouble then having the composure and pausa to circulate the ball safely, a crucial detail here is the extra touch he takes to see if Rodrigo would cut off the passing lane to Konate.

Here it can be seen Jones’ potential for being really good in duels, his long legs give him the edge against Kante here it allows him to reach the ball faster and he manages to utilise his bum really well, Jones however needs to be more consistent and show more appreciation for this side of the game, this is not a frequent occurrence as of now, if this side of his game improved (in regards to stopping transitions) it will make him much more valuable to Klopp and Co.

Jones’ ball striking and dynamism is on show here, he makes a run into the centre, recognising Gakpo has dropped deeper and subsequently drags the entire Leicester backline to his side thus leaving a possible pass for Diaz. His first touch sets him up perfectly as he swivels and hits the ball with his laces, I'm no expert on ball-striking but something that's really interesting here is the way he hits the through the ball, he follows through with his strike, giving him maximum power.

Klopp has already raved about Jones’ improvement in regards to his speed of play. This is especially important in transitions, here it can be seen Jones wins his duel and plays an inch perfect pass to Jota to score. Again the difference in his speed of play from last season is clear to see, he is much more decisive with his actions, this will allow him to be more effective in transitions.

Jones here recognises Diaz has indented further infield and realises he can provide himself as an option at the back post as the spare man, the timing of the run of the run (and the pass from Salah) is perfect as he arrives in the space just in time to pass into the net, again seeing the space and being brave enough to invade it with intensity is something that will help him get more goals.

Here Jones can be seen scanning before jumping to press, the purpose of scanning before pressing is to ensure he is aware of any players behind him who may be coming to receive the ball, scanning will allow him to make the choice between sitting or pressing while keeping any players in his cover shadow (isn't necessary here). Another impressive thing to note here is how he increases his intensity in the last 10–15m of the press this perfectly encapsulates Klopp’s preference to ‘chase’ opponents, not just press.

Maybe my favourite clip and probably Jones’ strongest tendency, the insistence on closing distances between his teams to combine is all on show here, it drags 3 Southampton players away from Tsimikas, Jones then plays an inch perfect pass to the LB who creates a chance for Jota. Jones has a wonderful feel for combining and rotating with his teams in possession, especially in the final third.

Jones has the capability to progress the ball through the thirds via ball carrying, he has shown that he has good usage of body orientation, spatial awareness and the step count to really take this to the next level, I believe the mental fortitude is what is stopping Jones from really honing in on this skill.

In the past this has been a regular occurrence for Jones, he often does not anticipate when his team will lose possession nor does he show the desire to get back, to me it is clear this is all a mental issue, understandably he does not have the same appreciation for the defensive side of the game as he does for the attacking side.