Arne Slot inherited Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool and despite a quiet first transfer window, Slot immediately focused on fitness, control, and structure.
Last season’s move from relentless gegenpressing towards a 4-2-4 pressing shape brought stability and helped the Reds reclaim the Premier League title on Slots first try.
However this season, after a Real Madrid-style summer signing of marquee attackers, Liverpool’s issue hasn’t been firepower; it’s been balance.
Games have too often descended into chaos: high tempo, high transition, and high risk.
With a dismal 4 Premier League losses in a row, after a flawless 6-0 start, Liverpool fans are starting to wonder what has gone wrong and why the team seems so unbalanced.
In this Liverpool tactical analysis, we will focus on the role Curtis Jones has in controlling the games tempo and how he can help Arne Slot return balance back to a Liverpool team in crisis.
Why Liverpools Balance Has Slipped
Liverpool’s squad is packed with direct, high-tempo players in Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ékitiké, and Alexis Mac Allister.
They can blow teams away in moments, but they can also lose control just as quickly.
Crystal Palace away, Manchester United at Anfield, and Chelsea late on all exposed that looseness.
Even last year’s PSG tie showed how easily Liverpool could be bypassed if their first press broke.
Slot’s challenge isn’t to make Liverpool more dangerous, it’s to make them more stable.
Curtis Jones Style Of Play
Whenever Curtis Jones appears, the rhythm changes.
He doesn’t slow the game for the sake of it; he dictates when Liverpool accelerate.
When Curtis Jones plays, Liverpool’s possession becomes calmer, their spacing tighter, and their rest defence far less exposed.
He turns chaos into control.
This season, the pattern has been consistent whenever Curtis Jones has come on.
| Match | Jones ON Minute | Liverpool xG (After ON) | Opponent xG (After ON) |
|---|---|---|---|
| vs Bournemouth (4–2 W) | 72′ | 0.94 | 0.12 |
| vs Crystal Palace (1–2 L) | 65′ | 0.77 | 0.59 |
| vs Chelsea (1–2 L) | 56′ | 1.02 | 0.84 |
| vs Manchester United (1–2 L) | 62′ | 1.75 | 0.64 |
| vs Eintracht Frankfurt (5–1 W) | 0′ | 3.21 | 0.33 |
The data and the eye test say the same thing: Liverpool look calmer and more balanced when Curtis Jones is involved.
Curtis Jones Impact On Play
Press Resistance
Curtis Jones offers composure under pressure.
Jones receives on the half-turn and escapes tight areas, giving Liverpool vital breathing space.
Curtis Jones Pass Retention
Curtis Jones rarely forces the vertical option; instead, he recycles and resets the play to maintain rhythm rather than chaos.
Curtis Jones Intelligence
Curtis Jones analyses where the space is and pulls the opposition pressing structure all over the place due to the positions he picks up.
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