‘Still learning…’ – Arne Slot hints he may have got it wrong initially about one Liverpool ace | OneFootball

Arne Slot has seemed to hint that he may have initially deployed one Liverpool player in what isn’t their ‘best’ position.

The 46-year-old inherited more or less the same squad with which Jurgen Klopp ended his Anfield reign, although he’s made subtle tactical tweak which have helped a few players to unleash their full potential.

Slot makes Curtis Jones admission

Curtis Jones is one of those, with the midfielder having enjoyed a regular starting berth of late and rewarding the head coach’s faith with some excellent performances.

He came to the fore again last night with a masterful through ball to set up Luis Diaz for the opening goal in Liverpool’s 4-0 thrashing of Bayer Leverkusen, and Slot singled out the 23-year-old for praise after the match.

The Dutchman said (via Ian Doyle on X): “I am still learning on a daily basis about every player, and Curtis is one. When I first came, I played him as a six. That wasn’t his best game, but at this moment he can play in every position as he’s in such a good place right now. He has really made the step up.”

(Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

Jones has thrived in numerous positions of late

Jones has been utilised in quite a few different roles already this season, although Slot has tended to play him in a more advanced position in recent matches.

The 23-year-old was used as a number 10 last night and in the draw at Arsenal in late October, and he even played as a makeshift centre-forward in the Carabao Cup win at Brighton last week.

It’s therefore ironic that his standout performance of the campaign so far, his man-of-the-match performance in the home win over Chelsea, came when he was deployed in a defensive midfield berth (Transfermarkt).

It goes to show that Jones has the versatility to thrive in different positions within the team, although Slot’s comments suggests that he feels he got it wrong initially about Liverpool’s number 17 before finding an ideal niche for him in the line-up.

It’s also a fine testament to the academy graduate’s form that he now appears to have dislodged £60m signing Dominik Szoboszlai in the Reds’ strongest XI, and the figures from his performance last night vindicate the head coach’s faith.

As per Sofascore, the 23-year-old completed 90% of his passes and 100% of his dribbles, along with winning four of his five duels and executing three key passes. On that kind of form, Slot will surely continue to find a place for him within the starting line-up.