Curtis Jones believes he has the ability to dominate for Liverpool as he urged his team-mates to stop entertaining “basketball games” after a five-star performance at Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old produced a sensational performance in the 5-1 win at the Deutsche Bank Park in just fourth start of the season to help the Reds end their four-game winless run across all competitions.
Goals from Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate helped Liverpool fight from 1-0 down to 3-1 up before Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai applied the gloss to a five-star performance late in the second half.
However, it was Jones and his fellow midfielders, Szoboszlai and Florian Wirtz, who really stole the show in Germany.
Now, the Reds’ No.17 has called on his team-mates to continue to control games in midfield if they are to build on Wednesday night’s triumph and get their season back on track.
Speaking to LFCTV after the game, Jones said: “I’ve been saying it for a couple of weeks, our games feel as if they are basketball games. It’s end-to-end a lot.
“I’ve come into the team and the thing on my mind is I want to get on the ball. I want the team to play through me.
“I can dominate a game if I’ve got the ball a lot, and I have Dom alongside me, who is comfortable on the ball as well. I think our goal was to get on the ball and play.
“Their crowd was amazing, so it was important that we kept going all the time and didn’t let it affect our play.
“Look at our team, with the likes of Flo and Alexis, Hugo up there, Cody off the left – who is always going to score and assist. I feel that we have to trust in them, and that’s what we did, and we came away with the win – so I’m made up.”
Jones: We need to control the centre
On the importance of controlling games in midfield, he added: “If you look at the best teams in the world, the centre midfielders are key. They are comfortable on the ball, not in a rush, and play the game at their own pace.
“If you look at our lads in there, you have got me, Ryan, Dom, Flo, and the rest of the lads who I haven’t named, I feel that with the quality and the talent there, we can do exactly the same. We’ve got to do more.
“And at the same time, I’m a scouser. I feel the four games that we lost hurt me more than them lads.
“I’m not saying it didn’t affect them but I’ve been a fan from a kid, so I made sure tonight that I just ran first of all.
“I was more vocal on the pitch and made sure we came away with a win. All the other lads obviously played their part with the goals and the assists.
“Overall, now, I feel we are back on our up.”
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