'I was on Liverpool's pre-season tour - Arne Slot’s brand of football really suits him'
Curtis Jones starred in Liverpool's win over Chelsea and the Merseyside-born midfielder is exactly the type of player manager Arne Slot likes, according to John Barnes
by Jacob Murtagh · The MirrorJohn Barnes has tipped Curtis Jones to flourish under Arne Slot and become a Liverpool regular.
The midfielder starred in last weekend’s victory over Chelsea, winning the penalty kick that was converted by Mohamed Salah before landing the decisive blow himself. It was just his second Premier League start of the season after having his progress hampered by a muscle injury.
However, Reds legend Barnes has backed the Liverpool-born star to cement a place in Slot’s side and also gain international recognition with England under new boss Thomas Tuchel.
He said: “Curtis Jones has a bright future at Liverpool under Arne Slot, and I think he could have a bright future in the England team too.
"It’s only a matter of time before he wins his first senior cap. In pre-season, he was one of the players who really enjoyed it. I was with him in America, and he's one of the players that really liked Slot’s approach because that is the type of football Curtis wants to play in midfield.
“I think Slot’s brand of football really suits him. He had a little injury and lost his place in the team, but he’s coming back now. Every time he’s been fit, he’s been in the team. I know that Slot likes him and wants players like him.”
Liverpool will be hoping to continue their storming start to the season when they travel to the Emirates on Sunday afternoon. The crunch clash against Arsenal will be a test of their title credentials, but Barnes doesn’t believe securing silverware this season makes or breaks Slot's first term at the helm.
“Liverpool can absolutely win a trophy this season,” Barnes added. “I don’t think a trophy should be the barometer of success for Liverpool. If we finish second in the league by one point and lose one game, and we lose in the FA Cup final, does that mean it's a failure? Of course not.
“This whole idea of winning trophies… I'd much rather get closer to winning the Premier League than winning the FA Cup, because winning trophies, by that metric, Erik Ten Hag has been a huge success and Manchester United should be delighted with him because he's won two trophies.
“So yes, it's about winning trophies, but it's about doing as well as you possibly can in the league and the Champions League. The others, you can be lucky. You can play in the FA Cup, not play one Premier League team and win it. Does that mean you're a success? Wigan won the FA Cup and got relegated.”
John Barnes was speaking on behalf of Lucky Block.
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