There’s one Liverpool player ‘who puts the team and club first, Mohamed Salah to shame – Arne Slot loves him’
Curtis Jones’ recent performances have put Mohamed Salah to shame and established him as a crucial player in Arne Slot’s starting XI.
That is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that Slot “loves” the 24-year-old and has been impressed by his displays.
Jones was tipped as the answer to Liverpool’s problems thanks to his work ethic and technical ability during a time when many of his teammates have failed to step up.
That comes after Salah hit out at Slot and Liverpool as he was left unhappy with the decision to drop him to the bench, despite his and the team’s recent struggles.
Jones, meanwhile, has got his head down and worked hard to help the team turn things around, and played an important role as Liverpool beat Brighton 2-0 at Anfield.
Arne Slot wowed by crucial Curtis Jones’ performances
Jones publicly called upon his teammates to show some fight in the wake of their 4-1 Champions League defeat against PSV last month, and has since stepped up his displays.
Brown, who has a wealth of experience working closely alongside elite-level managers including Sir Alex Ferguson for over a decade during Man United’s most successful period, insisted that Jones is an example of what Liverpool’s key players must be.
“Curtis Jones is rightly receiving a lot of praise,” he told Football Insider.
“It’s not just about now, but over a period of time he has been instrumental in the success they’ve had with his performances and his leadership.
“He goes under the radar a bit because there are bigger names in that squad, but he’s played as much of a role as any of them when things have been going well.
“As much as they have struggled recently, he’s not been afraid to put his hands up, admit where things are going wrong, and work hard to correct them.
“That’s more than can be said for somebody like Salah who, as soon as things started going wrong, wanted to make the whole situation about himself.
“Jones is somebody who puts the team and the club first, and the manager loves him for it.
“He’s done a very, very good job for them and I can’t praise him highly enough for that, because if they had a few more like him, they might not be in this situation.”
Mohamed Salah told how he can stay at Liverpool
Brown told Football Insider on 14 December that Salah must work to earn his Liverpool place back and prove that he is willing to put in the effort for the side.
Salah did not travel with the Liverpool squad ahead of their Champions League clash with Inter Milan, but his return against Brighton showed there is a way back.
The situation was compared to that of Cristiano Ronaldo, who once came under pressure over his position at Man United, but worked his way back into the side.
Brown told Football Insider on 9 December that Salah has burnt his bridges at Liverpool and would face a tough battle to regain the manager’s trust.
He went on to explain that the only way to get back into the side will be to get his head down and prove he wants to play for Liverpool.
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