Trent helping out a bit at one end

[Steveo]

Aw poor diddums Jones showing his quality to those who said he would never make it and wanted him sold. Poor 19 just cannot cope.

Edited quote which still stands up

Trent is poorly equipped for a midfield role and that is why Klopp STILL hasn’t played him there… Not even once.

Allowing him to roam further forward has proven rewarding, as many of us have suggested it would. But a midfielder he certainly isn’t. Not just yet. There is a good reason he became a RB.

[Kev0909]

If jones keeps it up then maybe he can be a vital part going forward.

I'd never want the lad sold, he's a good squad player. but a starter? that's upto him i guess,

[Steveo]

If Jones keeps it up 19 is going to blow a head gasket. 😡

Triggered.

[teesred]

Trent is number 1 in stats since moving into midfield. Defo something in it, I'm not sold on it fully yet but think it could work well if we bring in the right players.
Jones is in good form, not getting carried away with that either. It could be just a purple patch
It's great to see him being more pro active in terms of attack. He's got that ability, always looked like it but didn't pull the trigger. Maybe it's like Sid suggested, he'd been coached to be a steady Eddie after Ginis departure?
Either way it's class that two homegrown youth lads are playing well. Long may it continue.

[Steveo]

tees mate. He has moved up into more advanced area but he isn’t playing as a midfielder. He is still tasked as a RB. He is really dropping in behind our midfield if anything. Not really a term for that position. It isn’t quite the back line and he isn’t a DM so it means he is operating in a new hybrid role.

If we start with a 3 man Midfield and Trent takes a berth it will be a problem. If we play 4 in the middle - then our entire attack needs a re think. At least right now Trent just doesn’t look mobile enough in tight spaces at all. Not to be a midfielder in a top side. This hybrid system might continue but I doubt it when new blood is brought in.

[teesred]

Hybrid role/marauding into midfield. However it's being billed, his stats are good. I agree on the tight spaces, it's something he got caught a bit with last night and also lost possession with a couple of sloppy ones.
If he goes back to being an out and out RB we have need to have him protected like before which basically covered his deficiency as a defender.
Maybe it's just a temporary move till end of season? It's only in its infancy and is obviously something they've worked on as Klopp has said so. Personally I think they'll stick with it next season. It can't be just a coincidence we've looked much better since that second half against Arsenal.

[Steveo]

Aye. It’s something he will struggle to cure at this stage of his career. It doesn’t matter really. We know he can assist at this level from a more orthodox RB position - provided we are on it in forward areas… We have an option now. No coincidence Trent is given freedom just as returning fowards find their form… and that will likely happen again. We aren’t playing Real or Bayern with Trent vacating RB. Not if we are serious about winning.


FYI Robbo has the same number of assists this season. I wouldn’t be using assists stats as definitive evidence. Trent wasn’t really assisting at all in his normal role. He was having a tough old season. We have finally got a working front line back. We haven’t had one all season really. Jota and Diaz both with huge long layoffs. Integrating a new lad in Gakpo on top of a new lad Nunez who was over used by necessity. Remember no Mané or Otho or Minamino to step in and affect games. Salah on his own often bewildered with the chaos of Nunez..

Have to mention. Almost everyone has looked better v Arsenal since our second half against Arsenal.

[Insidious]

If jones keeps it up then maybe he can be a vital part going forward.

I'd never want the lad sold, he's a good squad player. but a starter? that's upto him i guess,

Ability certainly isn't looking a problem. I don't recall any games where he "stunk the place out" but he did tend to have "quiet" games where our collective complaint was him not releasing the ball quick enough - I still think this was coached to a degree - that he was to play in a risk-averse fashion as he was playing that Wijnaldum role in the 4-3-3 set-up. But anyway - ability not a problem, whereas availability definitely was.

Hope he is past his injury issues. This Box Midfield set-up really seems to suit him. He could be used in rotation with someone else for that role and I'd be perfectly happy.

Intrigued to see the effort of our Summer spending on him and some other lads.

[teesred]

Aye. It’s something he will struggle to cure at this stage of his career. It doesn’t matter really. We know he can assist at this level from a more orthodox RB position - provided we are on it in forward areas… We have an option now. No coincidence Trent is given freedom just as returning fowards find their form… and that will likely happen again. We aren’t playing Real or Bayern with Trent vacating RB. Not if we are serious about winning.


FYI Robbo has the same number of assists this season. I wouldn’t be using assists stats as definitive evidence. Trent wasn’t really assisting at all in his normal role. He was having a tough old season. We have finally got a working front line back. We haven’t had one all season really. Jota and Diaz both with huge long layoffs. Integrating a new lad in Gakpo on top of a new lad Nunez who was over used by necessity. Remember no Mané or Otho or Minamino to step in and affect games. Salah on his own often bewildered with the chaos of Nunez..

Have to mention. Almost everyone has looked better v Arsenal since our second half against Arsenal.

100% on all that. We could be in big trouble using it against top sides. I'd hope Klopp would see/know that and not risk it, I too like it as an option but said a few weeks back I hope it's not going to get worn out but like you say new blood may see it change, I think it'll be kept though. We don't tend to change things up much/often which has been a hamstring for us.
He most certainly was having an awful time prior to this,I'm glad he looks happier.

True about Arsenal too.

[Steveo]

Otho = Origi..

Just to be clear.. This season we lost Mané, Origi and Minamino AND for a combined 37 games we have been without Jota and Diaz. Right now for the first time all season we have senior players fighting for a place up front. It makes a massive difference to the midfield AND back line too. Just see Jones.. That's before we even mention the extra space and verve it has given to Mo Salah - who looks himself for the first time since before the AFCON... Trent is definitely back on it assist wise (level with Robbo) and is now more than helping out a bit at the top end.. Which, in light of his defending - kinda needed to happen.

BUT I mentioned this months ago. When we were all rightly lamenting the lack of business on the midfield - I did mention repeatedly... the problems at the back being just as bad and was banging on and on....and on about the absence of a front line being the major cause.

Take 3/4 of any front line away from any team and they will suffer - do that the season they transition their established attack.. and you have a disaster.