"Too many touches" – Mark Lawrenson says Liverpool star is far too slow on the ball

Liverpool great Mark Lawrenson has blamed Curtis Jones for slowing down the team's buildup when in possession of the ball in midfield.

Jones, 21, has established himself as a squad member for the Reds since making his senior team debut in January 2019. He has helped his boyhood club lift five trophies so far under manager Jurgen Klopp.

A right-footed versatile operator blessed with flair and passing, Jones has failed to realize his potential due to a host of injuries over the years. After recovering from a tibia issue earlier in October, he has featured in 300 minutes of first-team action, spread across nine overall matches.

Speaking on Off The Ball, Lawrenson hit out at Jones' decision-making while sharing his thoughts on Liverpool's midfield problems. He said:

"The kids: [Harvey] Elliott, [Fabio] Carvalho... for them, it's too early for them to be playing on a regular basis. Curtis Jones takes too many touches when he's got the opportunity to play. He came on with that goal against Everton in the FA Cup two or three years ago and he's not really kicked on, so what do you do?"

Jones, who has been with the Reds since the age of nine, has fallen behind in the pecking order at Anfield of late. Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic have impressed with their confident performances in the center of the park this term, forcing Jones to be used as a backup left winger.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are planning to revamp their midfield ahead of the 2023-24 season with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Moises Caicedo, Matheus Nunes and Declan Rice at the top of their transfer wishlist.

Emmanuel Petit pinpoints main reason behind Liverpool's decline this season

Speaking to ICE 36, former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit claimed that the Reds' struggles this season are down to Sadio Mane's switch to Bayern Munich for £35 million earlier this summer. He elaborated:

"Since Mane left, Liverpool are not playing the same way. Mane was such an important link between their midfield and attack. He played with so much energy on the pitch. He was decisive and always contributed with goals and assists. He led the team's press and scared defenders when they had the ball. He set the tempo of the team and everyone else followed, [Mohamed] Salah did the same job."

Pinpointing the Merseyside outfit's frailties, Petit continued:

"There was a big rivalry between Salah and Mane and they pushed each other, which helped the team. They used to play with a coordinated press, but that isn't happening anymore. You could say they look tired, but they shouldn't have let Mane leave and should have tried to do everything to keep him. They miss his mentality, leadership and, of course, his world-class ability on the pitch."

Liverpool are currently ninth in the 2022-23 Premier League standings with just 28 points from 18 matches — 10 points off fourth place.