Liverpool‘s enthralling campaign has been put on hold as international action is ushered in once again. It feels like the term has been heavily punctuated by these annoying breaks, but it’s a good chance for certain players to grow in confidence.
Certain players such as Curtis Jones. The 23-year-old has made impressive headway for the Reds in recent weeks and was justly rewarded with his England debut as Lee Carsley’s side came up against Greece. It was a must-win fixture, and Jones was his nation’s life-juice in the middle.
Curtis Jones thrives on Three Lions debut
England needed to win. It wasn’t seamless football, but this Lions side, lacking a plethora of key parts, succeeded, and Jones was at the beating heart as he enjoyed a sensational national debut.
Some showing. The deft backheeled flick to stretch England’s lead to three goals in the late stage was a thing to behold and made a telling comment on the confidence that positively oozes from the Scouse-born star right now.
Injuries notwithstanding, there’s seemingly nothing that can stifle this man’s style right now, and after admitting that he’s personally loved the switch from Jurgen Klopp to the more control-focused Slot, it’s clear he’s reaching new levels.
Jones wouldn’t be the only one. Over 1000 miles westward, France played out a drab draw against Israel, but Ibrahima Konate was imperious once again.
Ibrahima Konate was immense once again
Ryan Gravenberch has been excellent for Liverpool this season, really stepping up, but so too has Konate dug into his skill set and unearthed qualities scarcely seen across his first three campaigns on Merseyside. Slot is taking his athletic prowess and fashioning it into something of the top drawer.
Arsenal’s William Saliba was kept out of the Les Bleus starting line-up once again as Konate struck his stake deeper into French soil, daring Didier Deschamps to drop him.
Against Israel, Konate proved to be a brick wall once again, and though there was one moment of tension when Raz Shlomo arced off the 6 foot 4 titan’s side and fired at shot-stopper Mike Maignan, his crisp and crunching defensive authority was on full show once again.
Ibrahima Konate: Performance vs Israel | |
|---|---|
Match Stats | # |
Minutes played | 90′ |
Clean sheet | 1 |
Touches | 85 |
Shots (on target) | 3 (0) |
Accurate passes | 69 /75 (92%) |
Tackles | 3 |
Interceptions | 2 |
Ground duels (won) | 3 (3) |
Aerial duels (won) | 2 (2) |
Stats via Sofascore | |
The 25-year-old’s spatial awareness and recovery speed were discernible once again, with Konate covering large swathes of ground and showcasing boldness that saw him wade into attacking territory as he looked to break the visitors’ resolve.
Regarding the job description, he performed admirably, completing most of his passes and winning each of his duel and tackle contests. Such command, such quality. It was an almost flawless showing, surpassing the still impressive effort of his English teammate Jones.
Playing beside Virgil van Dijk with regularity, you’re bound to learn some neat tricks. Konate is going from strength to strength this season, and now, entering the ostensible prime of his career is beginning to look like one of the meanest defenders in the business – for club and country both.
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