“Hard to take” – Jones Fulham reaction hints at deeper Liverpool issue
Liverpool’s late collapse at Craven Cottage left us clinging to a result that never quite felt deserved.
Curtis Jones did not hide from that reality after the 2-2 draw with Fulham.
The academy graduate described the ending as “hard to take” when speaking to Liverpoolfc.com following another damaging late goal.
We had twice dragged ourselves level through Florian Wirtz and then Cody Gakpo, only for Harrison Reed’s stunning 97th-minute strike to rip the points away.
Jones summed up the emotional swing succinctly.
“In the first half we had the ball a lot, we tried and it didn’t come off as much,” the No.17 admitted, before pointing to a half-time demand to “show more heart.”
That response arrived after the break, but it was still not enough.
Jones assessment highlights Liverpool first-half problem
The midfielder’s comments align closely with what many saw from the stands and on television.
Liverpool dominated possession again, but struggled to turn it into threat.
Speaking from the ground at half-time for BBC Sport, Aadam Patel noted that opposition sides look “comfortable sitting back and letting [Liverpool] have the ball.”
“All that possession but hardly any threat whatsoever,” he added, describing a team “crying out for some spark.”
Those words reflected a familiar issue that also surfaced during the goalless draw with Leeds earlier in the week.
Without Hugo Ekitike, we lacked a focal point and rhythm and by the interval, we had failed to register a single shot on target.
Jones reaction mirrors wider Liverpool reality
Jones was keen to stress that the second half was an improvement.
He felt it was “100 per cent” a better performance than the Leeds draw, even if the outcome was similarly frustrating.
Florian Wirtz’s equaliser finally gave us impetus, and Jeremie Frimpong’s delivery for Gakpo looked like the decisive moment.
The numbers supported that sense of momentum.
After 69 minutes, the shot count stood at 9-3 in Liverpool’s favour.
But Reed’s long-range effort carried an expected goals value of 0.04, one of the lowest Liverpool have conceded for a single strike in years.
That single lapse undid everything.
Jones also spoke about his shifting role, having played as a No.8, winger and No.10 during the match.
“I just want to help the team,” he said, underlining the flexibility being asked of players amid injuries and absences.
His honesty echoed John Aldridge’s blunt assessment that accepting a top-four push may be necessary right now.
Both views point to the same truth, Liverpool are unbeaten in nine games yet until first-half control matches second-half urgency, results like this will continue to feel painfully familiar.
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The post “Hard to take” – Jones Fulham reaction hints at deeper Liverpool issue appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.