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Liverpool fans are expressing their frustration on X after Arne Slot included Curtis Jones in the starting XI to face Crystal Palace. The two sides are set to face each other in the FA Community Shield final at Wembley Stadium later today (Sunday, August 10).
Alisson Becker starts in goal for Liverpool. Jeremie Frimpong, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, and Milos Kerkez make up the defense. The midfield comprises of Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Florian Wirtz, while Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, and Hugo Ekitike start up front to complete the starting XI.
The Reds will be aiming to kick off their 2025-26 campaign with silverware as they lock horns against FA Cup winners Crystal Palace. The Premier League champions have shown promise this summer, winning five out of their six friendlies. However, they will be without Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez following their transfers to Bayern Munich and Al-Hilal, respectively.
Curtis Jones had a decent 2024-25 season, recording three goals and seven assists in 46 appearances across all competitions. However, Liverpool fans are far from happy with his inclusion in the starting XI, with one posting:
"We cannot escape Curtis Jones"
We cannot escape Curtis Jones 😅😂
Another fan tweeted:
"I really hate Curtis jones. He is slow and makes horrible decisions"
@LFC I really hate Curtis jones. He is slow and makes horrible decisions
Other fans tweeted below:
"How is Curtis jones still at the club in 2025 ffs," one fan commented
"Curtis jones starting worry’s me on the counter. Need a 6 starting," another added
"Curtis Jones in 2025💔," one fan typed
"He's good , I like him but I don't know the kind of satanic ritual Curtis Jones has done to keep himself in this starting 11 or in this squad," another admitted
"I will never understand why Curtis jones is still at the club," one fan chimed in
"He’s definitely had a promising start to this season" - Arne Slot provides verdict on Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha ahead of Community Shield final
Liverpool boss Arne Slot has praised Rio Ngumoha for impressing during pre-season. However, the Dutchman insisted that the 16-year-old won't be a regular starter until he's fully adapted and accustomed to playing every three days at the highest level.
Ngumoha has excelled for Liverpool this summer, scoring three goals, including a fantastic solo effort in the second minute against Athletic Club (August 4). The youngster has shown a lot of promise, particularly with his dribbling ability, and could be a reliable option at left-wing this season.
However, Slot told Men In Blazers (via Rousing the Kop):
"Rio had a good pre-season, it took him a while to adapt, which is quite normal if you are 16-years-old, to adapt to the level the first team train at. He used last season to be with us once in a while and in pre-season now he’s done really well, brings in the quality he has, not afraid to take a one-v-one on, making the right decisions if he feels his teammate is in a better position than him."
He added:
“I know how hard it is for 20 year olds, 25 year olds, 30 year olds to play every three days at this level. This is something we need to give him time for as well. At this moment in time he’s not a regular starter, but for him to train every single day at this level is going to be really hard and tough, so let’s give him some time to adapt to everything, but he’s definitely had a promising start to this season.”
Ngumoha has been named on the bench and will be aiming to make an impact for Liverpool in the Community Shield final against Crystal Palace.
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Silas has been a European and international football writer at Sportskeeda for 2 years. A Computer Applications graduate, he is a versatile writer who conducts in-depth research and verifies information from multiple sources to ensure complete accuracy in his articles. Silas was introduced to the beautiful game back in 2008, watching the Premier League on television.
Silas is a Liverpool supporter through and through and admires everything about the club – it’s history, culture, style of play, and all of its iconic players and managers. His favorite player is Steven Gerrard, who was also one of the primary reasons to get interested in football and support Liverpool.
Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Jurgen Klopp, who transformed the Reds from a mid-table club to Premier League champions. Liverpool’s fourth goal in their 4-0 win over Barcelona, scored by Divock Origi after the iconic ‘corner taken quickly’ moment from Trent Alexander-Arnold, holds a special place in Silas’ heart.
Apart from Europe’s top five leagues, he also follows Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League. When not writing, he indulges in reading, traveling, fitness and gaming.
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