According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Curtis Jones is going through the normal phase of integrating into the tactical mechanisms of Inter. Having arrived in the final days of the transfer window, the English midfielder has shown encouraging signs but still inconsistent performances.
The player came on as a substitute away against Cagliari and later in the home comebacks against Napoli and Udinese, managing to showcase his qualities especially when coming off the bench. After years spent in the box-to-box role, he now has to adapt to a context where the tactical component prevails, and the next two weeks of intense work will be useful to assimilate the new concepts.
Two episodes at the Bernabeu clearly illustrate the midfielder’s current moment: in the same match he mishandled a ball in his own area, leading to a goal for Real Madrid, but he also hit the top of the crossbar with a lightning left-footed shot after turning suddenly. The quality and personality developed at Anfield are evident, as is the risk inherent in his style of play, which at certain levels is immediately punished.
Jones still has to assimilate the distances and movements of his teammates: at Liverpool he knew everyone’s habits and timing, while at Inter he might find himself alongside Calhanoglu or Zielinski in midfield, with Dimarco or Carlos Augusto as an option on the left. The available options change, as do the spaces to cover when out of possession.
Upon resumption there will be the match against Parma, which could represent the opportunity for his first start at San Siro. Afterwards, the busy schedule will require more rotation in midfield, while the player will continue his discovery of Italy and Milan.
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