Arne Slot says he will speak to Curtis Jones after his red card in the recent Merseyside derby mayhem, but has praised the midfielder for standing up for Liverpool and the club’s fans.
Jones will be suspended for Sunday’s visit of Wolves to Anfield in the Premier League after being sent off in the chaos that followed the dramatic midweek draw with Everton in the last-ever clash between the local rivals to take place at Goodison Park.
The 24-year-old took exception to Abdoulaye Doucoure celebrating James Tarkowski’s emphatic last-gasp equaliser for the Toffees in front of the away fans, sprinting over to angrily confront his fellow midfielder as the bust-up sparked a huge melee involving both sets of players as police and stadium security were forced to intervene to restore order.
Both substitute Jones and Doucoure had been booked during the game and were then shown second yellow cards following the fracas by referee Michael Oliver, who also proceeded to send off both Liverpool boss Arne Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff for their protests after the late leveller.
Addressing Jones’ suspension ahead of the visit of Wolves, Slot, who was unable to conduct any post-match media at Goodison following his dismissal, told reporters: “The good thing is we play so many games. I think he got a second yellow, if I am correct, so I assume it is the same in England as in Holland then it's only one game.
“He is out then for one game and then Wednesday is a game [against Aston Villa] and then Sunday there is a game again [against Manchester City].
“He comes back from an injury, so he missed already a few games. I was planning to start him against Plymouth [in the FA Cup] but he wasn't completely recovered yet.
“I liked him a lot when he came in [against Everton]; a very good half hour. I think it was the best part of our game after we made the substitutions.”
Slot is a fan of Jones’ passion for defending Liverpool and their supporters, but admits there are better ways to go about it after admitting that he also let his emotions get the better of him following his own sending off as he awaits news over a potential touchline ban.
“I like a lot that he stands up for the team – for the team and for the fans – but there are also other ways to do that, maybe,” the Dutchman added. “I will talk with him about that, but it is the same for me.
“I should've acted differently after the game as well. It's an emotional sport and sometimes individuals, out of emotion, make the wrong decision. That's definitely what I did.”
