David Lynch: We should keep Jones or Mac another year – need to avoid churn | OneFootball

Liverpool’s Leadership Puzzle: Curtis Jones, Mac Allister and the Summer That Shapes Everything

Uncertainty Hanging Over Anfield

Liverpool are walking into a summer where the only certainty is uncertainty. Contracts unresolved, leadership roles up for grabs, midfield structure under review. It is football in flux, and as journalist David Lynch said on Media Matters for Anfield Index, “I would kind of treat anyone offering certainty over anything… with a degree of scepticism.” That line alone sums up the current state of affairs.

Because this is not simply about transfers. It is about identity. About who leads Liverpool into the next era. And in that conversation, names like Curtis Jones and Alexis Mac Allister are no longer peripheral figures. They are central to what comes next.

Liverpool have weathered change before, yet rarely has there been a moment where so many senior players could depart simultaneously. Lynch added, “There’s going to be a lot going on this summer… in all aspects of what’s going on with the club.” He is right. This is not trimming at the edges. This is structural work.

And that leaves the spotlight firmly on the midfield core.

Curtis Jones Future at Crossroads

Curtis Jones is a footballer with ambition etched into his character. He has spoken openly about wanting to captain Liverpool one day, a local lad dreaming in red. But dreams and contracts are uneasy bedfellows.

Lynch admitted, “It’s not a great situation with his contract… you kind of hope with Curtis that maybe it was one of those scenarios where manager and player have clashed… and it can be calmed down.” In plain English, Liverpool want him, Jones wants recognition, and negotiations are delicate.

Yet Jones represents something deeper. Continuity. Identity. A home-grown midfielder who understands Anfield’s rhythm. Lose him, and Liverpool lose more than ball retention or tactical flexibility. They lose heritage.

Jones also fits the modern Liverpool midfield profile: technically sharp, capable of pressing, comfortable in tight spaces. Whether he stays or goes could shape recruitment plans, influence tactical evolution, and define leadership succession.

In a dressing room potentially losing veterans, Curtis Jones might be the bridge between eras.

Mac Allister Form and Role Debate

Alexis Mac Allister, World Cup winner, tactically intelligent, adored by purists. But football is not sentimental. It is brutally present tense.

Lynch was candid: “He’s not had a great season at all… there are question marks around kind of with his legs, can he play in the double pivot anymore?” It is a tough assessment, yet honest.

Mac Allister still has value. He knits play together, reads games instinctively, and offers experience. But Liverpool are assessing everything through the prism of competitiveness. Can he anchor midfield in a league obsessed with physicality?

The answer will determine whether Liverpool recruit muscle alongside finesse. Or reshape roles to protect him.

Still, Lynch emphasised patience: “That also doesn’t mean that he’s going to say… if you don’t give me a contract now, I’m going to go.” Translation: Mac Allister is not rushing out the door. Liverpool still have options.

Summer Strategy Will Define Liverpool Future

Beyond individual cases, Liverpool’s biggest danger is excessive churn. Too many exits. Too many new faces learning the system simultaneously.

Dave Davis, also speaking on Anfield Index, captured the dilemma: “Small, subtle tweaks to the squad… another summer of churn won’t be what anyone really wants.” That is football logic. Continuity wins leagues.

Liverpool need pace in attack, physicality in midfield, clarity in leadership. But they also need balance. Letting Curtis Jones leave while questioning Mac Allister would rip open midfield structure. Keeping both without tactical clarity would create stagnation.

So decisions must be precise.

Liverpool’s next era will not be built on slogans about aura or vibes. It will be built on planning. Recruitment strategy. Leadership hierarchy. And the development of players like Curtis Jones and Alexis Mac Allister into something more than squad members.

Because in football, transitions are rarely tidy. They are messy, emotional, and defining. Liverpool are in one now. And how they navigate it will shape their next decade.