Why Jeremy Jacquet’s stunning Liverpool debut may not be enough to make him a starter just yet
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Jeremy Jacquet could hardly have asked for a better Liverpool debut than the one he served up at Anfield on Sunday.The Frenchman has been frustrated since joining the Reds for the first day of pre-season, with injury meaning he had to wait until the final friendly of the summer to make his bow.It ended up being perfect, however, as Jacquet was able to celebrate a brilliant defensive performance with a goal in front of an enamoured Anfield crowd. Liverpool’s win over Como was all about Jeremy Jacquet!
Jacquet was never supposed to be a regular starter this season, and he may still spend some time on the side lines while Ronald Araujo fills in.Liverpool did not want Jacquet to be a starter in 26/27As journalist Paul Gorst pointed out after Jacquet’s debut on Sunday, when the Frenchman signed back in January, Liverpool were hopeful that Ibrahima Konate would sign a new contract.“Without being ‘that guy’, judging by timeline, LFC agreed to sign Jacquet in Jan & still wanted to keep Konate,” Gorst posted on X.READ MORE: Jeremy Jacquet vs Ronald Araujo: Debut statistics highlight just how different Liverpool newboys are“He turned 21 last month, only played 45 mins (of a friendly) in 6 months and hasn’t had 1 min in PL. Hopefully expectations are fair when he isn’t VVD immediately.”While it is also true that Araujo has never played in the Premier League and Sunday was his first outing of this year’s pre-season too, the Uruguayan has the experience and nous to slot in more immediately.Jacquet looks like the bigger prospect, and Liverpool clearly want him to be part of the defence in the long-term, but had Konate stayed he would have been third-choice this season.
Araujo’s arrival is a short-term fix and fans would no doubt rather see Jacquet, but the 27-year-old is a top-level defender on his day, and while he will not be a starter for the full campaign, he will likely be used more than his younger teammate in the initial stages of the season.Who will start against Newcastle?After Sunday, most supporters would probably think that Jacquet will get the nod for this weekend’s Premier League opener against Newcastle, and he well might.But it would also be foolish to dismiss the challenge of Araujo, who looked competent and solid against Como as well.Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty ImagesNewcastle are not the team they were two or three years ago, but St James’ Park is still one of the toughest away games in the Premier League.Having had only 45 minutes of pre-season, Andoni Iraola may feel it is far too soon to expect Jacquet to play, especially in such a testing environment.Araujo is in a similar boat, obviously, but the Uruguay international has regularly played in huge games for Barcelona throughout his career in Catalonia.The atmosphere and expectation will be nothing new to him, and although Jacquet looks like it would not be a problem for him either, Araujo may be the more sensible choice for matchday one. From there, he could keep the shirt for a while or, more likely, Iraola shares it between the two players until Jacquet is ready to take on more permanent duties.