It is still very early in Jeremy Jacquet’s Liverpool career.
But when you consider the circumstances surrounding his arrival, I think it is fair to ask a pretty exciting question:
Just how good is this lad?
Jacquet isn’t simply a young defender being given the odd appearance here and there.
Liverpool paid a lot of money to bring him to the club, so there is already a significant level of expectation surrounding his performances.
He has been trusted as a starter for Liverpool, and he has effectively stepped into the role vacated by Ibrahima Konaté.
That’s a serious responsibility, especially for a player who arrived with such a substantial price tag.
And so far, I really like what I’m seeing.
Replacing Konaté is no easy task
Konaté brought pace, physicality and the ability to defend large spaces into Liverpool’s back line.
So for Jacquet to come in and immediately be trusted with such an important role tells you plenty about how highly he is regarded.
There is always going to be pressure when you replace an established Liverpool defender, particularly when the club has invested heavily in your arrival.
But Jacquet doesn’t look like a player desperately trying to prove that he belongs.
He looks like someone who believes he belongs.
That’s what has caught my attention.
He looks comfortable
One of the things I like most about Jacquet is his composure.
He looks comfortable receiving the ball and isn’t afraid to get involved when Liverpool are building from the back.
Defensively, he’s also shown a willingness to compete and make the difficult decisions.
And remember, he’s doing all of this while still adapting to Liverpool, a new manager and a completely different level of expectation.
There are inevitably going to be mistakes along the way.
That’s football.
But when a club pays a lot of money for a young defender, supporters naturally want to see signs that the investment can pay off.
So far, the early signs are extremely encouraging.
Iraola clearly trusts him
The biggest compliment might actually be the trust Iraola is showing him.
A manager doesn’t simply hand a young centre-back a starting place at Liverpool because he’s talented.
You have to show in training that you’re ready.
You have to demonstrate that you can cope with the demands of the position.
And Jacquet has clearly done enough for Iraola to trust him, despite the pressure that comes with his transfer fee.
That’s exciting for Liverpool supporters.
We’ve already seen Trey Nyoni and James McConnell making their cases for more minutes, while Rio Ngumoha is another youngster pushing into the first-team picture.
Jacquet feels like another important part of that next generation, although his arrival also carries the added expectation that comes with a major financial investment.
Let’s not get carried away — yet
I’m not going to sit here and claim Jacquet is already the finished article.
He’s not.
He’s going to have difficult games. He’s going to make mistakes. There will be moments when his lack of experience becomes obvious.
That’s completely normal.
But there’s a difference between getting carried away and recognising genuine potential.
And I think Liverpool supporters can do the latter.
Jacquet is already starting for Liverpool, has been trusted to replace Konaté and arrived after the club paid a lot of money for him. That’s a pretty big statement in itself.
Now imagine how good he could become if he continues developing at this rate.
It really is early days.
But I’m beginning to get very excited about Jeremy Jacquet.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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