Another TAW Player special on transfers, this time an outgoing. Philippe Coutinho looks set to confirm a move to Barcelona for 140m pounds sterling and Liverpool are left having to deal with the aftermath of that.
What did they do to try and keep him? How was his head turned? And what happens next for Jurgen Klopp’s Reds?
Devasted!!! Gonna hold a candle lit Virgil in his honour
As long as the money is used to strengthen the squad as soon as and not the bank balance I’m not bothered, we all knew how this would play out.
Replace him as soon as with quality, seen an opinion that the cost of VVD,AOC and Keita equal the fee for Phil and that was the overall plan from the summer. Worrying if that is the case. There’s still a lot to play for especially after an excellent cup win.
Wrong we held the cards we could have walked away from a deal and he could not down tools till he was 30 see below for my argument. I respect your opinion non the less. I am simply raging like anyone else at this stage.
Disgraceful decision!
I’m ok with him leaving but in the summer when it suits us.
This is a fucking joke.
Would City, Utd, Chelsea etc sell one of their best players mid season with loads still to play for??
Fuck no!
Small time decision.
We are now weaker than we were on Dec 31st.
If any players do come in they will take time to settle plus we’ll pay thru the nose for them.
Coutinho has been saying since he was a kid that he wants to play for Barcelona, there’s footage of it, so as soon as they made a move for him there was only ever going to be one outcome. The issue has always been how Liverpool would manage his eventual departure in the least damaging way. Liverpool has known since his failed attempt in the summer that Coutinho leaving in January was a realistic possibility so there should’ve already been back-up plans in place for such an occurrence. Coutinho leaving I can understand, Liverpool not having a contingency I won’t.
I respectfully disagree. Yes he wanted the move, yes LFC knew he wanted to leave but he was in a contract and selling him mid season is a disgrace. A compromise should have been reached to sell him next summer. He had no cards to play because he was bound by a contract and with the world cup looming he would have to play to guarantee his playing for Brazil. LFC however may have elected to sell him last summer despite a contract but mid season is shameful as any reinforcements of quality are likely cup tied for the champions league.
Did that just cut off at the end or is my browser acting the goat?
Cut off for me too, just after they talk about the transfer window closing date…done it twice.
Did it for me as well. Seen a few people mention it to them on twitter but they haven’t said anything in reply so not sure if they are aware of if they are ignoring people haha
Thanks for your service Philippe.
Now fuck off.
We need to be shopping at the top table now. Bale or Sánchez not Mahrez. Who replaces him will show if we have learnt anything. What about a bid for Agüero and Oblak.
Will we ever find out what Rob planned to do in his 25 days?
“Coutin Ho” we loved you while it lasted but you will now walk alone. Coutin Ho you will now walk alone. At least you will sit at watch while LFC miraculously beat Barca in the champions league final – Viva (soon to be Barca player) Van Dijk. Officially by our new main stand sponsor:”Bend over and smile – We are FC Barca feeders”
Get kicked in the nuts enough times and you will eventually learn your lesson.Well I have been kicked in the nuts again, supporting Liverpool can be ecstasy and all too frequently agony.Klopp may may have just overestimated his ability to make shit happen.I really hope he has a plan otherwise it’s another wasted season scrapping to try finish fourth.I have always been open minded when I came to FSG and I appreciate what they have done for the club up to now, having said all that they are clearly going to make an enormous profit when they sell so really they haven’t made any sacrifices like the supporters.Its time for them to go now I for one have lost faith in there ability to take us to the next level despite Klopp.
Sorry this transfer weakens Liverpool. Wrong wrong wrong
Did not cheer me up, this. Seriously though, I didn’t think the club would sell him this month, but maybe in the end it was too big a risk to keep him til the summer. On a positive note if the football we played against Hoffenheim was an indication of the style we’re morphing into without Coutinho then it’s going to be fun moving forward. I hope for everyone’s sake we’ve got a replacement or two lined up this month though.
I’m disappointed, naturally. But when it’s all said and done, when Suãrez went to Barca they were in a different galaxy. It says a lot about how far we’ve come that Barcelona, even with Phil in the team, is a team we could truly take on and beat. That is what we should focus on.
We have to consider that we didn’t win silverware with him in the team. Let’s remember that he only has one foot, and that he could go missing in the big games. Against City, against Sevilla.
We have an opportunity now to get someone in who is more physical, more box-to-box. Yes, we will miss him. Of course. But we’ve gotta focus on the positives and remeber that this was a lad who we bought for £8mil and got 5 years of mostly excellent football out of. Him leaving in January is what hurts really, but if you take the long view then you’ve gotta wish him all the best.
Massively disagree no player is worth these transfer fees hence there is no human level for LFC to comsider. he is an asset worth £200mil in the summer and if they cant afford him then tough luck. We do not bend over to give away our best players. Wish him luck on a personal level a lad who achieved his dream. But we held all the aces could have should have forced him to stay till he was 30 if no one wanted to pay the required rate. Terrible business.
Raging at this point, no ability to negotiate. The lad has 5 years on his deal he cannot down tools till hes 30. If we dont sell him we challenge for leagues and titles. If we sell him it is on our terms at our fee at our time. No human level to this. He was happy to take the higher wages with his contract extension. So why should he dictate when he leaves. No one is bigger than the club but the club should not then bend over and give away there best assets. If he leaves for the right fee then im happy with the deal. Not the right fee not the right time not the right stratergy with no replacements lined up. Gross negligence this maybe klopp biggest and most fatal mistake. And he will admit to making mistakes.
Im 19 now and was too young to remember 2005 clearly. I can only dream of titles. I pray by the time im 50 theyve got there act together. God help us.
Take heart Adam. I’m a little older and further away from you but LFC has gained ground and weathered a lot worse than losing a player like Coutinho.
Put it in context, losing Suarez was a blow, in so many ways compared to Coutinho. Coutinho played then remember but it was Suarez who lit the stage up.
We didn’t have much going for us soon after that, but what happened then?
We shouldn’t underestimate the potential and talent of the players who are still in Red. It’s not fair to them.
Instead we hold our heads up and come back stronger.
In one way I am disappointed to lose Coutinho in this way but it is from a business point of view. On the field we still have a lot more to unlock.
So no need for prayers, etc, just refocus and get behind the team and manager and will them like we always try, to do better.
Up the Reds!
Talent like Moreno, Klavan, Lovren, Mignolet, Clyne, Gomez, Henderson?
@Oxford Street Maternity
Yes, as well as VVD, Mane, Firmino, Lallana, Salah, Ox, Matip, TAA, Robertson.
i think Klopp decided that he wanted Phil to go now because he was causing issues with team squad moral ? so if Lfc and Klopp then decided to sell him in this window , why havnt we already brought in a replacement before we let him go ? i can see us not being able to replace Coutinho in this window , which will cause problems in the second half of the season , plus now whoever we want will cost more because we have money burning a hole in our pocket from the sale of Coutinho , makes no sense , first buy a Lemar or Mahrez , or both , then sell Coutinho ! According to Chris Bascombes article , we havnt even started to approach other clubs yet for a replacement ?
Bingo. When Klopp declares Coutinho fit for the game with Manchester City he wasn’t being genuine. He was sending a message to the player and the board that he wanted this nonsense sorted out ASAP. And whether we like it or not it has been. 6 months too soon for everyone’s liking and I think the mystery will always be why we didn’t sanction a move for this summer last summer but I think anyone throwing this at the door of FSG is mistaken. Klopp was done with this situation. Whether we like it or not he believes in the whole, the team. If someone doesn’t want to be here and you can get £140 million for that someone then so be it.
We messed up when we sold Suarez with our subsequent recruitment. We have to believe that under Klopp there will be no Balotelli’s. No Lambert’s. We have to believe this money will be reinvested propert and the team will continue to improve. We have to keep moving forward.
Seen a few comments by people putting two and two together and surmising that AOC was/is the replacement for Phil. Really hope that that’s wrong otherwise it’s very worrying although as has been previously stated there’s apparently no value in January.
Wouldn’t be at all surprised to find no more business done in January and all the usual excuses trotted out about waiting for the right options. We do have form with this stuff.
I think that’s exactly what will happen … Then the second half of the season will have a large cloud hanging over it. EVERY time we drop points or struggle due to injuries up top … it will be our fault for selling now.
He SHOULD have been told firmly – You can go SUMMER … end of.
When his continuing restlessness was clear, that should have been the clubs stance … SUMMER … prepare, work hard … even work out the deal with Barca now … but it happens summer.
Let’s be real … It’s only £102m or so, and then just add-ons … We’ve caved in and once again let Barca laugh at us. Pathetic.
The add-on’s reported look more like installment payments. We shoud see the bulk of that money.
Hope so mate.
And I HOPE that VVD’s massive fee had NOTHING to do with Phil’s sale … because if it did … there are going to be some very disappointed supporters this window.
Reported to include £4.4m every 25 games played for the first 100. Another £4m if they qualify for the CL for the next two years and then some money for winning CL etc which will be harder to achieve.
why cave in though? he was under contract and with the world cup looming he had to play regular football. I really don’t understand this awful decision or do i? i think this is fsg making a few quid, throwing out the same tired excuse that we cant replace with quality in January because any decent player will be cup tied for the champions league. We all thought spending a large sum on virgil was a great sign of intent, now i wonder was he a carrot to appease some knowing they would get over 100 plus add ons ( whoever sanctioned that deal should be shot) . Klopp. FSG and the snake himself coutinho could cost us not only exiting the champions league but a top four finish. ALL our competitors for top four must be laughing as this is a huge bonus for them
Coutinho’s a c-u-n-t. It’s that simple.
I’ve no issue with LFC players wanting to go to Madrid/Barca, even Munich or Juve. The first two are far bigger clubs and all four have been much more successful than us for a quarter of a century. But the manner in how you leave is important. To sign a major contract then feign injury twice, put in a transfer request on the eve of the first match of the season, to lie and to disrupt the dressing room is a disgrace. Compare that to how Emre Can, who gets far more abuse than he should, has behaved. He has been up front about what he wanted in his contract, namely a release clause, he was happy with the money offered and been honest with the club throughout negotiations – if they didn’t offer what he wanted he’d look to Italy. He hasn’t faked injury and has busted his balls throughout, never giving up and running himself into the ground every game he’s played – so much so that he was the catalyst for the win away to Burnley.
As far as the club is concerned, this looks to me like Klopp’s decision. I think it’s well known Klopp wanted Coutinho out in the summer but was overruled by FSG. If that’s the case, then I back the manager. I understand the argument that other sides like United simply wouldn’t allow this to happen mid-season, especially when we’ve top 4 to fight for and CL knockout football to come, and we held the cards given his contract situation, and that it’s odd to have fought so hard to keep him only to sell him a few months later. But ultimately you have to trust the manager who has got so much right.
Honestly hope he gets injured and misses the world cup. I’m not part of the “no hard feelings, all the best Phil” crowd. F-u-c-k him.
Thing with Klopp … the man is wonderful, but he’s a bit of a hippy … a dreamer. See’s the best in everything and is HIGHLY likely to think … “My boys can cope without Phil and new signings”
And ANYTHING less than a big finish to the season will just come back to bite Klopp on the butt.
I pray he helps himself by buying a quality player NOW … but I don’t think he will.
It makes absolutely no sense to sell him in January. We sell him when it’s good business for Liverpool FC not when it’s good for Coutinho. We’ve been bullied by Barca and sold them our best player for a knockdown price. He signed a 5yr contract. We didn’t need to sell him just because he wanted to leave. He didn’t want to leave when he signed that long contract with a pay increase. There’s a World Cup on the horizon and Barca knew this. That’s why they were pushing hard for a January sale because they knew they’d get him on the cheap. Liverpool FC should be smarter than this. This deal only suits Barcelona and Coutinho. This has to stop.
Ungreatful. There’s nothing more to say but there goes another player who will never be a legend for anyone and who’s career will mean little to the people he plays infront of.
The thing is Barca supporters will never love him because they now know his real character. He’ll feel the difference when he’s no longer special and when fans don’t forgive him an off day.
He’s still got to justify the second biggest fee in the history of football and live in fear that he’ll one day have to face us. The fans and the team. We afforded him wealth and fame and to be respectful to us and honour his contract was all we asked in return. The same contract that has undoubtedly seen his immediate and extended family members well looked after. The same contract that after signing he took part in a KFC documentry saying how much he loved playing for us…the fans.
Good bye phillipe. I hereby revoke all lovingly awarded nicknames and your name will never be spoken of with the same reverence it surely would have if you would have left in the summer.
Following last summer’s strike I was left feeling like a fella who had been left embarrassed by his bird getting drunk at the local and had found out from a mates , mate she’d been seen getting fingered in the car park after closing time. We as a club suffered the shame and tried to patch it up. Even have you something nice to wear that meant alot to us as it has been passed down through generation’s of our family bit not a wedding band….the arm band. To us it probably means more.
For a while it felt like we were back on track . You fooled us into thinking you were re committed. You got your groove back and even showed us a few new tricks. Seduced us once more.
All the while you were no doubt meeting the other party on the sly.
Secret phone calls behind our backs.
Telling them you’d be theirs soon.
You whore.
So now I’ll remove your pictures from the kids room.
And over identify with Neo’s song “so sick”.
Good bye phillipe take care….or don’t I really don’t give a f**k.
Mike drop….im over you already.
Good player but let this play out before you start calling for lynchings.
He was playing behind the front three in a position where we have depth. He has gone for a fee bettered by players you can count on one hand (who says we cant negotiate?). Sadly his depature is not going to cost us the title. Another long drawn out summer transfer may have hurt us more with a player who has proven (twice) that he will withhold his labour.
I wish him well. Thanks for the memories.
If by Feb 1 we have VVD, paid a few million to bring Kieta early, and found a top quality keeper at any price then I am happy.
Finally, for those who think we bend for Barca, dont rejoice when we make Soton bend for us. It’s the way of the world.
Good post, totally agree
My fear … is that by Feb 1st we’ll have done nothing. Which is actually VERY likely. Klopp will say he isn’t a panic buyer … will talk up the squad … and we’ll make do, limping to an underwhelming finish.
You say we have depth up front, but recent games have made us already look stretched up there. Mane is struggling (by his standards) … and Bobby could yet get a ban for his comments (would JUST be our luck) … ONLY Salah is truly consistent … as was Phil recently.
NOBODY could have imagined we wouldn’t seriously strengthen the back four last summer … then it just didn’t happen … now NOBODY believes we won’t spend big this window … but that is exactly what we might do.
Can’t just look forward. Klopp and the club have planned for this. It may well be the reason we spent £35m on Ox in Aug rather then get him for free in 6mths.
There is a chance we dont spend more but who out there wanted us to spend circa £30m on a CB when the club did the right thing, waited, and got their man in VVD. People complain about football being too short term and yet refuse to allow clubs to plan long term.
I think with Lalana back we have adequate cover. He doesnt possess all Phil’s qualities but he has some of his own (work rate) that Phil didnt have and are better suited to being one of our three mids. Assuming we still play 4 3 3.
I honestly think our top for aspirations are better today with VVD in and Phil gone than vice versa. And there may yet be good news to come.
True to say it feels like a kick in the bollocks tonight but as Neil I think was alluding to , how come the player gets a free pass?
Didn’t want to play in the summer, then kicks of again at the start of the next window half way through a season that is far from over for us.Knowdobt if we had kept him till the summer we would all have to go through this again?
May be wrong but I think it was Alonso who said always leave a club through the front door, think Coutinho has got out through the fucking cat flap for me!
Anyway we move on, bigger and better players have left and we have still been successful,Klopp has shown he is not into short term fixes so I think talk of Lanzini and Mahrez are wide of the mark, I bloody hope they are anyway ., imagine if you are Salah, Mane, or Firmino and you have seen the creator of a lot of your goals being replaced by one of these two!
All the best teams have a really solid spine so for me we need a Stella keeper and Striker to take the burden of Firmino and a wide player, do this with 3 top draw players with the addition of Keita and talk of Courtino will become a dim and distant memory in my view
Great show lads
Player- I wanna leave
LFC- No, you’ve just signed a 5yr contract.
….few months later….
Player- I wanna leave
LFC- No, you’ve just signed a 5yr contract AND it’s the middle of the season.
Player- But I REALLY wanna leave
LFC- Oh, alright then.
Player: oh my back….my thigh….my feelings. I cant player.
Lfc: f off then but for a fee more than you are worth to us or them.
Player – Just PLEASE let me goooo
LFC – Ok … calm down. Summer, you can go. with our blessings. Work your ass off until then, and we’ll make sure your move to Barca for you and your family is smooth. We’ve given you everything for five years. Made you wealthy and one of the worlds best players … just give us FIVE more months.
Player: you are not the mafia, your cant threaten my family with a “smooth” move. I’m a multi millionaire from Brazil, I’ll probably never set foot in Liverpool again, maybe England.
By the way, my toe hurts. Think I still need to sit this game out. Amd the next. And the next.
Lfc – oh. S***
No not really “oh shit”
More like “ok you just sit there, you now can’t leave until next Jan.”
And what then becomes of your £142m asset?
He won’t actually just sit on the bench.
Like after the summer window he’ll knuckle down and then get his move in the summer when it suits US not him or Barca.
We held all the cards, but folded early.
It’s an assumption he would come back again and play at the same level. You may well be right.
I dispute that we held all the cards though. Just some of them.
Ultimately we got the 3rd highest fee ever for someone who arguably isnt the best player at the club never mind the world.
In a situation were it appears no one else was bidding I think the club deserve credit. Made the best of a bad situation.
Adeus, e Obrigado O Magico.
I genuinely wish you well.
But sweet swinging saviour you’ve left a sour taste in the mouth.
I think the majority of Reds would have wished you the very best in the summer if you had replicated El Pistolero in fulfilling your dream to play for Barça.
But not so very long ago you told us all how you decided to stay because you realised that we would build a statue to you as an idol rather than being just another player elsewhere.
I, along with everyone else, am pissed as fuck that you’re gone, that you told us one thing but when the crunch came, did another.
I’m pissed because you were ours, because when you were heading down a dead end in your career we gave you a lifeline. We all loved you to bits and saw your undoubted and frankly, unrivalled talent and ability long before any other team or fans.
It’s a kick in the bollocks for me, for the fanbase, for your teammates and for Klopp.
I’m presuming that Jurgen has decided that he doesn’t want any further destabilisation. That he was pissed that you said you were his man but changed your mind.
I’m sure you will show your quality in the World Cup but you’re gone. You’ve left the party. Passing interest now.
I’m positive that consideration has been given to replacement(s) after your summer antics.
All the best Phil.
There is a plan.
FFS. Did anyone see the Keita deal playing out the way it did in advance? VVD signed, sealed and delivered before New Year’s Eve?
Can we wait until the window closes before heads fall off?
I will absolutely wade in with everyone else if we get some shite about deals being difficult to complete at this time of year.
We had all the cards but still grabbed our ankles for the Spaniards. Why?
Ask yourself why?
Until the window closes, is there any possibility that we can have a little trust?
Blow a gasket when February 1st comes. Not before, give the team a chance to do their job.
As ever.
Up the Reds.
Well said Duff3r. Agree with your sentiments entirely and reasonings. There’s 25 days to go.
In fact, I’ll go further- football is a business played by professionals paid for playing and we had a ‘professional’ on strike-Twice!
Klopp sucked up the 1st time but says F* that! the 2nd time. He has a plan to bring in the players he wants. They’ll cost big bucks. Without the assurance that the bucks are there, negotiations are a bit of: “ we’ll buy him, when we get the money in for someone else… etc.” That’s no good to Klopp and his transfer dealings. So he has a sulker who FCB are messing with since July and half-offering his ‘star’ quality worth along with his football worth. So he’s said to FSG- I’m off to Dubai- get those b*ds in and tell them to get serious or F* off! They did that and Klopp now has twice the player’s worth to use to get more realistically priced players he’s already scouted and set up – like he did Keita and VVD.
Coutinho was never going to stay beyond June and would’ve been a burden till then as he’d already been auditioning for Barca since he called off his August strike- he mightn’t then be arsed to give his all till June and risk injury before HIS WC and move to Barca.
Meanwhile btw, it’s not Liverpool who’s ‘bending over’ ‘grabbing ankles’ for Barca folks – it’s the other way around! We’ve just screwed Barca off the back of what they screwed PSG for Neymar (an abhorrence of a transfer based as much on politics and bigger-than-you-boy-bullshit, if ever there was one. Neymar’s not worth anywhere near £198m but he was their poster boy. Now they’re paying us the Poster Boy premium because Barca and FSG know how Sports marketing works- LeBron being their prime example – marketing pays for football crazy money – ask Nike if it doesn’t.
So let’s see it for what it is- we’ve lost someone who’d likely not have played for the cause if we’d met Barca in the CL for example, we’ve screwed Barca for twice his proper value (Salah/Mane/Firmino prices x 4 !!!! Ffs!!:-D) and Klopp can set up the January and summer targets the way he wants with the ink drying on the Coutinho Swindle. We’ve gotten VVD and lost PC in similiar circumstances, it’s football… – but we’re already better off squad-wise as Leadership in Defence was our greatest undoing and need, plus we’re £102m better off with £40m more to come (as VVD’s £75m (including apology/no-auction premium penalty) price, maybe £20m extra, was already budgeted for in June last -with no mention of Barca/PC then as PSG hadn’t pulled off their nonsense.
So I say- let’s enjoy the speculations of the next 25 days and support the Manager/Owner’s wisdom. It’s good business that’ll bring great football and success and suddenly we’re talking Mahrez, Lemar, Goretzka, Allison, Lanzini, Sanchez etc. as options without being accused of being deluded/you-haven’t-the-money supporters. YNWA, Peter
Perfect post.
Had my heart broken with Torres, don’t care about players as much since then, and think Liverpool have done well to get the money they have for a player that is good but not as important to us now we have Salah, Mane and Virgil and not essential for Barca or in the worlds top 10 players. Think Phil and his team New they had a small window of opportunity to move to Barca which is why they needed to go now before a wonder kid arrives at World Cup or champions league.
You would expect Klopp to have a good idea of whom he wants and since Klopp has been at the club he hasn’t bought a dud, save Karius. Think we will get a midfielder and another fast forward to replace Phil and with the money we have you expect them to be good and for Klopp to make them better
shit outcome – need a top end replacement pronto. Fkd off if we don’t act now – I suppose we’ve known it was coming since the summer – time to plan has passed – now it’s time to take action – tough one to replace though
Gutted especially after banishing the blue shite (yet again, it never gets old and is the gift that keeps on giving), but In Klopp We Trust, he (they???) have known what was going to happen since the summer and have hopefully got a contingency plan- AOC? Keita? This hasn’t come out of the blue and wasn’t Coutinho a rather brilliant ill fitting cog that moved to a deeper role as he wasn’t really a striker (who hasn’t scored as many as Bobby Dazzler) and wasn’t a typical Klopp player (possibly??) Anyways, I’m both howling into the void and desperately clutching at straws, onward and upward, these fucking reds.
Oh and this cuts off before the end, where’s my bleeding light at the end of the tunnel.
And to think, we very nearly bought Tom Ince rather than Coutinho and that a source of reassurance because we’re not rummaging around the broken toys any more for our players (and lest we forget that Coutinho was a risky signing) but shopping in Harrods. Klopp will use this money to buy a top class, lightning fast young forward to mold and with what’s left over he will address one of the few remaining weak spots in this team – keeper or a number 6. We walk on.
Coutinho always came across really well until all of this. After the summer I genuinely thought he was going to do a Suarez before leaving in the summer. Instead he’s shown himself to be a snake. The truth is he was a very good player but apart from the first half of this season he’s never done it consistently. A mere footnote in our history. Better off without people like home around. It does show what a class act Suarez was though in his last season, that’s how you should have done it Phil!
It’s bad when Suarez (the bloke who bites people) is the one with the moral fibre!
Threw his toys out of the pram to go to Arsenal then 12mths later bit an Italian to force Barca move. Glad Phil didn’t follow his lead.
Well I said it would take another big money move to eclipse VVD’s money-media-focus, and in a way I’m glad that it’s on Barcelona now.
There will be big pressure for Coutinho to perform in the two-horse race they have over there. Shouldn’t be too much of a problem considering he has enough stars to help him get medals. The next Ronaldinho?
I am not angry with him as he has done what any ambitious player would do, though his timing isn’t great, and sets a bad example for other players to follow. Over here Coutinho couldn’t cut it in the EPL – not one single winners medal with the club but he did some good stuff every now and then and for that I am grateful for the contributions.
I am however disappointed that FSG and Klopp couldn’t hold on to him until this summer. I mean even United played hardball and managed to keep De Gea some how.
Klopp must be reeling from this even though he sort of showed he wasn’t interested in putting up with Coutinho’s whining. The morale must not be very high at the moment, perhaps why Klopp and company headed to the Las Vegas of the Middle East, unless they needed a tan.
Like someone above said, I hope the money will be put to good use to help bolster the squad this month. I think we can still carry on without new players.
Still, I can’t help but wonder if we are becoming an Ajax 2.0 now.
Up the Coutinho-less Reds!!!
Wonderful player and I’m sorry he’s gone but we need to move on and I think there’s a ready made replacement at the club. I’d like to see Klopp try Firmino as a No 10 ( a position in which he thrived at Hoffenheim) and buy a proper finisher with real pace. Aubameyang is available for £60m (although I understand there may be some issues between he and Klopp). We could then offload Sturridge .
Agree with this 100%. It is what I would try to do if I was in charge.
Not surprised at the move but the timing is unbelievable. We supposedly held all the cards. Why could we not stand firm with both Barca and Coutinho and say “no deal until the summer so do one… oh and btw, we still want £142m or there’ll be no deal then either”?? We’ve left ourselves significantly weaker for no plausible reason. Currently in 4th position – the pressure to maintain that has increased significantly. Im proper gutted. Can only hope the money is invested in someone like Lemar, Fekir, Isco… Don’t think Mahrez is a suitable replacement and this club needs to prove it can attract a star name from abroad. Not just sell them.
Presume all of the above is ditto on Southhanption websites about VVD. It hurts but there’s a food chain out there and LFC is not at the top of it. Our financial firepower is not on a par with Barca, Madrid, Man U /City, PSG. We seem to be clawing our way back but we are always going to be vulnerable to this until we get into that kind of bracket (which may never happen).
Klopp has the experience to handle this and we have to keep the belief/hope that there is another way which is not entirely about money . The club is clawing it’s way back up the financial food chain from a low base but FSG are not awash with cash like the Russians and Qatari’s.
Truly gutting but maybe Klopp thought it had got to the point Coutinho would end up like VVD before Xmas and therefore to cash in rather than have the circus continue. We deserved better from Coutinho.
Well said, it’s football, players come and go
Agree with all but the deserving better from Phil. Football is his job. He has got himself a promotion. Time for LFC to go grab someone elses best player…
Coutinho was a joy to watch and will be a joy to watch in the Barca team. He will be missed.
LFC paid 10m for him and got +100m for him – not bad.
We cannot replace him. There is no other player like him at this moment, apart from Messi.
I do not think that he was a typical “Klopp player”. However, he is a player that would be on the team-sheet for any club / country, so he plays. I do not think that Klopp will replace him. I think he will be looking to improve the team/squad not replace wee Phil.
One concern I have is how it will affect the others, Firmino, Moreno even Can who appears to be unsettled. Hope Mrs. Firmino has a wider group of friends than just Mrs. Coutinho.
Sucks that he is leaving now, mid-season. Would have been great if he could have stayed till the summer. Would have been a happier separation all round.
Hope we keep the money in the bank till we are sure what we want to do with it.
No Andy Carrolls please Mr. Klopp!
Keegan left, Kenny “left”, Souness left, Hansen left, Barnes left, Beardsley left, Fowler left, McManaman left, Owen left, Torres left, Suarez left, Stevie left. Maybe the next great player is already at the club.
Hope the team are up for the City game, and all the games, once they get back. Plus I hope to fuque Bobby hasn’t said something out-of-order to Holgate. Looks like the wolves are waiting for that one!
Up the Reds! Unleash the fury on the rest of this season. The tough bit is over.
Oh, and no Alberto Aquillani please Mr. Klopp.
Barcelona at Anfield in the quarters of CL anyone?
Can someone please explain to me what the point of a contract without a release clause is? Maybe you could discuss it in a podcast? I just do not understand how something that is created with the purpose of being legally binding, is seemingly totally worthless. Thanks in advance.
PS In relation to my previous comment, LFC are losing Can because he wants a release clause. Why on earth are we bothering to insist there is no release clause? It obviously doesn’t prevent a player from leaving anyway!
It’s being reported that Liverpool aren’t in for Mahrez. Aren’t in for Lemar and aren’t in for Gelson Martins. Who does that leave? He needs to replaced sooner rather than later as we’re already one light on creativity from midfield even with Phil in the squad. Surely Klopp isn’t thinking Ryan Kent can be expected to fill the gap? Have as good a chance as anyone in the Champions League so need someone who isn’t cup tied. Maybe a sneaky bid for Marco Reuss is the way to go?
We arnt in for lemar because there is private agreement for him in the summer. And monaco want more money if we want him now well see if we pay extra. Either way not good. This is all clear by reading between the lines of monaco manager
If you read between the lines of monoco managers quotes lemar is coming in the summer unless we pay a premium for him now. Well that means klopp is gambling with our 4th spot and ucl next season. Hence why the club and klopp were desperate to keep him till the summer.
We are better than Arsenal and Utd even without Phil and on a par with Spurs and Chelsea.
People complain about our defence, not our forward line. If this costs us 10-15 goals between now and then end of the season, but we concede 10 less with VVD we are nailed on top three. A bit simplistic but you get my point. We have used a area of strength to address an area of weakness. That is smart.
Good luck to him, everything else to one side we are talking about someone who cost £8.5m, he is a fantastic player but not irreplaceable, just hope the money is used wisely rather than the mess following the Suarez sell.
Speaking of which I found that transfer much harder to accept than Phil’s, even though he left on good terms after giving everything to the cause.
In terms of replacements, I assume Klopp has something up his sleeve, gambling with Champions league qualification is crazy and would surely affect who we could attract in the summer anyway, get out there, get it done and get him replaced, we have best part of a month…
If wages could be matched, which I highly doubt I think we should be banging down Arsenals door to get Alexis Sanchez from the lure of City, could be a brilliant addition.
I dont get all the hand wringing, I really dont.
Cheers Phil and goodbye.
I disagree with the narrative that hes our best player, if Salah, Firmino or even Mane left I would be well devastated is the wrong word but you know what I mean.
Phil (I cant repeatedly spell coutinho) was sublime at times, a distruptive wee f**ker at others, sore back my arse. Who knows who this peed off in the club/changing room etc. Far too many clubs and defences had got used to his dribbling to the edge of the box, two steps to the left and shoot. Far too many times he did it with no real result. Ive sat in the new stand often enough frustrated with that particular move.
Will we miss him from free kicks, yes you better believe it… or maybe not, maybe because of who he is/was he dominated and stopped someone else almost as good from shining, maybe he didnt.
Maybe we wont buy anyone but get someone in on a loan to the end of the season… someone good… someone really good who can play in the champions league and wont sit out January bitching about moving to Barcelona.
Will Phil get on well at Barca, probably, he suits their style a lot better than ours, he’ll run to the edge of the box, take 2 steps in and score a few when he actually hits the target. Or maybe not, I really dont care.
I went to Barca once, a couple of years ago, the night they lifted the La Liga trophy. They won 4-0 and it was 86 minutes of arse numbing tedium with 4 minutes of pure brilliance… Give me a 2-1 win over Everton any time.
Others have mentioned Torres, I remember trudging over to Anfield, boat and car to see what turned out to be one of his last games for Liverpool. I thought if anyone came in with a decent offer for him we should take it. At 50 million Id have driven over from Belfast to drive him down to Chelsea myself.
Ive told anyone who would listen this season we should take a good offer for Phil. This was a great offer for Phil, it could even be highway robbery of the Torres variety, who knows.
Or maybe not.
Hes gone.
We’ve got VVD who was immense the other night.
Just get rid of Can now and see what we can do with midfield. Can, theres a guy whose probably already done a deal to leave but just gets on with his game. He may have the turning circle of the mersey ferry and be equally as quick but he gives his best game. Something all of us will deep down admit we havent seen from Phil most of this season.
@Joe Fox Agree with most of what you say.
Coutinho always showed promise, good player, not exactly what some supporters who are/were enamored of him, make him out to be. He’s more like a “discount” Ronaldinho, who shone through 1 in 6 games. He won nothing with us or for us unlike some of our past legends did almost single-handedly.
Suarez’s determination, in the 2013/2014 season to get out of LFC, highlighted some of his and other players’ talents and set the bar. That sort of brought him into the positive light and with his deft touches he seemed to earn the “little magician” title, and performed the ultimate magic trick of switching to Barcelona with fake injuries in a January transfer window.
His immaturity is similar to Sterling, who also has gone to a club that surrounds him with stars. Hard to see either of them fail in that respect, but watching the Bristol City vs Man City match, reminded me that Sterling like Coutinho, are above average players and not the mind-bending legends of football as the media, their agents and some supporters may have you believe.
They both would have to be a really poor to fuck up alongside Messi, Suarez, Aguero, De BRuyne, etc.
As for buying a replacement, etc, unless Klopp gets his player, it will be very unlike him to buy the star replacement that supporters are fantasizing about in this window.
I think moving Firmino in the middle could take advantage of his size, speed, vision, and ability to distribute the ball, which might be worth trying if Mane, Salah, or whoever else can make those incisive runs off the shoulder.
This, for me, might be a realistic replacement (not like for like) for Coutinho in the interim.
When’s this Mahrez medical then……..is Jimmy Carter still playing?