Philippe Coutinho

[Aventus]

actually my opinions were based upon an interview about his life rather than just his football CV.

Got a link? Or remember who the interview was with? Wouldn't mind seeing it.

[Marko121]

IMO, the reason we are seeing this now is because Barcelona are not getting things their own way.  They obviously want him, and I reckon we have told them how much that will take to make it happen and that Coutinho's people are aware of this also.

 

Everyone has said that we have a strong positon, contract wise and all that, however, the bit that scuppers us is the strike/feigning injury bit.  This will greatly weaken our position and whilst Barca are cunts, the player should have a bit more respect for the club that pays him very well to do his job.

 

His reps should be saying " you know how much it will take " to Barca and if they really want him, they will have to pay it. Instead we get the player and Barca in cahoots - very disrespectful.

 

I feel the same way about VVD, even though we have benefitted there, we have had to pay a premium 

[stringvest]

Got a link? Or remember who the interview was with? Wouldn't mind seeing it.

 

 

there was quite a long interview in (I think) The Times a couple of weekends ago.  If it wasn't in there, it was in the Guardian.  He's a real pillar of his community (and his country to a degree).  Beautiful man.

[FrenchEyeGlass]

£105m plus £35m in addons is a complete joke of a figure.

 

I just cannot fathom that our club will sell its best player, who has 4 Years left to run on his newly signed contract, in January, amidst a PL and CL campaign which we have much to play for, prior to a World Cup for such a paltry figure. More unfathomable is that we’d do so without having recruited a replacement (or 2).

 

Why does our club struggle so much with future proofing our squad? Why does our work seem so reactive? If In the Summer we knew this was going to rear its head again in Jan, we simply should have secured Lemar (he was available for 90m...pretty sure Arsenal had a bid accepted) or an alternative. Worst case, we should have identified him and secured him to arrive on Jan 1st, a la VVD.

 

We are not proactive enough, in either bolstering our squad for competing for honors now to keep our best players happy OR in buying emergent talent to replace our best players when they eventually leave. If we are always going to sell to buy (in the grand scheme of things), then expect Salah and Mane to leave soon too...and buy their replacements now.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[WhiskeyJar]

Barcelona are hoping to get the deal over the line in January by increasing their previously reported bid of £133m (€150m) to £142m – which includes a £106m base fee and the further payments based on appearances and titles won by the Catalan club, not the unrealistic ‘Ballon d’Or bonus’ which was claimed in the summer.

 

Fuck off Barca.

[stringvest]

I love the way people believe anything they read in the papers.

[Scooby Dudek]

Fair enough slagging off the papers here. However all it would take to stop the speculation is a statement from Phil (which won't happen) or one from the club, saying he is going nowhere. 

As numerous people have said LFC hold all the cards here, if we don't want to sell him in January, he will not be sold.

[clangers]

Call his bluff like city did with Tevez. He goes on strike he doesn’t get paid and we keep fining him. His values not going to reduce by the summer and we show players and other clubs that we’re not getting fucked around.

 

He’ll blink first.

He doesn't need to strike we can go tell him to sit it out with the under-17's and think it over. I suspect he'll be keen to return on 31st January or prior to that the date we make it clear he isn't leaving.

[magicrat]

Baffeling that we havent aimed out a replacement when (if) we sell this month.

 

We have but who but us sells their best players mid season.  Lemar was probably top of the list 

[Marko121]

He doesn't need to strike we can go tell him to sit it out with the under-17's and think it over. I suspect he'll be keen to return on 31st January or prior to that the date we make it clear he isn't leaving.

The problem here is squad harmony which is the big leverage the little cunt has.

 

He knows that if we do above ( which would be good) his value drops. City could afford for Tevez to strike as they don’t have to consider anyone’s value.

 

Also, what if you are the player who takes his place in the Team who is then shunted aside when he can be arsed again? How does that make you feel? He and his reps know how important squad togetherness is.

 

Barca and Coutinho are in cahoots here to get his price down so are both equally cunts in my view. It’s too simplistic to say keep him to his contract as the shit he has shown he will cause just won’t be worth it.

[The Golden Eel]

The problem here is squad harmony which is the big leverage the little cunt has.

 

He knows that if we do above ( which would be good) his value drops. City could afford for Tevez to strike as they don’t have to consider anyone’s value.

 

Also, what if you are the player who takes his place in the Team who is then shunted aside when he can be arsed again? How does that make you feel? He and his reps know how important squad togetherness is.

 

Barca and Coutinho are in cahoots here to get his price down so are both equally cunts in my view. It’s too simplistic to say keep him to his contract as the shit he has shown he will cause just won’t be worth it.

 

I don't buy this argument at all. He's done it before, he came back and played well, everyone knows its all a big game and if we make him stay he'll start playing again because he can't fuck around with the WC coming up.

[Marko121]

I don't buy this argument at all. He's done it before, he came back and played well, everyone knows its all a big game and if we make him stay he'll start playing again because he can't fuck around with the WC coming up.

You may have a point re WC.

 

However what I don’t get, and I’m not aiming at you specifically here, is why everyone seems so grateful when he knuckles down and plays well? Sorry but he is paid very handsomely to play football.

 

If he had any respect for LFC, he wouldn’t partake in the “games” and tell his reps and Barca to get on with it as they know what is needed. He should just play football to the best of his ability.

 

Again, imagine how you would feel if you had pulled your pisser out all through January to be left on the bench on 1st Feb when he suddenly remembers who pays him, there is a WC and that he wants to flash his knickers at Barca again?

 

This is what he is banking on, upsetting the dressing room and he knows Klopp can’t have that

[kemskem]

If Phil can't see how disrespectful and unreasonable Barcelona are being and is thinking of downing tools then he should be told that we'll never sell him to Barcelona. It's the January transfer window not the beginning of June when everyone finds it easier to bring in players. As you were Phil, keep up the good work and wait til the summer like a good pro.

[John101]

The point is that he has already done this strike thing. He didn't play at the start of the season, did the whole Barca thing, then came straight back into the team. Klopp managed the situation well before, the egos involved ,etc and Coutinho and the team have done well. I have no reason to doubt he can do the same again this window.

 

Nobody is under any illusion that Coutinho will be a Barca player by next season, but its all about timing. It was wrong in the summer when we had no time to replace him and its wrong now with the league position and CL competition.

 

Klopp is paid well to pick the team, manage the players and handle difficult situations like this. He has shown he is more than able to do it, and I have no doubt if Coutinho stays the squad harmony will be fine. Unless we have a replacement lined up, to let him go is madness.

[Marko121]

The point is that he has already done this strike thing. He didn't play at the start of the season, did the whole Barca thing, then came straight back into the team. Klopp managed the situation well before, the egos involved ,etc and Coutinho and the team have done well. I have no reason to doubt he can do the same again this window.

 

Nobody is under any illusion that Coutinho will be a Barca player by next season, but its all about timing. It was wrong in the summer when we had no time to replace him and its wrong now with the league position and CL competition.

 

Klopp is payed well to pick the team, manage the players and handle difficult situations like this. He has shown he is more than able to do it, and I have no doubt if Coutinho stays the squad harmony will be fine. Unless we have a replacement lined up, to let him go is madness.

I know I’d be fucking furious with him at the moment if I was a teammate.

 

He fucks about on the eve of the season and again as soon as the window opens with massive games coming up.

 

I’d deck him if I was told I’d be on the bench when he came back on 1st Feb

[John101]

I doubt we have the personalities in the dressing room to even care, but that's probably a separate issue. Wasn't it on the eve of the CL qualifier that Barca put a bid in, or certainly went to the papers. You'd think the players would have kicked off then, but they didn't. Whether that's professionalism or because they are all spineless is a debate for another day.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

Tell them exactly what we want if we will sell, give them 24 hours, if not see you in the Summer.

Case closed.

[an tha]

I reckon this all ends with him signing for Barcelona this month but joining them on July 1st or whatever ala Keita with us.

[El Rojo]

I know I’d be fucking furious with him at the moment if I was a teammate.

 

He fucks about on the eve of the season and again as soon as the window opens with massive games coming up.

 

I’d deck him if I was told I’d be on the bench when he came back on 1st Feb

 

I think you're mistaking your passion for the club with theirs. Generally, they don't share it, though it doesn't mean most of them won't put in a good shift tonight and on other match days.

 

They'll all be high-fiving and backslapping Coutinho in the tunnel when we play Barcelona next year, same as others did with Torres when he came back with Chelsea.

 

And remember that Steven Gerrard wasn't above similar behaviour to Coutinho, though he saw sense at the last minute.

[dockers_strike]

I doubt we have the personalities in the dressing room to even care, but that's probably a separate issue. Wasn't it on the eve of the CL qualifier that Barca put a bid in, or certainly went to the papers. You'd think the players would have kicked off then, but they didn't. Whether that's professionalism or because they are all spineless is a debate for another day.

 

Nothing to do with personalities. Virtually every player has angled for a move in a past dressing room and by that I do not just mean Liverpool. So they see it as in another circumstance that could be or has been me so I am not giving shit to a team mate. Even players in the same squad who do not get on do not tend to criticise the other.

[an tha]

It has got worse as well with greedy shithouse agents pushing the players so they can pocket their filthy lucre

[Aventus]

The main reason VVD came to us over other teams was because we knew we wanted him, and did everything in our power to get him. We made a slight misstep along the way but that only drove us more to get it done before the window even opened. Must make the guy feel good knowing he's been headhunted to such a degree.

 

Barca on the other hand are doing everything they can to sabotage the deal from their end and being absolute cunts about it, and if it falls through Coutinho is going to be the one left hung out to dry.

 

I was wondering, why are Barca so determined to buy a crocked player? If it was legit surely they'd be wary of buying a player who seems to be injured so often.

[Wezza]

 

I was wondering, why are Barca so determined to buy a crocked player? If it was legit surely they'd be wary of buying a player who seems to be injured so often.

 

Agreed, especially one with a known back issue.

[M_B]

I reckon this all ends with him signing for Barcelona this month but joining them on July 1st or whatever ala Keita with us.

 

Would be a mistake to do that. His value will increase in the summer. They did it with Keita because his contract expires. We've got another 4 years with Coutinho.

[The Golden Eel]

I know I’d be fucking furious with him at the moment if I was a teammate.

 

He fucks about on the eve of the season and again as soon as the window opens with massive games coming up.

 

I’d deck him if I was told I’d be on the bench when he came back on 1st Feb

 

No, I don't see this being an issue myself. I'm sure some are pissed off with him to some extent but I can't see it having a detrimental effect on the squad in the way you suggest. Everyone knows it's all a game. Plus what sort of impact on squad morale does selling him now have?