If you're serious about Coutinho then get on with it, we haven't got all month

[tlw content]

Last summer Liverpool wanted to sign Virgil Van Dijk but for various reasons could not get a deal done. Similarly, Barcelona wanted to sign Philippe Coutinho but for various reasons also could not get a deal done. 

 

Fast forward to January, and Van Dijk is now a Liverpool player while Coutinho is reportedly “on strike” for the second time in six months. The reason Van Dijk is now a Liverpool player is because the Reds spent the months between transfer windows working behind the scenes to smooth things over with Southampton and struck a deal with no fuss and no acrimony. 

 

Terms were agreed with club and then player a week before the window officially opened. That deal went through because Liverpool asked Southampton what their valuation was and even though it was more than they would have liked to pay, they paid it anyway, without haggling or doing anything that might irritate Southampton and jeopardise the deal. 

 

Coutinho on the other hand, is still waiting for Barcelona to come in for him and is now in limbo once again, conveniently sidelined with a 'minor injury' while he waits for his 'Dream Club' to swoop in and take him away from this personal torment. Four days into the window though, and Barcelona have yet to make a bid and do not appear to have learnt anything from their failure last summer. 

 

Look, I'm not holding Liverpool up as the patron saint of transfers. The club messed up badly in the summer but at least lessons were learned, and with the Van Dijk transfer they showed exactly how business is supposed to be conducted in January. Clubs have months to do these deals and in most cases they should be ready to go as soon as the window opens, just as we were with the big Dutchman. 

 

Why have Barcelona not bid yet? Why are we again reading the same reports in their mouthpiece newspapers that we saw last summer about how “a bid is on its way”? How’s this bid getting here, carrier pigeon? 
 
They’re taking the piss, just as they did last summer with their derisory bids that they knew would never be accepted. They talk and talk and talk about how much they want Coutinho, but their actions don’t back that up. They knew those bids weren't enough but they hoped that by stirring up enough trouble we'd eventually feel as though we had to do a deal just to get him out. 

 

Instead of lodging a serious bid for the player the very second this window opened, Barcelona have so far done nothing. Nothing official anyway. They’ve still been busy conducting their affairs in their usual, classless, disrespectful underhanded manner. We’ve had the predictable comments from past and present Barcelona players praising Coutinho, while their coach “refused to talk about him” because “he plays for another club”, but only after first saying what a great player he is, of course. 

 

We also had their official kit supplier announcing his arrival at Camp Nou on their website and advertising shirts with his name on it. Barcelona had nothing to do with that though, of course. In fact, I'm sure they were absolutely horrified by it. “More than a club” and all that, don’t forget. The lack of respect they’ve shown is something that Liverpool should be taking into account if and when a bid arrives. 

 

Here’s the thing. Barcelona do not need to quickly push through any deal for Coutinho. They’re winning their league regardless of whether they sign him or not and he would be ineligible to play in the Champions League for them so what’s the rush? If they choose, they can take their time and let this play out in the media throughout January. 

 

For us it’s different. We’re on a great run and Coutinho had been a big part of that. He’s still here, still a Liverpool player, yet he’s not playing. “Injured”, apparently. Just as he was for the entirety of the last transfer window, funnily enough. 
 
Reports in Spain and Brazil, however, tell us he is “on strike” and believes he has played his last game for the club. They also made sure to stress that the decision not to play has been taken by the player himself and he has not been put up to it in any way by Barcelona, no sir. 

 

All this nonsense is a distraction that we don’t need but it’s happening because Barcelona think they can do what they like and get what they want. If they want Coutinho, fine; Put up or shut up. Shit or get off the pot. Put your money where your mouth is etc
 
There's been talk for three days now that a bid is on its way and presumably it will arrive eventually, but the real question is will they come in low again and work their way up over the next few weeks? If the first bid that comes in is as insulting as the last one they made, tell them to do one and come back in the summer.  

 

If it's not far off the club's valuation then tell them they've got until after the weekend to make an acceptable offer, or do one and come back in the summer. They cannot be allowed to drag this out and unsettle what we've got going on right now, and even if they do come in with an acceptable offer I'd still think twice about accepting it just because of the blatant disrespect they've shown by allowing it to play out so publicly again and not having these discussions behind the scenes earlier. Cheeky arrogant bastards.
 
Frankly I’m at the point where I no longer care if Coutinho is here beyond this window or not, but whatever happens has to be on our terms because, contrary to what Barca and Coutinho's camp seem to believe, we still hold all the cards. Three and a half years left on his contract and it’s a World Cup year, so if a deal isn’t done, then good luck taking that 'strike' beyond January, Phil. 

 

Ideally I’d like him to stay, either because no deal is done or because one is struck that sees him remain here before joining them in the summer. I’m fine with both of those scenarios and I’d even be relatively ok with selling him now providing Klopp has a replacement lined up and ready to go. 

 

The one thing I won’t be ok with is selling him and not signing a replacement, especially if it happens late in the window. If that happens then the club will deserve every bit of criticism that comes their way, and hiding behind “it was Jurgen’s decision” won’t cut it. If they sell without buying a replacement they may as well have sold him last summer. 

 

I don’t think that will happen though. FSG handled this situation perfectly last summer and so far they’ve done nothing wrong this time, but they cannot allow this situation to drag on and therefore an ultimatum needs to be set. We can’t be sat here still discussing this in the last week of January. 

 

It's in Barca's interests to let the situation to turn toxic (as it did in the summer) in the hope that the price will come down because we’ll just want to get him out. It didn’t work in the summer and it shouldn’t work now. There’s a price that will get Coutinho and it’s fair to assume that Barcelona have been made aware of what that is. 

 

They are working with the January transfer deadline in mind, but Liverpool need to set a deadline of their own as this nonsense can’t be allowed to run right up until the end of the month. There’s nothing complicated about this; there’s a price to get him and they either have the money or they don’t. Pay it or walk away, it's their choice, but Liverpool need to tell them to make their mind up now because why should we have this distraction undermining us at such a critical stage of the season? 

 

Give them until Monday to come up with an acceptable offer and if they don't meet the deadline then don’t even pick up the phone to them until next summer and set their emails to go straight into trash. 
 
It’s one thing to accept the reality that our best players can be cherry picked by richer clubs, but having them treat us like dickheads is something we really don't have to stand for, and hopefully we wont. 
 

 

Dave Usher

@theliverpoolway

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[Dante]

Well said Dave.

 

The cunts will do what they always do, drop a derisory offer the day before or on the day of a big game (City I suspect) to cause us maximum disruption.

 

Pay the money or fuck off you cunts.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

They should ask us what we want or fuck off. They won't. We should fuck them off if an acceptable bid does not arrive by the weekend. It won't. Fuck them off. Tell him to get playing. End of.

[Anubis]

Just linked to this post on Twitter under the #freecoutinho hashtag.

 

Sits back and awaits incoming from knobhead Barca fans. Mwuhahahahahaha....

[Pureblood]

Dear Barcelona

 

I'm serious of this, but are you?  (COUTINHO EXIT)

 

Will not come on her again

 

TK421

[Joe Strummer]

Who knows what was said in the summer. Clearly Coutinho is of the belief that is it. He wasn't injured in the summer and is not injured now, don't treat fans like we're stupid. Why he can't just wait until the summer I don't know and he should be told that in no uncertain terms.

[Harry Squatter]

Dear Barcelona. Spend some money on your shit concrete 80s bowl of a stadium instead.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

I wouldn't even offer an ultimatum. I'd just look up the Catalan for "Go fuck yourselves" and then remind Coutinho that he's got a contract to fulfil- starting against City.

[KMD7]

Dear Barcelona. 

 

Fuck off.

[TheHowieLama]

Dear Barthelona,

 

Fuck off.

[BCM]

If the summer was anything to go by, i would expect some sort of offer tomorrow. Always seems to happen on the day of a game

[3 Stacks]

Fair article. I really didn't think this would happen in January. It's a little disheartening that there is little advantage for Coutinho to leave right now given he's cup-tied, yet he's still so desperate to do it. He's probably gonna get a cheap league title out of it, so fair enough, I guess. 

 

But yeah, I'm gonna pull my hair out if we're still talking about this shit past like January 20th. 

[suzy]

Agreed. We’re only a few days into January and I’m already sick to death of the whole saga. Non Liverpool fans must be sick of it too as that’s all you see in the media too.

 

Really shows how well we did sorting out VVD so quickly and without fuss too.

[Ne Moe Imya]

They are working with the January transfer deadline in mind, but Liverpool need to set a deadline of their own as this nonsense can’t be allowed to run right up until the end of the month. There’s nothing complicated about this; there’s a price to get him and they either have the money or they don’t. Pay it or walk away, it's their choice, but Liverpool need to tell them to make their mind up now because why should we have this distraction undermining us at such a critical stage of the season? 

 

Give them until Monday to come up with an acceptable offer and if they don't meet the deadline then don’t even pick up the phone to them until next summer and set their emails to go straight into trash. 

 

I fully agree with the spirit of your argument but I think you're missing something here.

 

We can certainly do as you suggest and insist on a Monday deadline and then just stop taking their calls and tell Phil it's too late and he'll have to stay. But that won't stop them from going to the press, it won't stop Phil from feigning injury, and it won't really fix the distraction problem.

 

The fact is that this is going to go to the last day of the window for that exact reason IMO. Barca are too cheap to do what we did with van Dijk and just swallow their pride and pay the premium. They still hope that their antics will poison the well and we'll take a lower price just to get rid. And I don't think John Henry got rich by thinking short-term, so he's not going to take a lower price just to get rid.

 

All of which adds up to one thing: a January filled with daily stories about how unreasonable we're being followed by a deadline day deal for the price we set in the beginning (if rumour is to be believed somewhere around £140m).

[JustTosh]

Well said, 100% agree.

 

Personally I’d prefer if we sold Cou and replaced him with someone else now. Next season we need to be a title challenger. Anything else would be a big disappointment. So my vote goes to anything that would best prepare us for that. Surely gelling in the new man now rather than next summer is better?

[JustTosh]

 

All of which adds up to one thing: a January filled with daily stories about how unreasonable we're being followed by a deadline day deal for the price we set in the beginning (if rumour is to be believed somewhere around £140m).

 

Or we could just say on Jan 31^st: Yes you’ve met our valuation but not our time limit. We can’t get a replacement now, so sod off until the summer. Next time you want to make business with us please note that when we set a date limit we mean it.

[SlugTrail]

They knew what our price was at the beginning of January, we should just add 20m a week and see at what point they either walk away or actually bid. Every time they bid lower than our valuation then add another 10m. Then do the same in the summer.

[sir roger]

With none of Lemar, Goretzka & Keita seemingly happening in January we can't afford to let him go without any suitable replacement.

[shouter]

IMHO this was agreed in the summer. He’d of been gone then if we’d of landed vvd and lemar. Top PR from fsg again. Don’t be fooled.

[scudger99]

I fully agree with the spirit of your argument but I think you're missing something here.

 

We can certainly do as you suggest and insist on a Monday deadline and then just stop taking their calls and tell Phil it's too late and he'll have to stay. But that won't stop them from going to the press, it won't stop Phil from feigning injury, and it won't really fix the distraction problem.

 

The fact is that this is going to go to the last day of the window for that exact reason IMO. Barca are too cheap to do what we did with van Dijk and just swallow their pride and pay the premium. They still hope that their antics will poison the well and we'll take a lower price just to get rid. And I don't think John Henry got rich by thinking short-term, so he's not going to take a lower price just to get rid.

 

All of which adds up to one thing: a January filled with daily stories about how unreasonable we're being followed by a deadline day deal for the price we set in the beginning (if rumour is to be believed somewhere around £140m).

There's no actual proof of Coutinho faking injury, only what's being reported in the press.  And those cunts are hardly a font of reliable honest information.

If the club has no intentions of letting Coutinho go this window, remind him that he's under contract and he's got a World Cup to stay in contention for.  That'll get his attention. 

Fuck Barcelona, their cunty press and our cunty press.

[stringvest]

Good post Dave.  As far as I'm concerned FSG have kept their powder dry here, and based on what we saw both with the Suarez deal and with Coutinho last summer, they are not going to be fucked about.  

[Sputnik1]

Just because we paid a crazy price for VvD doesn't mean Barcelona have to be that daft for Coutinho, I think they are entitled to try whatever they think they can to get value for money. We seem happy enough when we manage to get players for a bargain, not that we achieve that too often.

 

Of course I do hope we fleece them but at the same time manage to get decent replacements in, if not then I believe we should try as hard as possible to ensure he stays until the end of the season. 

[The Golden Eel]

IMHO this was agreed in the summer. He’d of been gone then if we’d of landed vvd and lemar. Top PR from fsg again. Don’t be fooled.

 

I'm starting to think there's something off about this too. It doesn't make any sense at all that we'd just give in so easily and sell him now and jeopardise our season like that. Weird how he just became injured as soon as January hit and it looks like we're not making him stay when all we have to do is say no you're staying until the summer. Obviously I'm not the manager but I don't buy the distraction stuff - he'll have to keep playing or he'll jeopardise his WC. It doesn't add up

[M_B]

IMHO this was agreed in the summer. He’d of been gone then if we’d of landed vvd and lemar. Top PR from fsg again. Don’t be fooled.

 

It really wasn't.

[stringvest]

I don't think it was agreed in the summer.  if that was the case, this nonsense in the media wouldn't be happening.  This is not the same as Suarez.