Philippe Coutinho

[Maxiedge]

Also, transfers for cash+player...when was the last time this actually happened? It gets touted around a lot but it never really seems to come off.

[BrooklynRed]

I understand the allure, I guess, of being the 4th best player on Barça, but I don't get why the club would ever accept an offer for him. EVER. You cannot use cash to buy the League, and especially this club. We have been massive failures in that regard. Who will play the position? Coutinho is the engine that gets the ball into scoring position. Who steps in? Who do you buy who as a direct replacement in August? There is none. As a footballing decision, it is an atrocity, fee or no. I am glad we do so well in the "selling fee" and "good business" competition which doesn't exist. The only thing that matters in winning, and Coutinho going, for whatever the price, takes us further away from that goal. Huge mistake, even if his head is turned, he is on a long term contract. Huge huge mistake.

[red g]

have to agree, I think if we had a decent transfr window instead of the cluster**** one we are having, FSG may have sold but just can't see it now.

And its alright saying its 120m for Coutinho, but thats only because it was 200m for Neymar which means it will be 90million for Lanzini to replace

[Pablo]

I understand the allure, I guess, of being the 4th best player on Barça, but I don't get why the club would ever accept an offer for him. EVER. You cannot use cash to buy the League, and especially this club. We have been massive failures in that regard. Who will play the position? Coutinho is the engine that gets the ball into scoring position. Who steps in? Who do you buy who as a direct replacement in August? There is none. As a footballing decision, it is an atrocity, fee or no. I am glad we do so well in the "selling fee" and "good business" competition which doesn't exist. The only thing that matters in winning, and Coutinho going, for whatever the price, takes us further away from that goal. Huge mistake, even if his head is turned, he is on a long term contract. Huge huge mistake.

This. More so than ever before this coming season it seems. We're clearly going to run everything through him this season.

If he leaves we will need a change of approach.

Like you said I think it would be a terrible move to sell now. Let's just hope Phil doesn't force our hand as VVD has done.

[danperkins]

Which replacements do you see on the market?

I have seen very few reasonable suggestions that could be available (most of them from the fringes of the Barca squad): Andre Gomes, Rafinha, Rakitić, Seri, Goretzka

I'm not sure any of them look like high odds options to come in and perform straight off (possibly Rakitić is the exception but also the most expensive and least likely to want to come in reality).

Even if a player or a couple of players come in then we will have to adapt our plans and they will have to get used to our way of playing. For me the disruption is highly unlikely to be something we can deal with at the start of the season.

this is the problem. "If" he goes, which I don't think he will at this stage, do we get a like for like replacement which is impossible or would Klopp want to go in a different direction.

The only one that would appease me if Phil went would be Veratti & there isn't a snowballs chance in hell we are ever getting him. Rakitic looked brilliant for Sevilla and is just one on a long list of players that signed for Barca or Real and didn't cut it. It doesn't mean he's not a quality player but certainly him going to Barca has seen his own game suffer. They do play him wide and he clearly isn't a wide player so hard to gauge his "failure" properly.

Personally I think we need to keep him at all costs & improve around him. This window has been a huge disappointment so far, at this stage I was expecting all our business to be done and players nicely bedded in for the Watford game. Instead we have picked up several injuries, no closer to signing our 2 main targets & we have the whole Phil situation hanging over the club.

[Daffy Duck]

I understand the allure, I guess, of being the 4th best player on Barça, but I don't get why the club would ever accept an offer for him. EVER. You cannot use cash to buy the League, and especially this club. We have been massive failures in that regard. Who will play the position? Coutinho is the engine that gets the ball into scoring position. Who steps in? Who do you buy who as a direct replacement in August? There is none. As a footballing decision, it is an atrocity, fee or no. I am glad we do so well in the "selling fee" and "good business" competition which doesn't exist. The only thing that matters in winning, and Coutinho going, for whatever the price, takes us further away from that goal. Huge mistake, even if his head is turned, he is on a long term contract. Huge huge mistake.

This x 100
Seling him now when we're on the brink of having a great generation of players would be the worst thing this club has done in years, and there have been a few bad ones. We have money as it is but we can't seem to bring anyone in, what good will another €100m do us? Another post-Suarez transfer window of some mediocrity but mostly garbage? Except that gets you less players now.
It would be a cowardly, unambitious chicken-**** move that would even further undermine our position in the transfer market and world football - and what kind of a message are we trying to send to our targets, that they can come here to achieve something or that they can use us as a stepping stone while we generate profit for the shareholders? Are we gonna stay this way for ever???
I agree with Carragher, either we keep him, or riots (on twitter at least). Keeping him shouldn't even be a discussion amongst fans.

And btw, I know Barca is Barca, but I think Neymar has just told them in front of the world to **** off. Messi, Suarez and especially Iniesta aren't lasting for ever, and right now they're looking to sign the Spurs Paulinho, Seri and Inigo. Not looking as shiny as a few seasons ago.
Convince Coutinho with some proper signings that this is a place to be, and Barca can easily **** off to their pre-Ronaldinho days for all I care, their board is **** enough already.

[Lecter]

I understand the allure, I guess, of being the 4th best player on Barça, but I don't get why the club would ever accept an offer for him. EVER. You cannot use cash to buy the League, and especially this club. We have been massive failures in that regard. Who will play the position? Coutinho is the engine that gets the ball into scoring position. Who steps in? Who do you buy who as a direct replacement in August? There is none. As a footballing decision, it is an atrocity, fee or no. I am glad we do so well in the "selling fee" and "good business" competition which doesn't exist. The only thing that matters in winning, and Coutinho going, for whatever the price, takes us further away from that goal. Huge mistake, even if his head is turned, he is on a long term contract. Huge huge mistake.

I think Barcelona isnt all its cracked up to be at the minute

They have an ageing squad and a big rebuild job needed over the next few years

They've sat on their heels / bought badly in the last couple of years imo

Suarez was the last good deal they got across the line

[Kenneth]

I understand the allure, I guess, of being the 4th best player on Barça, but I don't get why the club would ever accept an offer for him. EVER. You cannot use cash to buy the League, and especially this club. We have been massive failures in that regard. Who will play the position? Coutinho is the engine that gets the ball into scoring position. Who steps in? Who do you buy who as a direct replacement in August? There is none. As a footballing decision, it is an atrocity, fee or no. I am glad we do so well in the "selling fee" and "good business" competition which doesn't exist. The only thing that matters in winning, and Coutinho going, for whatever the price, takes us further away from that goal. Huge mistake, even if his head is turned, he is on a long term contract. Huge huge mistake.

Easy, Ross Barkley. this can't possibly work

[Lecter]

Easy, Ross Barkley. this can't possibly work

[Daffy Duck]

[ame]https://twitter.com/skykaveh/status/894914668363436033[/ame]

[ame]https://twitter.com/melissareddy_/status/894904864563703808[/ame]

Yeah bitch

[RedReet]

[BrooklynRed]

Easy, Ross Barkley. this can't possibly work

I never miss the white text, mate. #OldSchool #LessonLearned

[Paddy]

A doubt for Saturday.

"Back injury"




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[labourRed]

Yeah, didn't train so not sure what the sky fella is on about. Getting treatment today.

[Buzzo]

It is difficult to not feel slightly uneasy about the timing of this injury.