Philippe Coutinho

[Kenneth]

Report them for what? The actions of another company which were pretty obviously a mistake?

[Norbs]

On what information were Nike acting though?

Barca are vile and should be made to pay a little more for him now

[Leyton388]

For their consistent talking about our player. If it's not their staff it's their players. They seem to think all they have to do is batter their eyelids and they can have any player they want.

I'm in sick of us losing our best players after they have a few decent seasons and we are back to square one after coming so close to something special.

[Kenneth]

On what information were Nike acting though?

Barca are vile and should be made to pay a little more for him now

What difference does it make? We can't report Barca for talking to Nike. And I can't believe Nike are conspiring with Barca to force a transfer in a breach of UEFA rules, that's a bit far fetched. We need to stop being cry babies, we either sell if we think it's the best option or we don't, this, and interviews by players, makes no difference. Coutinho already wants to go there, we know because he said so in the summer.

Our manager met with VVD behind his clubs back ffs. And it worked.

[BG1973]

For their consistent talking about our player. If it's not their staff it's their players. They seem to think all they have to do is batter their eyelids and they can have any player they want.

I'm in sick of us losing our best players after they have a few decent seasons and we are back to square one after coming so close to something special.

Regardless of Barca’s behaviour (is it really that much different to us?) You can’t keep players that don’t want to be here.

Phil has been awesome this season - as Suarez was in his last. Because they both had an agreement from the club (assumption the Phil) that we would let them go after one more year.

That works, and it also means players don’t need release clauses if we act reasonably. If we hold players to ransom then nobody will sign for us without one meaning we lose all control.

[Exiled_red]

If we are selling him it had better be a bloody big fee, we supposedly turned down £130m in the summer and we were upset that so much of the fee was add ons, I would be pissed off if the fee was about that price but on better terms. IMO we shouldn't let him go for anything less than a world record transfer fee.

Barcelona's talking about players in public really is taking the piss, I know what we did with VVD was underhand but at least it was done behind closed doors (until some idiot went blabbing to the press), but half their squad openly talking about him joining and house hunting etc really is rubbing salt into the wound.

By the way what happened with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid? weren't Atletico supposedly reporting them over tapping up Griezmann - I'm sure I read something about this a few weeks ago. I would love it if they got a transfer ban before they could sign Coutinho (it won't happen though )

[Daniel 7]

Top players move and there is nothing any of the clubs can do about it. Coutinho is a knock on from Barca being embarrassed by Neymar and PSG. It's a pity, but he's played really well for us this season. If he goes, he goes.

[Doc_Piptorious]

If Cou does go, it will be another step back. Man why do we keep losing our best players. From Xabi, Torrss, Suarez, Sterling and now Cou. What is the problem with the club? Is Mo going to be the next one gone as Well?

For me the issue is not so much that top players move on/get sold, it is who we replace them with.


Selling top players is not a new thing. It happened when we were winning titles too. Keegan, Clemence, Rush etc all moved on even though they were still playing well for us and were a big part of the team.

Sometimes a player just wants out and the best you can hope for is to get an extra season or two before that players gets his move.

Coutinho leaving is less of an issue for me than which player or players we bring in with the cash we get.


If he goes and we bring in someone like say Gomes or Rakitic from Barca, then I will feel like we are downgrading and weakening the first team.

But if we went and threw that cash at bringing in someone like Dybala, or a couple top class players for other positions meaning our first team was actually stronger then I am good with that.


But right now the signs are that Klopp and the club are targetting players of a high calibre what with VVD and Keita on the way, so a few more signings of that ilk would be the way to replace Coutinho imo.

[Tatterdemalion]

For me the issue is not so much that top players move on/get sold, it is who we replace them with.


Selling top players is not a new thing. It happened when we were winning titles too. Keegan, Clemence, Rush etc all moved on even though they were still playing well for us and were a big part of the team.

Sometimes a player just wants out and the best you can hope for is to get an extra season or two before that players gets his move.

Coutinho leaving is less of an issue for me than which player or players we bring in with the cash we get.


If he goes and we bring in someone like say Gomes or Rakitic from Barca, then I will feel like we are downgrading and weakening the first team.

But if we went and threw that cash at bringing in someone like Dybala, or a couple top class players for other positions meaning our first team was actually stronger then I am good with that.


But right now the signs are that Klopp and the club are targetting players of a high calibre what with VVD and Keita on the way, so a few more signings of that ilk would be the way to replace Coutinho imo.

Totally agree.

[Fosterbloke]

Suarez -> Balotelli + Lambert = Sbit

Coutinho -> Keita + VVD + Lemar = Good

[Tatterdemalion]

For me the issue is not so much that top players move on/get sold, it is who we replace them with.


Selling top players is not a new thing. It happened when we were winning titles too. Keegan, Clemence, Rush etc all moved on even though they were still playing well for us and were a big part of the team.

Sometimes a player just wants out and the best you can hope for is to get an extra season or two before that players gets his move.

Coutinho leaving is less of an issue for me than which player or players we bring in with the cash we get.


If he goes and we bring in someone like say Gomes or Rakitic from Barca, then I will feel like we are downgrading and weakening the first team.

But if we went and threw that cash at bringing in someone like Dybala, or a couple top class players for other positions meaning our first team was actually stronger then I am good with that.


But right now the signs are that Klopp and the club are targetting players of a high calibre what with VVD and Keita on the way, so a few more signings of that ilk would be the way to replace Coutinho imo.

A further thought about that, the only time I can remember this not happening was during the latter part of Kenny's first reign, although this was only for a few years, you have to be reliably winning things every season and then players want to stay and come to you. Sadly we haven't done that recently. Perhaps also during Graeme's reign when we didn't really have any one that anyone else wanted!

[Doc_Piptorious]

Suarez -> Balotelli + Lambert = Sbit

Coutinho -> Keita + VVD + Lemar = Good

For me Keita and VVD are just serious upgrades for areas in our team we needed to improve regardless of whether Coutinho stayed or not.


If/when Coutinho leaves, then we need to be bringing in more players of that quality to replace Coutinho's quality. I like Lemar as a player but would not be happy if he alone was the incoming quality if/when Coutinho goes.


For me it is not a case of trying to find a player that brings the same things that Coutinho brings, it is simply a case of bringing in one or two more players that add the same quality or better to their positions in our starting XI that Coutinho brought to his.


In theory just say Coutinho goes and we use that money to get two players like de Vrij and Saul.

Suddenly that gives us a starting line up next August of


----------------Karius-------------
Clyne---de Vrij-------VVD-----Robertson
---------Keita---------Saul--------------
---------------Lallana-------------------
Salah---------Firmino-----------Mane


And that is without even touching next summer's transfer budget for a new keeper or new CM/AM

[Fosterbloke]

We should be grateful we've coached another player to world class standard so we have the opportunity to sell and build something special.

[dom9]

We need to stop being cry babies.

[Le Chef]

Ozil on a free ?