Jurgen Klopp insists the Philippe Coutinho saga won’t distract Liverpool from their mission to knock Everton out of the FA Cup at Anfield on Friday night.
The Reds boss says he has spent this week preparing his players for the 230th Merseyside derby rather than fretting over whether he’s about to lose Coutinho to Barcelona.
Liverpool are braced for a bumper bid for the Brazil international and unlike last summer they have refused to publicly rule out a sale. However, Klopp doesn’t believe that all the speculation and uncertainty over Coutinho’s future has had any impact on his team-mates ahead of the third round tie.
“They are professional football players. Sometimes they are in the middle of the story and sometimes they are sat next to the guy in the dressing room who is in the middle of the story,” Klopp said.
“These young boys are used to this from a really early age and are used to ignoring things around them. If they are smart enough they ignore most of it. If you need somebody from the press to tell you after the game whether you were good or not then already something is wrong.
“All the stories around are no problem. This story is not around since yesterday. It has been around since the summer and did you at any moment get the impression this team is distracted because of transfer rumours? No.
“We are focused on what we can have an influence on. All the rest we have to ignore. It is clear there is a lot of excitement around.”
When Barcelona stepped up their pursuit of Coutinho last summer, Klopp was adamant that he was going nowhere. He said it was too late in the window to recruit a suitable replacement and Liverpool’s stance never wavered.
This time around there are no such guarantees. Klopp remains reluctant to discuss whether the classy attacker’s five-year stay at Anfield is coming to an end.
“I am not interested in Barcelona. Sorry,” Klopp said.
“What can I say about what they do? It is always the same. This year it is Phil. Another year it is somebody else.
“There is nothing to say until there is something to say. That is my position. What can I do?
“I can’t talk about this part of the game. We have to consider everything to keep the players on track. You discuss it but we can not be part of the discussion. You can write what you want, you can interpret whatever I say. But for me, it was my decision long ago.”
Liverpool fans were furious at the sight of sportswear giant Nike, who manufacture Barca’s kits, advertising club shirts with Coutinho’s name on the back last weekend. In contrast, Klopp brushed off that gaffe and insists he didn’t see the point in taking offence.
“The importance of it I will never get. In the world of news, the next day they will chase another pig through the village,” he said.
“That is a German saying. You talk about today and then tomorrow this.
“What can I say about Nike? I do not know any person from Nike to tell them it is not okay you do something like that. It is not my cup of tea. I am not interested.
“I am interested in what we do and what is best for us. It can be this way or that way. And all the stories around? You can not imagine how cool life is when ignoring them. They are entertaining but not important.”
Owners Fenway Sports Group will only sanction the sale of Coutinho if Klopp decides that re-investing the money rather than keeping an unsettled player for the rest of the season is best for the club going forward.
What does the manager favour?
“If I open that door I have to talk about all the rest as well,” he said.
“I don’t want to do that. I never really did that apart from maybe one or two exceptions. My experience is it always punches back so it makes no sense to talk about it. There will always be another story and I’m not the guy who is going to feed the story. My feeling is I’m fine.
“There is no moment in January when I will talk about this. If anything happens to any player, Phil or whoever, we can talk about it but not before.
“The summer was a different situation. Now it is like it is – still rumours, Nike, other people. In the moment when there is something to say I will say it. Before that I am not part of the discussions.
“My first job is to prepare the healthy fit players for the next game. I am not the chancellor of Liverpool FC and have to talk about all the other things before saying ‘By the way, can we play football as well?’
“We play football. All the rest at the minute is speculation. If nothing happens I will not talk about this until January 31 and then it might not be interesting any more.”
The Reds boss says he has spent this week preparing his players for the 230th Merseyside derby rather than fretting over whether he’s about to lose Coutinho to Barcelona.
Liverpool are braced for a bumper bid for the Brazil international and unlike last summer they have refused to publicly rule out a sale. However, Klopp doesn’t believe that all the speculation and uncertainty over Coutinho’s future has had any impact on his team-mates ahead of the third round tie.
“They are professional football players. Sometimes they are in the middle of the story and sometimes they are sat next to the guy in the dressing room who is in the middle of the story,” Klopp said.
“These young boys are used to this from a really early age and are used to ignoring things around them. If they are smart enough they ignore most of it. If you need somebody from the press to tell you after the game whether you were good or not then already something is wrong.
“All the stories around are no problem. This story is not around since yesterday. It has been around since the summer and did you at any moment get the impression this team is distracted because of transfer rumours? No.
“We are focused on what we can have an influence on. All the rest we have to ignore. It is clear there is a lot of excitement around.”
When Barcelona stepped up their pursuit of Coutinho last summer, Klopp was adamant that he was going nowhere. He said it was too late in the window to recruit a suitable replacement and Liverpool’s stance never wavered.
This time around there are no such guarantees. Klopp remains reluctant to discuss whether the classy attacker’s five-year stay at Anfield is coming to an end.
“I am not interested in Barcelona. Sorry,” Klopp said.
“What can I say about what they do? It is always the same. This year it is Phil. Another year it is somebody else.
“There is nothing to say until there is something to say. That is my position. What can I do?
“I can’t talk about this part of the game. We have to consider everything to keep the players on track. You discuss it but we can not be part of the discussion. You can write what you want, you can interpret whatever I say. But for me, it was my decision long ago.”
Liverpool fans were furious at the sight of sportswear giant Nike, who manufacture Barca’s kits, advertising club shirts with Coutinho’s name on the back last weekend. In contrast, Klopp brushed off that gaffe and insists he didn’t see the point in taking offence.
“The importance of it I will never get. In the world of news, the next day they will chase another pig through the village,” he said.
“That is a German saying. You talk about today and then tomorrow this.
“What can I say about Nike? I do not know any person from Nike to tell them it is not okay you do something like that. It is not my cup of tea. I am not interested.
“I am interested in what we do and what is best for us. It can be this way or that way. And all the stories around? You can not imagine how cool life is when ignoring them. They are entertaining but not important.”
Owners Fenway Sports Group will only sanction the sale of Coutinho if Klopp decides that re-investing the money rather than keeping an unsettled player for the rest of the season is best for the club going forward.
What does the manager favour?
“If I open that door I have to talk about all the rest as well,” he said.
“I don’t want to do that. I never really did that apart from maybe one or two exceptions. My experience is it always punches back so it makes no sense to talk about it. There will always be another story and I’m not the guy who is going to feed the story. My feeling is I’m fine.
“There is no moment in January when I will talk about this. If anything happens to any player, Phil or whoever, we can talk about it but not before.
“The summer was a different situation. Now it is like it is – still rumours, Nike, other people. In the moment when there is something to say I will say it. Before that I am not part of the discussions.
“My first job is to prepare the healthy fit players for the next game. I am not the chancellor of Liverpool FC and have to talk about all the other things before saying ‘By the way, can we play football as well?’
“We play football. All the rest at the minute is speculation. If nothing happens I will not talk about this until January 31 and then it might not be interesting any more.”
We’re in a position of strength. He’s got a few years left on his contract and it’s a World Cup year.
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