Philippe Coutinho Post-LFC

[McDermotX]

Ah, I see! Think I missed that at the time. But great recommendation indeed

Classic Rafa.....always involved in some of the best moments of the club since the mid 00s even though he's long gone.

Who can forget the marvellous Jovanovic - it's like Rafa knew Bodgson was taking over.

[Gingawaria]

Ok, so leaving us in the middle of the season is very disappointing, however we did also sign him in the middle of a season and we clearly kept him at the club against his will in lieu of Barca actually making us an acceptable offer for him for 6 months. Obviously he had personal reasons as well as professional ones for wanting to move to Spain, and if we do want to get really good South American players at the club this is going to happen eventually with some of them, as we saw with Suarez.

All the "rat" & "cunt" stuff to me is a bit unnecessary, I'm not saying we should be happy for him but meh, he didn't down tools this season and we got a huge fee for him, we'll be fine without him.

Incredibly harsh.

I'm gutted he's gone but it's a massive fee and it's not like he left us for another Premier League club.

Plus - he's only done exactly the same thing that Van Dijk did so we can't be too critical of him.

[Darkon]

Think it was Comolli who had mentioned that Rafa had tipped him as a purchase (wittingly or unwittingly.....I dunno)

Ah, I see! Think I missed that at the time. But great recommendation indeed

[ntto]

rafa said that when he was at Inter I think after he signed there (while rafa was manager?)

[Vermilion]

[labourRed]

Coutinho always looked world class, i think at the time Inter needed a bit of money and Coutinho wasn't playing. I remember being absolutely delighted when we signed him - it felt like a real coup. I think the only debate at the time over those signings was Sturridge a bit one-footed or not - even he turned out alright before he turned to glass.

[McDermotX]

Think it was Comolli who had mentioned that Rafa had tipped him as a purchase (wittingly or unwittingly.....I dunno)

"In the spring of 2012, the owners told me that we had a limited spending budget per player of €10 million and we could only sign players who were under 21," Comolli said in an interview with ESPN.

"I said to the scout: 'Coutinho becomes our priority' because we were looking for a wide player to replace Dirk Kuyt. He [Coutinho] was not available because they transferred him to Espanyol [on loan] later on.

"We didn't even know he was that good - it was difficult to watch him play because he was never playing at Inter. We knew about him, we knew he was good, but it was only when Rafa said he's going to be world-class. When somebody like Rafa says a thing about a player like this, you listen.

"The head of recruitment said he was the best we could get. But I was sacked, then Kenny [Dalglish] was sacked."

[Assassin]

What? No he didn't, we bought Coutino in 2013! Rafa to my knowledge havn't managed here for 8 years now

Mad bad.....clouded memory It was Rafa who gave him his chance at Inter many moons a go

[Alex]

Was Coutinho even alive when Rafa managed here

[Darkon]

Because he bought him

What? No he didn't, we bought Coutino in 2013! Rafa to my knowledge havn't managed here for 8 years now