Philippe Coutinho

[Storts+]

1 minute ago, 6666 said:

Is it just me that doesn't think Coutinho is that good...? He's a good all round player with a very good long range strike on him that sometimes works but don't really think he's that special to be talked about with these sorts of fees being involved. You'd think they're after Hazard or Alexis Sanchez.

I agree with you - he's good but still nowhere near productive enough for this sort of fee. Can Liverpool replace him though

[SirBalon]

Just now, Storts said:

I agree with you - he's good but still nowhere near productive enough for this sort of fee. Can Liverpool replace him though

Well if he's above average which is what I assume is being said here, then a club as big as Liverpool shouldn't have too many issues in replacing him.

[Spike]

5 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

Barcelona can't go back after rejects.  But I agree that Coutinho is overrated and even though Hazard would be perfect, he's overpriced.  That's Hazard's problem to resolve though.

What does Barcelona offer Hazard? Nothing, not even Zinedine Zidane. Not every player lines up for the Barcelona circle jerk.

[SirBalon]

Just now, Spike said:

What does Barcelona offer Hazard? Nothing, not even Zinedine Zidane. Not every player lines up for the Barcelona circle jerk.

It's talk on players that could fit the system.  Nobody has said that Hazard would be willing to go mate although he has thrown various strops and seemed to have flirted with leaving.  Maybe it wouldn't be Barcelona or Real...  Maybe it would be Club Brugge.

[The Artful Dodger]

4 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

Well if he's above average which is what I assume is being said here, then a club as big as Liverpool shouldn't have too many issues in replacing him.

Its more than that though, it undermines Klopp. He's been insistent he won't be sold, built his preseason with him involved. Now Klopp had to deal with players being sold under his feet at Dortmund but there was always a sort of a resigned knowledge it would happen and it tended to happen early on so they can plan without him. The neymar transfer has put Barca in a panic and Liverpools owners are rubbing their hands but I fail to see selling him at this point can't have anything but a hugely detrimental effect on their season. I'd bet against them getting champs league for a start.

[Spike]

1 minute ago, SirBalon said:

It's talk on players that could fit the system.  Nobody has said that Hazard would be willing to go mate although he has thrown various strops and seemed to have flirted with leaving.  Maybe it wouldn't be Barcelona or Real...  Maybe it would be Club Brugge.

Don't kid yourself, when has he thrown stropes that weren't media fabrications? The only club that are even in the realm of possibility are Real Madrid.

[6666]

9 minutes ago, Storts said:

I agree with you - he's good but still nowhere near productive enough for this sort of fee. Can Liverpool replace him though

The issue of course is the timing of this as the season is close to starting and there's less than a month left in the transfer window but someone like Lorenzo Insigne would be a good replacement for Coutinho.

[Cicero]

Same guy who first broke the Neymar to PSG deal now saying Coutinho to Barca is going through. 

[LFCMike]

His goal output has improved a lot over the last couple of seasons, last season in particular. I can see why people think he's not worth the fees being quoted but he'll only get better from here too.

[SirBalon]

1 minute ago, The Artful Dodger said:

Its more than that though, it undermines Klopp. He's been insistent he won't be sold, built his preseason with him involved. Now Klopp had to deal with players being sold under his feet at Dortmund but there was always a sort of a resigned knowledge it would happen and it tended to happen early on so they can plan without him. The neymar transfer has put Barca in a panic and Liverpools owners are rubbing their hands but I fail to see selling him at this point can't have anything but a hugely detrimental effect on their season. I'd bet against them getting champs league for a start.

Barcelona have been courting the idea of Coutinho for two years now. Infact the heavy move for him started way before there was any rumour or muttering that Neymar could be going to PSG. 

But I agree that it undermines Klopp. Although I don't feel that they'd have a hard time replacing him. The only issue being the amount of time left in the transfer window and if the Liverpool board saw this coming and already had potential targets planned just in case which is what lost clubs do. 

[SirBalon]

4 minutes ago, Spike said:

Don't kid yourself, when has he thrown stropes that weren't media fabrications? The only club that are even in the realm of possibility are Real Madrid.

The truth is that he's been connected to Real Madrid interest for a long time now whereas never with Barcelona until the hypothetical lists being drawn up by the media.

But maybe Barça might be to blame for media speculation too. 

[SirBalon]

6 minutes ago, 6666 said:

The issue of course is the timing of this as the season is close to starting and there's less than a month left in the transfer window but someone like Lorenzo Insigne would be a good replacement for Coutinho.

Infact Insigne would be a better option for Barça than Coutinho. He would be a star for Liverpool!

Problem is that he's just signed a new contract at Napoli and negotiating with Aurelio de Laurentiis is like negotiating with God... You never know if he's listening and even if you think he is, the probability is he doesn't think you deserve what you're asking for. 

[Spike]

3 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

The truth is that he's been connected to Real Madrid interest for a long time now whereas never with Barcelona until the hypothetical lists being drawn up by the media.

But maybe Barça might be to blame for media speculation too. 

And? Nothing has ever come of it, so why would it now? You can find little dot to dots all over the world, connect enough of them and you'll end up with a conclusion you wanted. I'll believe it when I see him holding the jersey up, until then rumours will remain that.

[SirBalon]

1 minute ago, Spike said:

And? Nothing has ever come of it, so why would it now? You can find little dot to dots all over the world, connect enough of them and you'll end up with a conclusion you wanted. I'll believe it when I see him holding the jersey up, until then rumours will remain that.

Mate... Nobody is saying it will happen or is even in anyone's plans. This is debate and speculation. I don't understand why you've gone all defensive on this one. 

[Burning Gold]

25 minutes ago, 6666 said:

Is it just me that doesn't think Coutinho is that good...? He's a good all round player with a very good long range strike on him that sometimes works but don't really think he's that special to be talked about with these sorts of fees being involved. You'd think they're after Hazard or Alexis Sanchez.

He's an excellent player.  I think he's been stifled a bit playing further forward recently, but this year he's set to play a slightly deeper role now that we've signed Salah, and he'll have his best season yet by a long way. He has the best eye for a pass I've ever seen - in his first six months, he could seemingly split the opposition defense at the drop of a hat - and having Mane and Salah in particular in front of him will play right into his hands.

It's a big fee, but it reflects the fact that he'll be incredibly difficult to replace, and that the start of the season is only a week away.

[SirBalon]

Just now, Burning Gold said:

He's an excellent player.  I think he's been stifled a bit playing further forward recently, but this year he's set to play a slightly deeper role now that we've signed Salah, and he'll have his best season yet. He has the best eye for a pass I've ever seen - in his first six months, he could seemingly split the opposition defense at the drop of a hat - and having Mane and Salah in particular in front of him will play right into his hands.

It's a big fee, but it reflects the fact that he'll be incredibly difficult to replace, and that the start of the season is only a week away.

A better eye for a pass than Alonso?

[6666]

Just now, Burning Gold said:

He's an excellent player.  I think he's been stifled a bit playing further forward recently, but this year he's set to play a slightly deeper role now that we've signed Salah, and he'll have his best season yet. He has the best eye for a pass I've ever seen - in his first six months, he could seemingly split the opposition defense at the drop of a hat - and having Mane and Salah in particular in front of him will play right into his hands.

It's a big fee, but it reflects the fact that he'll be incredibly difficult to replace, and that the start of the season is only a week away.

No he's not. 

[Spike]

Just now, SirBalon said:

Mate... Nobody is saying it will happen or is even in anyone's plans. This is debate and speculation. I don't understand why you've gone all defensive on this one. 

I hate transfer talk in general. I even hate googling Chelsea and seeing nonsense like 'Candreva' or 'van Dijk'. Where do these names come from? Is there a reporter in the boardroom meetings taking notes? I prefer to focus on the is not the if.

[Cicero]

3 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

A better eye for a pass than Alonso?

Does Alonso have  a good eye? His passing range is remarkable, but I don't' recall ever seeing him splitting defences open with his passes. 

[SirBalon]

1 minute ago, Spike said:

I hate transfer talk in general. I even hate googling Chelsea and seeing nonsense like 'Candreva' or 'van Dijk'. Where do these names come from? Is there a reporter in the boardroom meetings taking notes? I prefer to focus on the is not the if.

It's that time of year in the football calendar and they know fans are hungry for speculation or hupothesis. Inremember Cruyff once saying in an interview that 70% of press speculation on football is made up, 20% is lies being told to the press to divert the truth and 10% truth. 

[Spike]

1 minute ago, SirBalon said:

It's that time of year in the football calendar and they know fans are hungry for speculation or hupothesis. Inremember Cruyff once saying in an interview that 70% of press speculation on football is made up, 20% is lies being told to the press to divert the truth and 10% truth. 

Cruyff is dead and out-of-date. 99.999999999999999999999999% recurring is the scum of the earth agents fishing for new deals.

[SirBalon]

3 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Does Alonso have  a good eye? His passing range is remarkable, but I don't' recall ever seeing him splitting defences open with his passes. 

Liverpool fans are the ones to respond to that. Definitely his long range passing is one of the best I've ever seen along with Koeman's. 

[SirBalon]

1 minute ago, Spike said:

Cruyff is dead and out-of-date. 99.999999999999999999999999% recurring is the scum of the earth agents fishing for new deals.

Cruyff even dead is the future of football mate. Don't be fooled! 

[Burning Gold]

Just now, SirBalon said:

Liverpool fans are the ones to respond to that. Definitely his long range passing is one of the best I've ever seen along with Koeman's. 

Cicero's right. His long range passing was exceptional and he could find a player in space from anywhere on the pitch, but he would never put someone through on goal like Coutinho can. Perhaps I should've said 'eye for a through ball' for Coutinho, which is more precise, because you could say what Alonso had was an eye for a pass but that's different to what Coutinho has.

[Mel81x+]

You just have to expect these kinds of rumors to start flying around now that Neymar deal has gone through. I personally hope Klopp doesn't get undermined and keeps him because of all the prep time and what the club is trying to achieve this season. He's instrumental to a lot of the future plans and letting him go not only sends the wrong message to the players but will probably aggravate the manager more.