January transfer window/End of summer

[justme]

Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Arsenal and a return to Liverpool are among the destinations that England forward Raheem Sterling, 26, could end up after he said he was open to leaving Manchester City. (Express)


Its the express so moving on...

[skyebo]

Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Arsenal and a return to Liverpool are among the destinations that England forward Raheem Sterling, 26, could end up after he said he was open to leaving Manchester City. (Express)


Its the express so moving on...

Newcastle will be linked to anything that moves, now they have this new found wealth. Will be interesting to see how many they manage to get.

[Steveo]

Indeed.

We let go of Coutinho Classic and went on to become an even more effective unit. So it seems a bit mad that we would go back into the shop to try and pick up some Caffeine free Diet Coutinho Lite with no added sugar.

Yea we got better ‘cause we lost Coutinho???? Erm what??

Surely people can separate two simple things?

1. We were absolutely shocking at the back. Mignolet who was total gash ( rated at £7 million now ) replaced by Karius ( rated at £1.2 million now ) who did do a better better job. MORENO until he got injured when Robbo FINALLY came in. No Trent at all until after Couts had left!

And 2. last and certainly not least - Virgil Van Dijk.

At some point people have to be a little less simplistic in their “rationale”.


Here’s one for ya. We make all those crucial changes to the team and Keep Coutinho and we win number 6 in Kiev not Madrid.

Then add Alisson and Fabinho in summer 2018 with the Coutinho dosh while keeping him and we win number 7 and number 19 a year before we actually won it!

[Steveo]

Mignolet
Gomez
Matip
Klavan
Moreno
Henderson
Milner
Oxlade Chamberlain
Coutinho
Sturridge
Salah

This was the team that drew 1:1 with a Chelsea at the Bridge in November 2017 during the longest unbeaten period of that season 14 games - 12 of them with Coutinho and without Virgil.


This is the lineup that lost to Swansea - Virgil’s league debut.



Karius
Gomez
Matip
Virgil Van Dijk
Robertson
Can
Wijnaldum
Oxlade Chamberlain
Mané
Firmino
Salah


You can see how different the team is - it is weakened by losing Coutinho BUT far stronger almost everywhere else. It isn’t complex either.

[miller0863]

Would Coutinho have been stood on the line behind Karius for 90 minutes in Kiev then?

[Steveo]

This is the team that beat Bournemouth 4:0 on the south coast - December 17 2017

Mignolet
Lovren
Matip
Klavan
Robertson
Henderson
Wijnaldum
Oxlade Chamberlain
Coutinho
Firmino
Salah

Note - this was only Robbo’s 6th game of the season on December 2017…!

And this is the side that beat Watford 5:0 at Anfield in March 2018

Karius
Gomez
Matip
Virgil Van Dijk
Robertson
Can
Wijnaldum
Henderson
Mané
Firmino
Salah

[Steveo]

Would Coutinho have been stood on the line behind Karius for 90 minutes in Kiev then?

Karius had a calamity in front of the globe - it was so unfortunate BUT Miller - he was picked ahead of Mignolet by Klopp that season and was deemed the one to use of the two. He wasn’t great but he was better than Mignolet.

Both keepers a sign of the limitations we had pre the Coutinho dosh.

Some just cannot join the dots

[Steveo]

Look at the teams before Coutinho was sold and after. They are night and day.

Imagine having the team we built and keeping him…

[Steveo]

This is the team that lost 4:1 at Spurs in 2017


Mignolet
Gomez.
Matip
Lovren
Moreno
Henderson
Can
Milner
Coutinho
Firmino
Salah


At this point - anyone who cannot see that it is the mahusive changes at the back - switching keepers - Robbo becoming a regular - the addition of Trent…..and the key one of all - the addition of man mountain Virgil Van Dijk to conduct the orchestra….is blindsided.

This is simple stuff.

Anyone suggesting that we got better because we lost Coutinho is totally missing the point.

We got a far more solid first 11 and became stronger off the back of the cash he generated YES but we still lost his numerous qualities on the pitch.

If he was available at a good price AND he isn’t done injury wise - he is well worth a pop.

[sydenham red]

Coutinho back, ox out (to the toon for ££££ lol but i think they'll be aiming higher tbh), keita to anyone unless he can stay fit which is unlikely.