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Football: Silly season


Mark Antony

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3 minutes ago, Mark Antony said:

Think that was made up. His "back injury" is worryingly convenient for him though. Anyway no way FSG would sell now after what they said this morning.

 

 

I think he must have come down with that same back injury Diego Costa had in January... :|

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It appears that Coutinho handing in a transfer request is indeed true. Paul Joyce is now reporting this and, short of official club statements, he is as reliable as it gets when it comes to Liverpool and Everton news.

 

ETA. Joyce also saying that Liverpool have rejected Coutinho's transfer request and have reiterated FSG's earlier statement.

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Find it pretty crazy that Coutinho is who Barca have decided they should spend crazy money on. He's a very good player but there are lots of very good AMs around and if Liverpool leave themselves enough time, they shouldn't have too much trouble with a replacement. Like, I don't think they'd be significantly harmed if they brought in Siggurdson or Lanzini in his stead. With Lanzini, if he proves as good as I think he is given the opportunity, they might actually improve.

If we're talking about players in the PL better than him, I think Hazard, De Bruyne, Alli and Eriksen are pretty definitely better just from players who play a similar sort of role.

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4 minutes ago, polishgenius said:

Find it pretty crazy that Coutinho is who Barca have decided they should spend crazy money on. He's a very good player but there are lots of very good AMs around and if Liverpool leave themselves enough time, they shouldn't have too much trouble with a replacement. Like, I don't think they'd be significantly harmed if they brought in Siggurdson or Lanzini in his stead. With Lanzini, if he proves as good as I think he is given the opportunity, they might actually improve.

If we're talking about players in the PL better than him, I think Hazard, De Bruyne, Alli and Eriksen are pretty definitely better just from players who play a similar sort of role.

Coutinho has been improving year after year and he is very flexible player. If need be he can excel in a variety of positions: LW, No. 10, LM/No. 8, so in that sense, they would see him as someone who could fill the Neymar void but also the Iniesta void, because Iniesta hasn't hit 30 league games in the last three seasons; he's on the wind down. So I can see why they have gone for Coutinho ahead of the players you have mentioned, like Hazard etc.

Sigurdsson is a player I rate very highly. He makes things happen for Swansea, but I worry if placed in a bigger team like Liverpool that he would be less effective. A lot of his goals/assists come from set plays, whereas Coutinho makes things happen from open play. Take out set pieces and Sigurdsson's stats are average.

Lanzini would be as close to like for like as Liverpool could get for Coutinho, in terms of style of play. But right now, there is still a significant golf between the two in terms of quality, despite Coutinho only being a year older.

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Regarding Coutinho's transfer request - I'll wait for an official confirmation.

If it IS true, I definitely don't like hearing that, but I must respect that at least he didn't do anything similar to what Van Dijk is currently doing at Southampton. Player handing in a transfer request is in my eyes a fair way for a player to try and make a transfer happen. Let's be honest, Barcelona is one of THE teams of this generation.

That being said, handing in a transfer request a day before the first match of the season is a bit of a dick move and I hope that FSG don't budge and keep him for this season at least. Had the offer from Barcelona and Coutinho's transfer request come a month ago, it would be a whole different situation.

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2 minutes ago, baxus said:

If t IS true, I definitely don't like hearing that, but I must respect that at least he didn't do anything similar to what Van Dijk is currently doing at Southampton. Player handing in a transfer request is in my eyes a fair way for a player to try and make a transfer happen. Let's be honest, Barcelona is one of THE teams of this generation..

Well this supposed back injury is really suspicious. I don't think he is injured tbh. 

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5 minutes ago, Mark Antony said:

Well this supposed back injury is really suspicious. I don't think he is injured tbh. 

When a player's future is in doubt during a transfer window and they suddenly become injured, it usually raises a few eyebrows. I seemed to ruffle a few feathers the other day when I mentioned that I didn't believe Alexis truly has an abdominal injury, lol.

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1 hour ago, JordanJH1993 said:

Sigurdsson is a player I rate very highly. He makes things happen for Swansea, but I worry if placed in a bigger team like Liverpool that he would be less effective. A lot of his goals/assists come from set plays, whereas Coutinho makes things happen from open play. Take out set pieces and Sigurdsson's stats are average.

Lanzini would be as close to like for like as Liverpool could get for Coutinho, in terms of style of play. But right now, there is still a significant golf between the two in terms of quality, despite Coutinho only being a year older.

 

That is definitely the concern with Siggurdson and he didn't shine at Spurs, though that was a while back and he has improved.


I think Lanzini would surprise you though, he's the bomb. Coutinho's currently the better at slicing teams open, though Lanzini seemed to significantly step up his contribution in that area when Payet left, suggesting he just needed the platform to shine, but in terms of controlling the midfield overall, the little things, I think Lanzini is probably better even though Coutinho's improved that aspect over the years.

 

 

1 hour ago, baxus said:

If it IS true, I definitely don't like hearing that, but I must respect that at least he didn't do anything similar to what Van Dijk is currently doing at Southampton. Player handing in a transfer request is in my eyes a fair way for a player to try and make a transfer happen. Let's be honest, Barcelona is one of THE teams of this generation.

 

That being said, handing in a transfer request a day before the first match of the season is a bit of a dick move and I hope that FSG don't budge and keep him for this season at least. Had the offer from Barcelona and Coutinho's transfer request come a month ago, it would be a whole different situation.



The  player currently best handling his potential transfer is Riyad Mahrez. Openly wants to move, Leicester are turning down bids from Roma, but by all accounts he's not throwing a hissy and has been quietly getting on with pre-season and making all the right moves in preparing for another season with Leicester if that's what it comes down to.

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1 hour ago, polishgenius said:

I think Lanzini would surprise you though, he's the bomb. Coutinho's currently the better at slicing teams open, though Lanzini seemed to significantly step up his contribution in that area when Payet left, suggesting he just needed the platform to shine, but in terms of controlling the midfield overall, the little things, I think Lanzini is probably better even though Coutinho's improved that aspect over the years.

No, I do agree that if Liverpool were to lose Coutinho, I think Lanzini would be a good choice if they signed him to replace him. I just don't think they are at the same level, nor do I think Lanzini will ever reach the same level as Coutinho. That doesn't mean I don't rate him as a player, though.

I'm a Chelsea fan. Lanzini has scored against us a good few times now. I know the threat he carries.

1 hour ago, polishgenius said:

The  player currently best handling his potential transfer is Riyad Mahrez. Openly wants to move, Leicester are turning down bids from Roma, but by all accounts he's not throwing a hissy and has been quietly getting on with pre-season and making all the right moves in preparing for another season with Leicester if that's what it comes down to.

I agree that he is handling it well; no fake injuries, no transfer requests, still willing to play for the club and do his job. But I think part of it comes down to Leicester, too. They have obviously told him that they will sell him if they get an offer the think is good enough and he is happy with Leicester for agreeing to that. Coutinho, VvD and maybe Alexis are in a different boat. The first two certainly want to leave but the clubs have told them on no uncertain terms they won't entertain selling them, which has caused the players to go to the lengths they have. Maybe if Leicester weren't willing to sell Mahrez, he'd be doing the exact same. 

Maybe if Coutinho is sold, Mahrez could be an option for Liverpool...

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10 minutes ago, JordanJH1993 said:

 

Maybe if Coutinho is sold, Mahrez could be an option for Liverpool...

if you got 15-16 Mahrez (which i think you would, i see him upping his game again with a move, especially to a huge club like Liverpool) and VVD for the money you got for Coutinho you would be getting a massive upgrade.  Assuming the 70m that was earmarked for Keita was also spent wisely they would have a shot at the title easily. 

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Lanzini's a peach.  Barca should be coming for him, really.  Then his little nascent bromance with Leo could really blossom!

Won't happen, though. Barca shirt sales in Argentina are probably already pretty good, whereas shirt sales in Brazil are now in serious jeopardy!

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Wow, that escalated quickly.

I somewhat expect that Klopp will have a talk with Coutinho and tell him something along the lines.

I understand your desire to play for Barcelona, and if they had approached us at the end of last season, we might have worked something out. But you are a key player of the squad and an integral part for the the upcoming season. So there's no way, we can let you leave the club just now. If Barcelona really wants you, we can work out a deal at the end of the season, so we that we at least have some time to find a replacement.

Then it's down to Coutinho whether he will throw a tantrum or not. I have no idea, whether Coutinho is faking his back problems. However it would make more sense for him, if he feigned an injury before the CL games with Hoffenheim. I see no upside for him missing the EPL opener. No, I don't believe a scorched earth approach is a great idea for players. There's always a chance of a transfer falling through at the last minute and thus leaving the players stranded in an unnecessary hostile working enviroment of their own making.

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1 minute ago, Soylent Brown said:

Now he's put a transfer request in, I'd prefer we just sold him. Move quickly and hopefully we can replace him; maybe with a silly-money bid for Alli or Eriksen or something, perhaps that long vaunted move for The Ox. Certainly we'd be able to offer attractive wages to the Spurs dudes.

Nah, there's no way we're selling him and getting a viable replacement now. Even if we did with no preseason they'd take time to bed into the team. He's just going to have to suck it up for a season at least, if Suarez can do it no reason Coutinho can't.

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32 minutes ago, BigFatCoward said:

if you got 15-16 Mahrez (which i think you would, i see him upping his game again with a move, especially to a huge club like Liverpool) and VVD for the money you got for Coutinho you would be getting a massive upgrade.  Assuming the 70m that was earmarked for Keita was also spent wisely they would have a shot at the title easily. 



Mahrez in his title-winning form is way better than Coutinho's ever played, but I'm pretty sure Coutinho was going to be playing the no10 role this season (with Salah and Mane flanking him) and I don't think Mahrez has ever done that?


On the subject though, I saw that Wenger recently decided that Arsenal aren't going to go for Mahrez because they have too many similar players, to whit:
 

Quote

I rate him as a player but we have similar types with Alex Iwobi, Mesut Ozil and now Jack Wilshere back.



Where did Wenger get the idea that Mahrez is a passing midfielder?

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Coutinho handing in a transfer request is really tame compared to what Dembele is doing. Going awol, refusing to report for training, not answering his phone. Disgraceful behaviour.

And it's not as though BVB are refusing negotiations. They actually have come to the negotiating table but consider Barca's bid to be insufficient. Think they want a higher initial fee.

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Liverpool's main issue is their defence. Up top, they really don't need any new players. But I am sure a lot of Liverpool fans would be happy if they were to sell Coutinho, replace him with someone that we've mentioned and sign VvD.

Yes, they won't get Coutinho quality to replace him, but someone like Lanzini, Mahrez, Ox coming in along with a top quality centre back like VvD would add up to - with the players they've already brought in - a very good transfer window for Liverpool.

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28 minutes ago, polishgenius said:

Where did Wenger get the idea that Mahrez is a passing midfielder?

 

15 minutes ago, Soylent Brown said:

Or that Jack Wilshere is anything other than a perpetually broken -run-into-cul-de-sacs machine?

I wondered both of these the minute I saw him say that. Mahrez is nothing like the players we have on the right.

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