Coutinho - the boy from Brazil! Wax lyrical here...(off to Barca)

that would be ideal, but realistically, what LFC needs to do is get 160M for him and get a CB and another decent AM.

the kid wants to play for Barca. that's the reality.

 

Honestly, I don't think we need a mid (unless Can leaves) and I think gomez gives us another starting CB. What I want is a first class KEEPER!

 

Can is expected to leave though , isn't he?

 

Barring a miracle, Can looks set to go to Juve, likely signing a precontract deal in the winter window.

 

what does that mean?

 

i asked because i don't know how that would manifest itself.

if you meant that LFC shouldn't play him, i think that would be a mistake. the club would get more for him if he performs well, i think.

is that what you were suggesting?

 

I agree with newterp. if he turns his back on us, screw him. when all our guys are fit our midfield is crowded anyway, so give Grujic Can's spot.

Can has to be careful, though - if he signs a precontract agreement and we then basically drop him from the team, his chances of getting into the Germany WC squad take a huge hit. right now he's a bench option for them, so he can't afford to get any more marginalized.

gonna be interesting .....

 

ich hatte vergessen, dass er ein Free-Agent war.

 

that's the frustration. chances are good we'll lose him and get zero.

unless we ship him in January, it's the only possible win-win -- we get $$ for him and he doesn't risk his WC chances.

 

And we can only sell Can in Jan if he agrees to go.............and why would he when he's able to sign a pre contract deal with a club he chooses which is guaranteed to include a massive signing on fee since the signing club has no transfer fee to pay.

Its reminiscent of when Mcmanaman ran down his contract before jumping to Real Madrid.

 

I'd normally agree with you speke but I do think his WC ambitions will come into play and he and the club will do the painful but pragmatic thing in January.

 

if Can signs a pre-contract in Jan, and then LFC "marginalize" him - and he doesn't make the German WC squad - LFC comes out looking like stink...

Sam may be right - LFC might have to sell him in January...

 

There's no reason not to play him except out of spite...

As for Coutinho, please don't link anymore Spanish tabloids. Rakitic? Are you kidding me?

Barca can pay through the nose. ******** Barca. 150M or ******** off. I'd keep Coutinho just to keep screwing with them into next summer. Maybe he can go in July 2019 if they pay the correct amount.

 

Yeah, that's cool. I'm just saying to cut him out because he's changing clubs is petty and stupid. In this pressing system anyone could get injured at any time, we've seen muscle issues again and again. They'll need EVERYONE to make this season successful.

 

bollocks man. it's not spite and it's not "stupid" at all. we don't want to set a precedent by seeming like we are a club that can be played like that by a player/agent effing us about for months on end.

think of the Sakho situation, Klopp ran out of patience and he wasn't seen again. he'd do the same to Can in a heartbeat imo.

also, why would we want to support the career of a player who's turned his back on us, when we have a number of very valid options available? Can is a good player but the team doesn't revolve around him.

 

I tend to agree with you Sam - regarding Can...he's put himself in (and LFC has allowed him to get into) a difficult situation...where he "reportedly" no longer wants to play for LFC (he won't sign a contract extension), and yet wants to play to earn his way onto another team (both the German National Team, and apparently, Juventus)...

So - he's not that player that LFC (or any team) revolves around...LFC has a stable full of young midfielders...as reported, when (if?) he leaves in the summer, he will leave on a "free" meaning LFC will get nothing...why would we play him except for the "off-the-bench role" when one of the other MF'ers needs a break...

 

They are at an impasse, it's just business. Reacting by putting him out in the cold when he's been absolutely professional is, yes, all three of spiteful, petty, and stupid. LFC are going to need these bodies, what's the POINT of building this deep squad if you can't rely on them when you need them? I'm fine with him being second choice, but when Gini goes down or one of the forwards goes down, Can needs to be first off the bench. Grujic? LOL please.

No, I won't, because that's a completely different situation in which a player's behavior off the pitch (not to mention his buffoonish mistakes on the pitch) bothered the manager to a large degree, and it was the 2nd straight club at which such a thing occurred. Can has been professional, he just wants something different than what LFC want in his contract. It's simple. He's still playing well. Don't compare him to that clown Sakho.

I bet you not even Can would say it does... they have different opinions about what his contract should look like and are going different ways. It's still dumb to shoot yourself in the foot and isolate a really good CM in order to prove a point during a season in which quality numbers are needed throughout the season. Period. It's just business.

Fortunately this club isn't stupid enough to take all this personally. Just one injury and we will need Emre Can... don't kid yourself by thinking otherwise.