04 Feb 2018 01:40:07
Just a quick question for the regular crew, how many of you genuinely believe the owners didn't want to sell couthinho but had every intention of buying a replacement in January? I'd appreciate it if you could answer not from the point of defending these owners but purely as your opinion only. 100% opinions either way would be appreciated.

1.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 02:28:18
I think they wanted the money and had no intention of buying a new replacement especially after we beat City.
In my opinion they only bought VVD because Phil was leaving and then pocketed the rest.

{Ed001's Note - your opinion is nonsense. The two events are unrelated.}

2.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 02:52:20
I think klopp decided to sell klopp after coming to the conclusion that coutinho would be more trouble than helpful if we maade him stay. Then there were players to buy but the prices being asked were not worth dipping into the market again.

3.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 03:06:51
Why did he have to be replaced? How do you replace ~150 million in talent? There are other That need strengthening more anyways. It was January. let’s move on.

4.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 04:17:31
Im sure they were happy to make a few millions profit on an unhappy Coutinho and would have thrown a juicy chunk of it right back at Klopp if there was a suitable player available.
Coutinho was desperate to leave, LFC got way more than he was worth imo. The timing wasnt the best but aside from that a good deal all round.

5.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 04:27:58
I suspect the club brought in Ox partly because they knew Coutinho was likely to leave and so depending the squad made sense. While I believe they would have liked to bring in someone else in Jan, they certainly didn't feel any need to panic buy if their primary targets weren't available, and I fully expect someone to come in over the summer.

I also think you're taking this far too literally, there are lots of other players in the team, it's not always necessary (or possible) to replace like for like. especially someone with Coutinho's quality. They certainly aren't viewing this as pocketing the difference.

6.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 05:05:22
I think if klopp felt that the player he wanted this window Was available then the club would have backed him. Just as Barcelona had to wait another 6 months for couts we may have to do the same . I’d rather do that than have the club held to ransom with massive inflated fees.

7.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 05:30:33
I believe a lot of what we see is PR so supporters believe the club fought hard to keep one of their best players. I think the club reluctantly sold Coutinho because he was determined to go to Barcelona, but the agreement to sell him was made long before the public knew. Same as with Van Dijk.

I also think we would've got Keita and maybe Lemar in if it was possible and at the right price.

8.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 05:43:05
Someone mentioned Ox, that is a great shouy actually. His signig was questioned as being surplus to requirements, but when you think about it he has basically taken coutinhos cm / wing role.

9.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 07:48:16
Attacking options we have minus Coutinho:

Milner, Ox, Firmino, Mane, Salah, Ings, Solanke, Lallana and Gini.

That is already 9 players without Coutinho which Klopp can make use of from our first team squad for our attack at this point.

Keita will arrive this coming summer who most probably is Coutinho's replacement.

So does that mean that Klopp had to go spend a ridiculous amount on another player to cover for Coutinho until the end of the season? Can is leaving end of the season so expect Klopp to sign another CM in the summer.

We already have a massive squad and LFC cannot afford anymore panic buys. Klopp was looking to add another CM in January which the Ed's were making known. Klopp also made it very clear that if it does not make financial sense to buy in January then he will wait for the summer. Seems perfectly logic to me and the last thing we want surely is another manager like Brendan who could not give a crap about how much of LFC's money was being wasted on filling the squad up to the brim with players he hardly ever used.

And once again, just because Coutinho was sold for one massive amount does not mean LFC are sitting with that massive amount in their account as Coutinho will be repaid in installments like majority of transfer deals are done and Coutinho is going to be repaid over many years.

The VVD deal is also costing the club and arm and leg. You can bet Southampton requested one hell of an upfriont payment for VVD. I doubt Coutinho's upfront payment from Barcelona was nowhere near what Southamton held us ransom to for VVD.

I really do hope that the VVD deal as well as the Keita deal will be the final lesson for LFC to start acting with compentence in the transfer market.

10.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 08:01:53
Hi Waro,

I believe they intended to replace him if the option was there and I genuinely believe that. I think if they were just interested in pocketing the money they could have sold him last summer instead and I also believe if they sold him without the intention of replacing, klopp would be absolutely livid. They were happy to buy Van Dijk in the summer had klopp not messed that up with his tapping up and had already committed to pay a huge fee for keita in the summer too.

11.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 08:51:47
I don't believe they intended on really replacing him this January as the prices for the calibre of players we want is still really high, it's even more difficult to negotiate and gets deals over the line in January, and I think the club has some ideas about who they will move for in the summer. I think Coutinho was sold as the situation was becoming too toxic as to be tenable - I don't think there is much more to it than that.

12.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 09:05:15
Some people talk as though Barcelona gave us cash in a suitcase, and FSG split it into two. A section to cover the costs of Virgil, and the rest got put on a plane to Boston 😂

Finances are too complicated in football and besides, Virgil signed before Coutinho. Our owners are highly successful businessmen. Do you really think they'd she'll out a world record fee for Virgil before the Coutinho deal had gone through, if they were in this for profit? If Coutinho had suffered a huge injury or had a change of heart, and their intentions were to make a profit, they'd have been screwed.

Forget about reinvesting money and replacements. FSG invest a bloody fortune, regardless of who we sell, and that should be that. Only Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona and PSG have a more expensive record signing than Liverpool. Just let that sink in.

13.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 09:27:04
I don’t think it really is an issue for “the owners”.
I don’t think FSG make strategic decisions about transfers without discussing it with Klopp. I genuinely believe if Klopp has said “don’t sell for any price” they would have backed him.
In reality, as Ed001 has mentioned, players control transfers these days usually via their agents. If a player decides he wants to go there is little the club can do to stop them. They can drop the player and fine him 2 weeks wages. Big deal! In the past players needed their wage to survive, these days if you play for a season you’re made for life (at Coutinho’s level) . I think Klopp would have known there is an optimum time to sell and keeping him beyond this window was counter-productive.

As for a replacement, again I think FSG leave it largely up to Klopp to strategise. By January we were realistically out of the title race, we went out of the domestic cups so only had top 4 and the CL to play for. Most players at Coutinho’s level would be cup tied for the CL. So that leaves top 4. So Klopp has asked the question - “do we need to pay January prices for a replacement to get top 4”? I think the answer is balanced firmly towards the negative.

14.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 09:21:26
Cheers for the replies, can't say I agree with most of them especially zimbo and max, but it's about opinions at the end of the day. Fingers and toes crossed for a win today.

15.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 09:48:09
I believe the club took the offer as keeping couts could of been counterproductive and disruptive to the squad. They (Klopp and the owners) wanted a replacement but weren't going to be held to ransom for one.

16.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 10:08:24
Salah was signed and then the ox. Both play in similar position couts did. With kieta coming too I think its already covered. Id be concentrating on a deeper position likw a alonso type of player. Hard ti find but eved hopeful.

17.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 10:11:02
Woro you must really hate fsg!
But anyways, imo fsg are trying to do the best they can for the club. The edds have stated the situation with the player for over a year and it was only a matter of time before he left.
Although it's still fresh im over couts leaving. Im ok with not buying a replacement aswell. When couts played with the other 3 attacker's it was all a little bit go for broke type of football imo. We obviously couldn't feasibly bring in lamar or whoever else so we should all just be patient and see what the summer brings.
We will be ok. No conspiracies here.

18.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 10:08:46
Disagree MK, I think that's why he went in the January window because the owners spent the van dijk money straight away and put in place the keita deal because a deal with Barcelona was in principle agreed, klopp said we couldn't sell couthinho in the summer because there wasn't enough time to find a replacement (which contradicts a poster above saying the ox was his replacement) yet he's sold in the January with even less chance to find a replacement, this makes no sense if the owners didn't want to sell, this to me all points to a sell to buy policy with Barcelona giving a now or never ultimatum to the club.

I no longer put us in the massive club bracket, were in the spurs and dare I say Everton bracket now, with the real top clubs cherry picking our best players. Salah is already gone for me, and I think you can see it in his body language and who can blame him because he like couthinho can see were we are as a football club, happy with a top 4 challenge ala arsenal every season, read torres' book, that's why he wanted out and I believe him.

19.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 10:21:29
Without getting into the whys and wherefores of the entire business, I’m just wondering on the point that people say he would have been a distraction to keep him. With the World Cup at the end of the year would that not have kept his performance level up, at least enough to warrant a place in our 1st team even if people felt he wasn’t at his very best? Or do we dwell too much on it being a world cup year so he’d have to play.

20.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 10:27:14
That book any good waro?

21.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 10:32:52
Haven’t our top players always been potentially cherry picked Waro?
Keegan, Souness, Rush, McManaman, Owen, Torres, Suarez.

I even remember Barnes being strongly touted for Juve and Gerrard was tempted by Chelsea.

There have always been richer clubs than LFC who have been able to tempt our top players. It’s not an FSG phenomenon by any means.

22.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 10:48:57
I was reading something where Liverpool have made the most money in Europe from selling players over the past few years. It's great business. But we're not going to challenge for the Prem that way. I think under these owners we are a selling club.
We buy talented players that will turn world class, then when they reach potential, we cash in.

23.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 10:51:28
We seemed to be chasing Griezmann and Lamar in the jan window so looks like there was money to be spent.

24.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 11:08:57
I don't agree that we are a selling club. We are an unsuccessful club, no trophies and very little Champions League. Change that and we have more revenue and players will possibly hang around longer.

25.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 11:49:49
Actually agree with Rover, our complete lack of success has to be a big reason for both players leaving and other players not wanting to join.
1985Mikey, but we’re we actually looking to sign those players or was that just a PR episode to placate fans for a month.

26.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 12:19:44
If Greizman was a PR stunt then it would have been dealt with in the public eye but the press never once reported of us actually bidding for him or really being in talks.

27.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 13:18:35
Hamburg a top club Ron? Sampdoria a top club? Keegan and Souness went for the money, Rush was part of the peace process and trying to build bridges with juventus as the player at the time didn't really want to go and had to be talked into the move, macmanaman went because he wasn't happy about being pushed toward Barcelona Ron and I know that for a fact because I know a few of his family as he grew up on county road, he was a furious and basically said up yours I'll let my contract run down and go were I want. Owen went for money Barnes and Gerrard may have been tempted but didn't leave, and torres has stated his reasons in his autobiography as I've stated, so totally disagree with you Ron, this for me is solely about the current owners business model. Which our trophy hall and champions league apperances since they bought the club back up what I'm saying imo.

28.) 04 Feb 2018
04 Feb 2018 14:22:02
Fact is Waro, they were all our top players and they all went, they were all cherry picked.