Liverpool FC Thread #150 :- Farewell Philippe Coutinho

[NI KI]

[NI KI]

Jürgen Klopp has a message for Steven Gerrard and #LFC fans ahead of tomorrow's FA Youth Cup tie...

[NI KI]

Klopp: "It's a very difficult job to be a goalkeeper or a centre-half at Liverpool because nobody forgives you a mistake. Loris has to deliver, he knows that, but I saw a lot of good things in the games he played."

[NI KI]

Jürgen Klopp has confirmed Ben Woodburn will not be going out on loan this month.

[NI KI]

Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool are unlikely to make any further signings during the January transfer window.

The Reds shattered their transfer record to sign Virgil van Dijk from Southampton for £75million before selling Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in a £142million deal.

Liverpool, who failed to convince RB Leipzig to let them bring forward Naby Keita's summer move to Anfield, have been linked with various replacements for Coutinho.

However, Klopp is prepared to wait until the summer - highlighting Adam Lallana as a player ready to take on greater responsibility in the second half of the season.

The England international has made just two starts this term but is now fully fit after a thigh injury.

"If something jumps in my face then maybe we will think about it but we aren't actively looking for a new player we don't know so far," Klopp said.

"We have to use the players we have. That makes absolute sense because we have high qualty players.

"Look at Adam Lallana, he's not a replacement for Phil Coutinho because he's a different type of player, but he's a fantastic player who couldn't play the first half of the season in 2017.

"Now he's back and that's good. I wouldn't say we are active (in the transfer market), no."

There has been plenty of attention on potential outgoings this week with Daniel Sturridge wanted on loan by both Inter Milan and Sevilla.

The Reds striker wants to leave in order to get the regular game time he needs to force his way into England's World Cup squad.

However, Klopp played down the chances of sanctioning Sturridge's exit.

"We will see what happens between now and the end of January," he added.

"What I can say is that we have a long and very decisive part of the season still to play.

"In this transfer window it looks always like the season is already over and everybody who didn't play often enough wants to leave and stuff like that.

"We still have games to play and we need all the players. We will see how it will be."

[NI KI]

[NI KI]

Virgil van Dijk is in contention to make his Premier League debut for Liverpool against Swansea City on Monday night after returning to training this week following a hamstring complaint.

The January signing missed the dramatic 4-3 win over Manchester City but joined in the team’s sessions at Melwood this week and is ‘completely fine’ ahead of the journey to the Liberty Stadium.

Daniel Sturridge is fit, but Ragnar Klavan, Dejan Lovren and Mohamed Salah each suffered with illness during the week.

“Raggy was out, but hopefully back today. Dejan was out. Mo Salah was out, but hopefully back today,” Jürgen Klopp explained at his press conference on Friday.

“Mo and Raggy are on the good side of it already, but with Dejan we are not 100 per cent sure [if he will be back today].”

Jordan Henderson and Alberto Moreno continue to make encouraging strides in their recoveries from respective hamstring and ankle injuries, though the clash with 20th-placed Swansea is likely to come too soon for either to feature.

“It is close, but maybe close and not enough time for Swansea,” the boss said of the Reds captain. “But [after that] Hendo is back and that’s good news.”

On Moreno, he added: “Alberto is back in training a few days longer and we have to see. We will not put any rush on him, but he will be back for sure after Swansea as well – or even maybe Swansea, I’m not sure.”

Loris Karius will continue in goal after back-to-back Anfield appearances against Everton and City.

There was positive fitness news for the Welsh club in the build-up to the game, meanwhile.

Defender Mike van der Hoorn had to be taken off during the Swans’ previous league outing, a 1-1 draw at Newcastle United, but made a prompt return to training and is available to Carlos Carvalhal.

The hosts are also hopeful of having Renato Sanches (hamstring) and Tammy Abraham (hip) for the match, while Angel Rangel (calf) is working towards full fitness.

[NI KI]

Jurgen Klopp has further explained his decision not to replace Philippe Coutinho during the current transfer window.

The Liverpool boss is ready to put his faith in the players already within his squad following Coutinho’s £145m move to Barcelona.

Klopp admits Liverpool are ready to spend money if circumstances change but says he will not spend just to satisfy those who believe Coutinho should be replaced now.

The German believes that the returning Adam Lallana and in-form Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain can provide capable alternatives to the recently departed Brazilian.

He said: “I don’t think about money. Nobody told me that I have to think about money because we are always reasonable, we always try to do the right thing. Obviously we don’t hesitate to spend the money, we did a few times, but it is not about the moment, it is about making the right decision.

“I really think, it is not that Adam Lallana is a replacement for Philippe Coutinho but he is back. Cool. It is another wonderful, creative, offensive midfield player. Does he have the same free kick as Philippe Coutinho? No, but there are a lot of things he can do. He can make us stronger in these situations.

“And there are other players who can stand up. Oxlade-Chamberlain was here all the time with Phil together but he can do a job, Milly still, Gini, so they are all here and can make an improvement and develop in the season so that is all good.

“If anything obviously right would be there in the window then nobody would not do it and we say, ok, let’s go for it but it is not about doing something to cool the situation down or show the people we don’t sleep. It is only about right or wrong and at this moment in this situation it is right.”



Lallana has made six appearances since returning from a thigh injury suffered in pre-season. The 29-year-old started in the victories against Burnley in the Premier League and Everton in the FA Cup.

Klopp says that Lallana is not yet 100 percent - but he has backed the former Southampton midfielder to make a big impression between now and May and confirm his place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the World Cup.

[NI KI]

He said: “Wow. If Mr Southgate can leave Adam Lallana out of his squad, then really I congratulate you already to winning the World Cup. Because then it is a squad like I can’t imagine how strong.

“Adam Lallana was out for half-a-season and like all players he needs all his physical strength. He could play so far but you saw when he played with all the genius moments he had, very decisive moments, you could see that he really feels the intensity.

“He had a big muscle injury so we can not push him through, and say “Come on, try it again, try it again”. That is impossible. But we need him. Really we need him for the rest of the season. So he is still building up that fitness level on a very good way.

“It looks already massively different to how it was three, four weeks ago when he was already match fit but not 100 per cent fit. So, all good and one of the best things we’ve had in the last few months that he’s back.

“He is really close. He can play 90 minutes and then how do you feel afterwards. It feels absolutely different to how it felt half a year ago. Usually fitness doesn’t show always in the 90 minutes, it is how you recover from it. If you need one day, it’s Ok. If you need two days, it is very often too long for us because we play every three days. That is the situation, everything fine.”



As for Oxlade-Chamberlain, Klopp believes that Liverpool are reaping the benefits from showing patience and allowing the 24-year-old time to settle following his £35m move from Arsenal in the summer.

In fact, Klopp admitted that he was surprised by Southgate’s decision to omit Oxlade-Chamberlain from his England squad for friendlies with Germany and Brazil in November.

“I think if a player has quality, patience always shows off,” said Klopp.

“It is quite difficult in this world of football, it is not difficult for me to be patient, but it is difficult for the players. Everywhere where they live, they ask, why you make the move, you don’t play.

“It is no criticism. When Gareth Southgate didn’t nominate Oxlade-Chamberlain because he didn’t play often enough for the club, there was a moment when I thought ‘oh, wow’. I don’t want to kill perspective for the players but you still need time and he played already. He was new at the club.

“Of course I am really happy for the players when he can show everything what we saw in them when we decided to make the transfer because all what they did until then was good enough that we got interested. But we want more. There is no reason.

“They are all in an age group where we don’t think ‘that’s it, development stops from now on.’ There is always space for improvement. They did a few steps already and I am sure they can do a few more.”

[NI KI]

Mohamed Salah's outstanding debut season for Liverpool has hardly gone unnoticed.

He's won three club Player of the Month awards for the Reds, was named the African Player of the Year, the Arabic Player of the Year and the exploits of "the Egyptian King" are being regularly sung off in some of the city's more lively boozers.

Twenty-four goals and counting, with 18 of those in the Premier League and six in the Champions League, there's been no fleshing out with easy goals against lower league opposition.

Liverpool statistician Ged Rea has been crunching the numbers, looking at how often Salah scores compares to his actual time on the pitch.



And it's a pretty incredible result.

For in fact no other Liverpool player of the Premier League era has scored at the rate of Salah.

Looking at players who've scored at least five goals, Salah is grabbing a goal every 93 minutes on the pitch, and no-one has ever done it quicker.

Suarez? Torres? Fowler? They're all trailing in his wake at this stage.

Here's how he compares to those who came before:

Best Premier League goal/minute ratio

Mohamed Salah - 93 mins

Fernando Torres - 121 mins

Daniel Sturridge - 131 mins



Luis Suarez - 139 mins

Michael Owen - 142 mins

Robbie Fowler - 159 mins

Titi Camara - 161 mins

Christian Benteke - 169 mins

Sadio Mane - 175 mins