you think he needs white text when he says things like fellaini goes on to be a barca **** hero and fred has an interview with the Donetsk times?
Philippe Coutinho Barcelona Player
- Thread starter Damien
- Start date
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
Just for laughs, imagine getting Coutinho, Eriksen, Sancho and Kante next year along with any 2 defenders and winning the league.
The problem being that so many posters on here genuinely believe that these kinds of mass transfer frenzies can/will happen - so your fever dream is just an average thought for many of them, especially when the window opens.
They're beyond satire, which makes your post a kind of muppet Rorschach test.
I know, ridiculous.
Coutihno is the most overrated player in world football, fair play to the scouse cnuts they got ridiculous money for him. Shootihno isn't going anywhere, there won't be a more ridiculous link this transfer window.
The only way Coutinho can play as an attacking midfielder here is if we replace Busquets with someone much faster and more athletic, like Casemiro or Kante.
Always baffles me that players push so hard for a move to Barça and then don’t wait it out when they’re out of the team.
The Cesc one was really weird. All the talk when he signed was that he would eventually replace Xavi and then he left the season before Xavi wound down his Barça career and they won the Champions League with Rakitić as a starting player.
Realistically, the only way from Barcelona is down.
The Cesc one was really weird. All the talk when he signed was that he would eventually replace Xavi and then he left the season before Xavi wound down his Barça career and they won the Champions League with Rakitić as a starting player.
Realistically, the only way from Barcelona is down.
Is it strange that I think this transfer weakened both clubs?
You can say that Liverpool bout VVD etc with that money but does football really work like that? They were trying to buy Van Dijk before they sold Coutinho so its clear to me they had the money for it. At any rate their owner has invested money in the club before so I assume they would have still got their guys in.
I think Coutinho has been overrated to the heavens but Liverpool miss him linking midfield to attack and Barcelona don't necessarily need him in my opinion
You can say that Liverpool bout VVD etc with that money but does football really work like that? They were trying to buy Van Dijk before they sold Coutinho so its clear to me they had the money for it. At any rate their owner has invested money in the club before so I assume they would have still got their guys in.
I think Coutinho has been overrated to the heavens but Liverpool miss him linking midfield to attack and Barcelona don't necessarily need him in my opinion
How is Liverpool missing him exactly? They were better without him in the 2nd half of last season and ended up in the CL final. This season, they're sitting on top of the league ffs.
It eliminates his favoured move and biggest skill of cutting in and shooting
Yeah, Liverpool have been better without Coutinho.
Would be interesting to see how they’d integrate him if he came back, especially in big games.
Would be interesting to see how they’d integrate him if he came back, especially in big games.
Oh I don't think Pool are doing poorly, I just think they would be playing even better than they are now if they had him.
I'll give you an easy example. United won the league a season after Ronaldo left and then won what? One more league title. Don't you think United, despite being title winners would have been better with Ronaldo?
Note I am NOT comparing Coutinho to Ronaldo, that would be madness. I just think Coutinho in this Liverpool side would give them a tiny bit more.
They're actually better now. Their trio midfielders provide more stability than what Coutinho offers and ensure their forwards will do the job upfront with worrying about leaving spaces behind them. It's called having a team bigger than the sum of its parts. Coutinho will help them score more but will hurt the balance of midfield and will lead to them conceding more so bigger chances of losing points. Liverpool traded great football for stability and solidity, which brings trophies at the end.
The thing is without the money from Coutinho's transfer its unclear if Liverpool were going to buy Alisson for example. Or even Vin Dijk.
Your Ronaldo analogy is poor not only because of the obvious difference in skill levels between the two, but cos we had Rio and Vidic before and after Ronaldo left. Although it might not entirely be a case of causation, I find it hard to believe that Liverpool would have spent what they did on VVD and Alisson if Coutinho was still there. You also have to factor while they'd likely gain some offensive impetus if Coutinho was on their team, that means someone would be left out. Not that Liverpool's midfield is filled with great individual players, but they each do their role annoyingly well. Definitely don't think Coutinho would embrace pressing and defending as much as Wijnaldum, Milner, Henderson, Fabinho, etc. Surprisingly, Naby Keita has a tough time making the first XI.
Is Coutinho really going back to Liverpool? So many rumours..... I personally think it would be a huge mistake if that happened. Granted, he would be the most skillful player in that horrid midfield but have found a functional way that gets them results regardless but the way he left would make him like Raheem Sterling going back. The fans would maybe not welcome back easily
Great player but difficult to fit into the midfield without sacrificing defensive solidity, and difficult to fit onto the wing ahead of more powerful, dynamic players. Don't watch Barca much so not exactly sure what the issues are, but he's incredibly talented and in the right system no doubt a world class player.
He would not be welcomed back though... not after the way he left.
After reading Coutinho rumour, a future midfield diamond appeared in my mind.
Martial Rasford
Pogba
Coutinho Fred
Kante/Militao
Martial Rasford
Pogba
Coutinho Fred
Kante/Militao
That's bad business for United.
We're better now but not as good as we'd be if he were still here.
Don't see him coming back. Or leaving. Once barca get a proper coach he'll get a place
Don't see him coming back. Or leaving. Once barca get a proper coach he'll get a place
We could definitely do with another attacker of his level of ability but I think I'd prefer another Mane rather than a Coutinho. Someone direct who can also play up front. Not sure where Coutinho would fit in if he came back, not that it'll happen.
Nah, what we need is what he is imo. Someone who can carry the ball centrally and connect midfield and attack, spot and execute a defence splitting pass and shoot from a distance. Ideally also with some midfield graft.
So Fekir
With transfer fees currently being what they are, I suspect we're going to see a lot more swap + cash deals this summer. This is why I think we're not offloading players like there's no tomorrow despite them either being shit or hardly playing.
Reckon Barcelona would go for a Sanchez for Coutinho swap deal.
Reckon Barcelona would go for a Sanchez for Coutinho swap deal.
I think it's fair to say that losing Coutinho's very unique skill set hurt liverpool, but there's no good argument for saying they're worse without him. They were very good in the second half last season, and have been even better so far this season. The money they got for his transfer went at least in part to fund their VVD, Alisson, Fabinho, and Shaqiri transfers, which have all been successful. Only Keita has really failed to impress, but he was locked away 6 months before coutinho left.
I also think that Shaqiri has filled Coutinho's role pretty well this year. What Liverpool missed most about Coutinho was his ability to break down a team that had packed in its defense, either with a free kick goal, a goal from outside the box, or a great pass. Shaqiri has done that quite a bit this year, with the United game being an obvious example.
As for Coutinho and Barcelona, I think it was a pretty reckless decision on their part. He is a very talented player, but his weaknesses mean that he can only be used in certain ways. He doesn't have the pace or stamina to get back in defense on the wing, or as a midfielder with big defensive responsibilities. I think he can thrive as a 10/second striker type, but a team has to be built around a player like that by freeing him from his defensive responsibilities. Barcelona can't really play him in that role when they already have messi doing something similar.
That sounds like a lose lose scenario for barca.
Not really.
Sanchez is not as good and is older. Unless we put serious money down, can't see how they would be interested. Doubt Sanchez would be keen as well.
While you’re doing this deal with them, how about getting Messi in exchange for Lukaku and swapping Darmian for Alba?
Massively overrated player IMO, Liverpool struck gold with that Barcelona deal. Flashy player with a very nice right foot, but i kinda always had the feeling he isn't the real deal, let alone worth 160mil. The way he treated Liverpool in the end was also disgusting, hope they don't even consider bringing him back.
Bit off topic but why are people name dropping and putting Kante in their line ups?
The GK should have saved that penalty.
Swap a 26 year old attacking midfielder who's mostly been excellent whenever he was played, cost the club €160m in transfer fee, for a 30 year old player who's been gash for a year, would cost significantly more in wages, and also, would be a return after a previous failed stint
Yeah, i'm sure that's Nobita's fever dream
I agree with your sentiment on the swap, but I've heard a few people now say Sanchez failed in his first spell at Barca. I don't watch la liga, but anytime I did see it he seemed to be play well. Just a quick look at his record it was 39 goals in 88 games and anytime I saw him play he did so on the wing for them. Even as a striker that's a good return. I know he had some injury issues when he was there but still.....
They call him Malexis in Barcelona...he had one very good season there. And 2 that were a disaster
Barcelona's team development is rather poor isn't it? Malcolm doesn't seem to play much. Coutinho is struggling. And Dembele was a mixed bad of great/bad from the matches I've seen. And on top for that they've stocked themselves with midfielders including Vidal while also chasing De Jong. What was the purpose of Coutinho? Seems rather scattergun.
I would take Coutinho because he's a top player. Yes, he's inconsistent but he was a Liverpool favourite and I would love to have him haha!
Don't think he'd fit in with us. At Liverpool his role didn't overlap with Messi or Pogba. And I wouldn't take him over Pogba.
6 new players and that team wins the league?
Could that really happen? Perhaps in an alternate dimension.
This season we are clearly saving money. As to the transfer budget of next season - who knows?