Because he's our best player so deserves a salary that represents it maybe.
Coutinho signing a new long term deal
- Thread starter LeTallecWiz
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I thought that was a Lucas job
...and to send a big fat "F'ck Off" message to Barça and anybody else who might be tempted to try and poach him.
Scouting is not only to see if a player is good... He has to fit in. And that is problems With many players. I Guess Coutinho will fit in every time With us, but i.e. Mane was brought by Klopp as he fit in to what he tries to build. Many (me incl) were surprised by the price tag, but Klopp pushed hard to get his player, and were many (me incl) thought he overpaid we probably now think he got value for Money.
Yep. Good to tie down / protect the value of probably our best player. Hopefully a goal now tonight to celebrate the deal.
On a side note, didn't Dele Alli also grab some headlines for scoring for MK Dons against Man United live on TV in the League Cup? I'm not too certain of the timelines but this surely propelled him into the eye line of 'scouts'. I think he moved to Spurs in the next transfer window.
That too [emoji41]
Yeah, like the one in 'Rain Man'.
£80 mill +
If he shines for the rest of the season and recaptures the form he had earlier in the season.. most definitely.
Time to enjoy him why we still have him... He is the type of player you can potentially build a team around...
To think he is 24.. I reckon we have got him till summer after next at the very least... Hopefully its longer..
Depends how things go but, even if you turn out to be right about that, in the interim he may help us get back up to where we want to be. One thing's for sure - if we don't do everything we can to hang on for as long as we can to players like him, we never will get back up there.
Very true Statement...
The Only way we can keep players like this in the long term is to become winners again.. competing with the best at the very highest level..
Whether you like it or not Benitez almost had us there.. We where feared in Europe, but we never had the financial clout or the attraction to attract the big game players..
With proper owners, Klopp a manager all players would want to play with and success, hopefully that can change...
Fingers crossed, he's looked thoroughly as though he's still regaining fitness over the past two days, hopefully a cup match at anfield will offer the environment for him to show what we've missed over the past X weeks.
Good, we can fuck Lucas off with impunity now
Since when did a contract mean anything? Not since about 1994.
Correct but like Suarez it does us a favour as regards value
Also note one important factor in his quote...his wife and kid are settled here. The same could not be said of Suarez with in laws and wife in Barca. This is a huge factor and also he knows at Barca he will be competing with Neymar, Suarez, Messi and already had the experience of being at a big club at Inter on his arrival to Europe. Suarez was i think always looking for a route to Barca from the day the plane landed him in Europe.
Err Suarez said his family was settled too didn't he. So I wouldn't read too much into it, we all know we will struggle to keep him, especially if we continue to lose out on top four
Coutinho, who had been linked with a move to Spanish champions Barcelona, added: "I signed this new contract to stay here for a few more years because it's a great honour for me.
Doesn't sound like the greatest show of commitment to me
Doesn't sound like the greatest show of commitment to me
I'm not sure you can read much into that considering his level of English.
Boss read this:
Breaking news from the North West this past Wednesday: a footballer who is not interested in China. Or Barcelona. A brilliantly gifted playmaker, arguably the most creative force in the league. Philippe Coutinho is staying with Liverpool.
OK, so the rest of the day and the positive narrative was spoiled by a 1-0 defeat by Southampton to rule out a Wembley final next month but this was a 'statement' announcement, according to Jurgen Klopp, when negotiations were swift and a record deal speedily agreed.
It's easy to see why when in the company of a young man so shy he blushes when attempting to put his words into English, although he is anything but bashful with a football at his feet. And he loves his uncomplicated life on Merseyside.
This is an interview without explosive threats or boastful predictions. Asked to explain himself as a footballer, he stops the conversation to find out what 'playmaker' means.
Once it is explained, he says sheepishly: 'I don't like to talk about myself. I don't want to talk about what I do, what I think I do. The position I play on the pitch, I am expected — and I expect — to create chances for my team-mates and score goals.
'The No 10 shirt? Yes, I understand what it means in Brazil. The icon number. Yes, it's important. It is the number given to a creative player and I am happy to have that responsibility, but it is not your shirt number that defines you, it is what you do with a football.'
Two losses this week — to Swansea in the Premier League and Southampton in the EFL Cup — have diluted his pleasure of returning from injury, although he says here: 'We have to put those results behind us and return to our best form quickly.'
Wolves will find out if that happens in the lunchtime FA Cup kick-off on Saturday, with successive domestic cup defeats unthinkable.
Liverpool are heading towards where they expect to be, but Coutinho could have been tempted to wait until the end of the season to commit, in order to monitor their transfer ambition and confirm their Champions League participation next season. But he is certain with his response to the idea.
'No need to wait. I know. I live this every day, I can smell it. I see the ambition of the club, my team-mates, the manager. I am living it, seeing it. Wait to sign? No. No. Now is the right time.
'I understand what Liverpool means. We can say Dalglish, Rush, Hansen, Souness, Suarez, Gerrard. I've been here quite a few years already, it's not like I am new. I understand.
'To have signed a new contract at this club, my goal is to be thought of one day in the same way as these players. They are legends. You define the success of a player by his loyalty or his titles. Or both. In order to be part of this group, I have so much to do.
'I want to win titles. Five years is my new contract . . . it gives me that opportunity.'
His contract is a commitment of some scale at a time when there is plenty of transfer money available and many of his agency stable-mates have departed for the great haul of China.
This idea elicits a brief answer. 'China, no. I am not interested. I don't think about that, not for one moment. My football is here. My heart is here. I don't think about any other club. Not at all.'
Courted by the Spanish media, Coutinho, 24, was front-page news recently when Sport reported: 'Objetivo Coutinho' and insisted he had 'Barcelona DNA . . . a Brazilian of pure talent'. He is aware of the noise, but shakes his head to deny the appeal.
'I believe in finding somewhere you can express yourself, play without fear, play with everything you have. When you find that place, stay. This club, Liverpool, it has a plan. To be back on the top and that's what I believe in. I want to be part of that.
'From the owner, the manager, my team-mates. There is nothing that stops us competing with the big clubs. Clubs in England. Clubs in Europe. Yes, clubs like Barcelona. Why not?' He repeats the question a second time.
'This is a great club. I remember how helpful everyone was when I first came to England, like a family. They made me welcome, comfortable. They removed any obstacles, they allowed me to think first about football and second about football. I remember that.
'For certain, I am comfortable here, my family is comfortable here. No doubts.'
The only time there was discomfort was when an ankle injury ruled him out from November until early January.
'Oh I did not like that at all,' he said. 'Anfield is a great stadium, the people there create amazing noise and support — but I did not enjoy the experience of watching from the stands. It made me sad. I wanted only to play and I don't wish to experience that again.'
Central to his feeling of belonging is the need to feel 'at home'. A grey day on Merseyside hardly compares to Carnival time in Brazil but there can be few South Americans who have felt quite so at ease in England since Ossie Ardiles.
Coutinho's house, a 15-minute drive from the training ground, is packed with friends and family, cooking pots boil in the kitchen and there is warmth in his words, even though he still insists: 'I am sorry, my English, it's not good . . . ' It's good enough.
'This place is never empty and this is how I like it,' he says before returning to play table football. There are super-hero posters on his walls and he wears a Nike T-shirt with the words: 'The Off Season — It's On'. His wife Aine and daughter Maria are happy to smile for our camera.
Back on the pitch, with Chelsea disappearing into the distance, it seems Liverpool must compete with Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester City and Manchester United for the remaining three Champions League places, but the suggestion is met with a frown.
'It's a tough league, yes. You say Chelsea win the league, but we are giving up on nothing,' he insists. 'We have to fight for the title, this season and the next season.
'We had a setback against Swansea and Chelsea are a good team. I like Eden Hazard and Willian, they are the hardest opponents, but that is the ambition of our club too. We have to fight for the best, compete and continue to compete. That is what this club must demand from all of us. That is why I am here.'
He has noted the Champions Wall at the entrance to the training ground, a reminder of Liverpool's history — their 18 titles and five European Cup wins. All before Coutinho arrived from an unhappy spell at Inter Milan in 2013.
Since then he has burst into the Brazilian team, where he has six goals in 23 senior appearances. As with Liverpool, there is more to come. Now he has the platform.
'There are two parts to this decision (to sign for five years): first the ambition of the club and then my family . . . they are with me.
'Every player here is treated well. The club supports us and allows us to focus on the football. Not just me, everyone. Nothing special for me. There is a structure to help.
'When a new player comes, especially from abroad, they have a team to support the wife, the family. When I go to play, I can concentrate and play. It is professional, professional like a big club.'
Typically, his home has a giant screen and a games room, but he does not spend hours watching football. 'I am not obsessed,' he explains. 'I don't watch lots of matches. I like to play, to be part of the English game.
'The qualities of England? Intensi-dade (intensity)! Yes, always. That is the word I would use to explain to people in Brazil. And then fast, the ball never stops, the rhythm and speed. Aggression? Yes, but intensi-dade more.'
Which bring us naturally to Klopp, a man who has made a big impression. Coutinho has to have Klopp's 'Heavy Metal football' style from Germany explained with punches of fist in hand before he says with a smile: 'I don't know this phrase . . . but I know what I see.
'The main thing I love about this manager is that he doesn't do things for the sake of it. He explains everything, give us an understanding of what and why. It creates an enjoyment. He will be a success here, 100 per cent. I have total confidence in that.'
He is pleased too to see Steven Gerrard has returned to the club to work with the development squad. 'He is my favourite player since I came to England,' says the little Brazilian.
'I learned a lot and I loved to see how he understands and organises a game. It is incredible. He's a big influence and personality, his presence around the club. I am happy to see him back. I hope he can share in the success we strive for. He taught me a lot.'
Breaking news from the North West this past Wednesday: a footballer who is not interested in China. Or Barcelona. A brilliantly gifted playmaker, arguably the most creative force in the league. Philippe Coutinho is staying with Liverpool.
OK, so the rest of the day and the positive narrative was spoiled by a 1-0 defeat by Southampton to rule out a Wembley final next month but this was a 'statement' announcement, according to Jurgen Klopp, when negotiations were swift and a record deal speedily agreed.
It's easy to see why when in the company of a young man so shy he blushes when attempting to put his words into English, although he is anything but bashful with a football at his feet. And he loves his uncomplicated life on Merseyside.
This is an interview without explosive threats or boastful predictions. Asked to explain himself as a footballer, he stops the conversation to find out what 'playmaker' means.
Once it is explained, he says sheepishly: 'I don't like to talk about myself. I don't want to talk about what I do, what I think I do. The position I play on the pitch, I am expected — and I expect — to create chances for my team-mates and score goals.
'The No 10 shirt? Yes, I understand what it means in Brazil. The icon number. Yes, it's important. It is the number given to a creative player and I am happy to have that responsibility, but it is not your shirt number that defines you, it is what you do with a football.'
Two losses this week — to Swansea in the Premier League and Southampton in the EFL Cup — have diluted his pleasure of returning from injury, although he says here: 'We have to put those results behind us and return to our best form quickly.'
Wolves will find out if that happens in the lunchtime FA Cup kick-off on Saturday, with successive domestic cup defeats unthinkable.
Liverpool are heading towards where they expect to be, but Coutinho could have been tempted to wait until the end of the season to commit, in order to monitor their transfer ambition and confirm their Champions League participation next season. But he is certain with his response to the idea.
'No need to wait. I know. I live this every day, I can smell it. I see the ambition of the club, my team-mates, the manager. I am living it, seeing it. Wait to sign? No. No. Now is the right time.
'I understand what Liverpool means. We can say Dalglish, Rush, Hansen, Souness, Suarez, Gerrard. I've been here quite a few years already, it's not like I am new. I understand.
'To have signed a new contract at this club, my goal is to be thought of one day in the same way as these players. They are legends. You define the success of a player by his loyalty or his titles. Or both. In order to be part of this group, I have so much to do.
'I want to win titles. Five years is my new contract . . . it gives me that opportunity.'
His contract is a commitment of some scale at a time when there is plenty of transfer money available and many of his agency stable-mates have departed for the great haul of China.
This idea elicits a brief answer. 'China, no. I am not interested. I don't think about that, not for one moment. My football is here. My heart is here. I don't think about any other club. Not at all.'
Courted by the Spanish media, Coutinho, 24, was front-page news recently when Sport reported: 'Objetivo Coutinho' and insisted he had 'Barcelona DNA . . . a Brazilian of pure talent'. He is aware of the noise, but shakes his head to deny the appeal.
'I believe in finding somewhere you can express yourself, play without fear, play with everything you have. When you find that place, stay. This club, Liverpool, it has a plan. To be back on the top and that's what I believe in. I want to be part of that.
'From the owner, the manager, my team-mates. There is nothing that stops us competing with the big clubs. Clubs in England. Clubs in Europe. Yes, clubs like Barcelona. Why not?' He repeats the question a second time.
'This is a great club. I remember how helpful everyone was when I first came to England, like a family. They made me welcome, comfortable. They removed any obstacles, they allowed me to think first about football and second about football. I remember that.
'For certain, I am comfortable here, my family is comfortable here. No doubts.'
The only time there was discomfort was when an ankle injury ruled him out from November until early January.
'Oh I did not like that at all,' he said. 'Anfield is a great stadium, the people there create amazing noise and support — but I did not enjoy the experience of watching from the stands. It made me sad. I wanted only to play and I don't wish to experience that again.'
Central to his feeling of belonging is the need to feel 'at home'. A grey day on Merseyside hardly compares to Carnival time in Brazil but there can be few South Americans who have felt quite so at ease in England since Ossie Ardiles.
Coutinho's house, a 15-minute drive from the training ground, is packed with friends and family, cooking pots boil in the kitchen and there is warmth in his words, even though he still insists: 'I am sorry, my English, it's not good . . . ' It's good enough.
'This place is never empty and this is how I like it,' he says before returning to play table football. There are super-hero posters on his walls and he wears a Nike T-shirt with the words: 'The Off Season — It's On'. His wife Aine and daughter Maria are happy to smile for our camera.
Back on the pitch, with Chelsea disappearing into the distance, it seems Liverpool must compete with Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester City and Manchester United for the remaining three Champions League places, but the suggestion is met with a frown.
'It's a tough league, yes. You say Chelsea win the league, but we are giving up on nothing,' he insists. 'We have to fight for the title, this season and the next season.
'We had a setback against Swansea and Chelsea are a good team. I like Eden Hazard and Willian, they are the hardest opponents, but that is the ambition of our club too. We have to fight for the best, compete and continue to compete. That is what this club must demand from all of us. That is why I am here.'
He has noted the Champions Wall at the entrance to the training ground, a reminder of Liverpool's history — their 18 titles and five European Cup wins. All before Coutinho arrived from an unhappy spell at Inter Milan in 2013.
Since then he has burst into the Brazilian team, where he has six goals in 23 senior appearances. As with Liverpool, there is more to come. Now he has the platform.
'There are two parts to this decision (to sign for five years): first the ambition of the club and then my family . . . they are with me.
'Every player here is treated well. The club supports us and allows us to focus on the football. Not just me, everyone. Nothing special for me. There is a structure to help.
'When a new player comes, especially from abroad, they have a team to support the wife, the family. When I go to play, I can concentrate and play. It is professional, professional like a big club.'
Typically, his home has a giant screen and a games room, but he does not spend hours watching football. 'I am not obsessed,' he explains. 'I don't watch lots of matches. I like to play, to be part of the English game.
'The qualities of England? Intensi-dade (intensity)! Yes, always. That is the word I would use to explain to people in Brazil. And then fast, the ball never stops, the rhythm and speed. Aggression? Yes, but intensi-dade more.'
Which bring us naturally to Klopp, a man who has made a big impression. Coutinho has to have Klopp's 'Heavy Metal football' style from Germany explained with punches of fist in hand before he says with a smile: 'I don't know this phrase . . . but I know what I see.
'The main thing I love about this manager is that he doesn't do things for the sake of it. He explains everything, give us an understanding of what and why. It creates an enjoyment. He will be a success here, 100 per cent. I have total confidence in that.'
He is pleased too to see Steven Gerrard has returned to the club to work with the development squad. 'He is my favourite player since I came to England,' says the little Brazilian.
'I learned a lot and I loved to see how he understands and organises a game. It is incredible. He's a big influence and personality, his presence around the club. I am happy to see him back. I hope he can share in the success we strive for. He taught me a lot.'
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