AFTER Liverpool’s opening day fixture offered up a late sting in the tail — hot on the heels of Phil Coutinho’s transfer request — Neil Atkinson is joined by Mel Reddy, Stu Wright and Gareth Roberts to pick through the pieces.
Is there any optimism left? What went wrong and what went right at Vicarage Road? Is it the ‘same old Liverpool’?
What happens next in the Coutinho saga and what of FSG and their approach — and the manager’s — to transfers this summer? Finally, the panel look to Hoffenheim and the Champions League – what opportunities does Jürgen Klopp have to change things in such a crucial match for Liverpool?
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Direct: The Anfield Wrap – Stung By The Hornets
Coutinho hasn’t done anything, he’s within his right to get out this club by any means possible. It’s Micheal Edwards his employers and Klopp that have all shown no ambition to improve the squad and first 11. Klopp said in May talks had begun, and transfers were already in process. Then at a press conference after the Athletic Bilbao game he’s trying to convince the fans that we don’t need any centre back. It’s the blatant lies that get me.
Man I can’t stand that journalist Mel Reddy, No realism whatsover in her opinions or reporting. Everything is so Pro-Klopp and Pro-FSG. It’s all about her status as a reporter and nothing to do with reality, twisted, watered and edited down information. Tired of having to listen to reporters like this. Stop trying to protect the club and your status
Agreed. She’s incredibly obsequious. ‘Jurgen is so amazing!’ It usually takes her no more than three sentences to mention that she was on tour with LFC in America last year.
Enjoyed the chat about Firmino! Can we keep him underrated though please if anyone asks.
I’m in agreement with everything Mel said about Coutinho – from Klopp saying “I didn’t get it” meaning the TR went to Edwards instead (that was my understanding too), to Klopp’s exasperation about all the questions, to how livid he must be with Coutinho, and to the fact that he is more pragmatic than we give him credit for and right now NOT selling Coutinho is in the best interest of the club. I do find it super interesting though, how most fans are completely disregarding the straightforward unambiguous messages and statements about all this, all the times Klopp said he’s not for sale, his “Maybe everybody has a price — in the right moment. In the wrong moment? No price” statement, FSG’s statement, the Echo piece explaining his recent comments that literally read like it came from Klopp himself, but as soon as there is something ambiguous, we all become linguists and psychologists? Although I think our experience with FSG is probably the reason for this. I hope we hold our nerve with this one because it’ll be completely stupid if we do sell him.
All the Echo did was interpret it like anyone else did.
Maybe it was just confirmation bias the fact that it made a lot of sense to me. Anyway, the bit about analysing stuff wasn’t really a criticism (I do it too), I just thought it was interesting what we gravitate towards.
I took the Klopp comments in the same way. I think Klopp was clearly pissed off that a transfer request came in when it did, and he was probably unimpressed that he hears via an email to Michael Edwards, rather that more directly.
Also Klopp has now provided further confirmation that he and FSG still share the view that he is not for sale this window.