He’s a Kop idol but there is life after Coutinho
It’s a Hammer horror but Liverpool future is bright THREE STRAIGHT WINS WITHOUT PHILIPPE
IT’S maybe not the scenario Jurgen Klopp would ever have anticipated rubber-stamping in the summer.
But would a January farewell to Philippe Coutinho really signal the end of the world at Liverpool?
For a third straight game Liverpool triumphed without Brazilian wizard Coutinho as they brushed aside sorry West Ham with some ease at the London Stadium.
The electrifying feet of two goal Mo Salah and further strikes from Joel Matip and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain provided the fireworks for Liverpool on a night when Slaven Bilic suffered another Hammer blow to his hopes of staying in control.
Obsessed
Shooting star Salah shone brightly for Liverpool. And for those at Anfield seemingly obsessed with keeping Coutinho on Merseyside at any cost perhaps this was a big moment.
Coutinho was missing again with a back injury, but if any evidence was needed that Liverpool are learning to live without the South American play-maker the rest of Klopp’s stars helped make a case in East London.
None more so than Salah, Liverpool’s most expensive ever signing at £36million, who was on fire to give Klopp a happier return to the capital after their walloping by Spurs recently at Wembley.
The Egyptian scored Liverpool’s opener and the clinical fourth as Klopp’s stars enjoyed another rout against West Ham after their cruise here last May.
After the public inquest into their defence this was Liverpool getting back to the business they do best – demolishing with deadly attack.
But is this the lull before a January storm? Whispers from Spain suggest it’s odds on the Coutinho circus will picked up pre-season and when he’s back the reliance on Coutinho may diminish even further. Learning to win without Coutinho certainly didn’t hamper Liverpool last night.
And as he gave his stars a customary hug at the final whistle and pumped his fist at the travelling supporters Klopp maybe realised his team had taken a significant step towards releasing the hold Coutinho has on Anfield.
Salah’s sparkling performance certainly helped as his opener triggered a top night’s work for Liverpool.
Devastating
The goal was a disaster for West Ham as they fell behind from their own 21st minute corner. Headed out by a Liverpool defence maybe learning their lesson on set-pieces, Klopp’s attack broke with ferocious pace with only Aaron Cresswell guarding the back door for the Hammers. A Salah one-two with Mane ended with the Egyptian sliding the ball past Joe Hart and when Joel Matip netted three minutes later the life drained from West Ham. The They briefly rallied as Manuel Lan Lanzini scored on 55 minutes fr from an Andre Ayew cross. But Hammer Hammers fans were still celebrating wh when Liverpool scored straig straight from the kickoff with Fir Firmino playing in Oxlade-C Oxlade-Chamberlain for a finish at the second attempt for his first goal for the c club. Salah made it 4- 1 and W West Ham were lucky Klopp’s men didn’t convert more late chan chances. At the end en Bilic looked like a ma man whose world had cav caved in. For Klopp life is sweet again – but t the inevitable Cou Coutinho circus may ch change all that.