Klopp lives and breathes Liverpool.. just don’t say the same about Coutinho

HE may have captained the team, scored a hat-trick and been lauded by Liverpool fans, but Philippe Coutinho wants to play for Barcelona.

That much is clear. “Last summer, there was a job offer in the same way that happens with any employee and I was interested in it,” said Coutinho, stripping one of football’s most romantic, idealistic clubs of, well, romance and idealism.

Presumably, it was subject to the vagaries of translation, but it still hits home.

Coutinho sees himself as a mere employee of Liverpool FC and he sees a better job out there. For that reason, Jurgen Klopp will send him on his way.

Klopp must have been close to telling the Brazilian to pack his bags in summer, especially when his back played up, possibly under the weight of Barcelona bids.

But the German, perhaps knowing there was not enough time to reinvest any fee, compromised his beliefs by agreeing with the owners’ insistence Coutinho stayed.

He will surely compromise again if and when Barcelona return in the mid-season transfer window, but then wave goodbye at the end of the campaign.

Liverpool have a puncher’s chance of winning the Champions League this season. In January, Klopp would be unable to find a player or players to compensate for Coutinho’s departure and the squad, talent-wise, would be weakened.

That should not be the case next summer, assuming Klopp gets whatever Barca eventually pay for Coutinho – and a lot more – to reinvest.

Performances such as the one against Spartak Moscow should convince Liverpool’s ownership that there IS exciting progress under Klopp and to take it further will need greater investment.

Since Fenway Sports Group took over in 2010, only Spurs, of the Big Six, have had a smaller net transfer spend than Liverpool. And at around £160million, it should be no surprise it is more than four times less than Manchester City have spent, net, in creating a team rightly held in awe.

Of their last 11 games, City have lost one and won 10, one of those victories on penalties and only one by a three-goal margin. Of their last 11, Liverpool have lost one, drawn two and won eight, ALL those victories by a margin of three goals or greater.

City’s record is better, but Liverpool can be just as devastating most of the time. Maybe as an after-effect of Leicester’s triumph, the standard among the modern-day Big Six is higher than ever.

European qualification cruises are evidence of that. But Liverpool have a manager as forwardthinking as any of his rivals.

They have scored 40 goals in those last 11 matches. Even taking into account Roy Keane’s barb about the quality of opposition, that is some going.

And over two years in the Premier League, Klopp has a good record in Big Six games – won nine, drawn 11, lost three.

Any lingering debate about whether Klopp is a good fit for Liverpool should be well and truly over. He lives and breathes the place.

Losing Coutinho should not cause concern as long as Liverpool’s owners think big and act bigger.

If that’s the case, Klopp will cope. And in Klopp, Liverpool have someone who is not just another employee.

DOING HIS JOB Happy Kop boss Klopp jokes with Barca target and Reds ‘employee’ Coutinho “FINANCIAL independence is a beautiful goal. For that reason, in a few years, I would like to play football in China for a while.” Fair play to Stoke City’s Erik...