Coutinho saga fails to faze Klopp
JURGEN KLOPP has put the ball firmly in the court of American owners FSG as the Philippe Coutinho situation threatens to overshadow Liverpool’s season.
Barcelona have already made two bids for the forward and so far the Boston-based FSG have held firm.
With a first-leg Champions League qualifier against Hoffenheim on Tuesday, having to deal with potentially the most significant Liverpool departure since Luis Suarez is not a problem Klopp wants.
For all the optimism associated with a shiny new season, all the talk at Vicarage Road yesterday was of the man who wasn’t there.
It was just 24 hours after Coutinho emailed his transfer request and the Brazilian had stayed at home, officially nursing a back injury.
That could be regarded as convenient if you had a suspicious nature, particularly as it will also prevent Coutinho travelling to Germany and being cup-tied.
Klopp was very reluctant to get involved with any discussion about his want-away star, but he did say that the decision is now out of his hands.
“As manager of football club you have to accept if the club sells or does not sell,” he said.
“I can’t say a lot about it, but what I can say in general is that I am responsible for the whole team. I work with players I have.
“You have to ask the club, but I don’t think anything has changed.”
Klopp is determined to win the power struggle with his best player and so far he’s had robust backing from FSG.
Their initial, strongly-worded statement that Coutinho was going nowhere in this transfer window was backed up by the club rejecting the transfer request out of hand.
“I have to focus of those who are available,” Klopp added. “That’s my job. On those who are not available I have no influence.
“I have to accept decisions, even from players, and that how it is.
“Today I have no time to think about it because I had to prepare the team for this match and I had other players not available too.”