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Diego Simeone says Liverpool are stronger without Philippe Coutinho
Liverpool are far better in the absence of Philippe Coutinho despite it looking as though they were ‘breaking up’ when he departed in 2018, Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone
The Argentine incumbent of Los Rojiblancos will become the latest in a long line of managers to try and halt Jurgen Klopp on his mission towards a second successive Champions League crown.
Coutinho was granted his dream move to Barcelona in January 2018, leaving Anfield in a deal worth £142 million to Liverpool
Simeone has suggested that he thinks the club has done remarkably well despite it looking as though they might struggle in the absence of the Brazilian magician.
“We are facing a magnificent team, really well trained by a coach who is different and has different alternatives in his team.
“They can play counter-attack, they can play the positioning game, they are very strong in the air and he’s been creating this team for four years now.
“He has been improving even after Coutinho left. It could look as if the team was breaking up, but on the contrary, the team has become even stronger. That says a lot about the players still with Liverpool.”
The reigning World and European Champions are 25 points clear at the top of the Premier League, having dropped points in just one of their 26 fixtures.
Klopp’s men face Atletico in a two-legged Champions League tie and also have a last 16 FA Cup games against Chelsea to look forward to.
Relentless
The Liverpool boss will be keen to become successful on all fronts. The Premier League looking like a foregone conclusion, he might as well go for the cup competitions.
Simeone’s comments suggest that the Reds have surprised a few and he does have a point.
When Liverpool chose to offload Coutinho, there was no like-for-like replacement lined-up; with the Reds choosing to strengthen elsewhere instead.
Virgil van Dijk strengthened the defence; with Alisson Becker providing Liverpool with a genuinely world-class goalkeeper for the first time in many years.
Liverpool have gone from strength to strength and Coutinho has struggled to scale the height his valuation suggested he might.