Stan Collymore: This is how Liverpool FC players feel about Philippe Coutinho
Stan Collymore predicts how Liverpool FC's players will react to Philippe Coutinho on his return
Stan Collymore believes that some of Liverpool’s players will give Philippe Coutinho stick when he returns to Melwood after the international break.
The Brazilian playmaker’s situation has been a relentless source of speculation in recent weeks after the 25-year-old emerged as a prime target for Barcelona.
Coutinho was believed to be keen on a move to Camp Nou and was reported to have handed in a transfer request in a bid to force through a switch to the Spanish club.
However, Liverpool were keen to keep hold of the Brazil international and refused to do business with Barcelona before the transfer window closed last Thursday.
Coutinho has been on international duty with Brazil in recent days but will report back to Melwood for training this week.
And Collymore believes that Coutinho will receive one of two reactions from most players in the Liverpool dressing room.
Writing in his column for the Daily Mirror, Collymore said: “In dressing rooms, these situations tend to go one of two ways for players such as Philippe Coutinho, Virgil van Dijk and Alexis Sanchez, who have all agitated for moves this summer.
“Players who are a bit younger and trying to make their way in the game will say, ‘Well, he’s been a bit of a **** for what he has done, but he’s a great player and when he comes back I’m not going to treat him any differently than I did before’.
“Then there’ll be the more senior players – the manager’s lieutenants – who’ll rattle his cage and make sure he knows where he stands.
“They might give him both barrels – ‘You’re taking the ****, you’re bang out of order’ – or they might go down the more subtle route, which can often be worse than being fronted up.
“Every mis-kick, every chance that goes begging, even every stretch will be chipped away at.
“At Liverpool, I’d expect Jordan Henderson and James Milner to maybe give him a little reminder that his best course of action is to get his head down and work his backside off for the club.
“They’ll be saying, ‘If Barcelona come in for you in January, good for you, but now is the time to knuckle down’.”
