Liverpool’s best player Coutinho has raved about our two marquee summer signings, Sadio Mane and Gini Wijnaldum – especially the former who he’s seen first hand in training and friendly matches.
Mane arrived from Southampton much earlier in the summer, while Wijnaldum is a recent £25m recruit from Newcastle, who’s only just joined up with his new team-mates in America.
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“I am looking forward to playing with them,” Coutinho told the official website.
“They’re both very good players and fast players, so maybe you can pass a long ball and they’ll arrive to it. But it’s not only them, the squad is very good and there are a lot of good players. I hope we can all do a good job together this year.
“There are a lot of players now and there is good competition in the squad, which helps you to get better and helps the team.
“It’s been very good playing with Sadio so far, but if anything he’s too fast! That’s good because you need this in your game. Everyone is very happy with him – he is a nice guy and very good player.
“[The new signings are] very good for Liverpool and the squad because there is good competition to play. Everybody wants to be involved and that’s good for the club.”
Mane and Wijnaldum offer something different to Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Adam Lallana in that they’re physically exceptional and offer pace and running in behind.
The current trio are technically superb but perhaps prefer to play the pass than get on the end of it, whereas the new guys are more direct. Combined, Wijnaldum and Mane scored 22 Premier League goals last term, and if they can provide a similar amount in red we’ll be delighted.
With the new guys, a fit Daniel Sturridge, a fit Danny Ings, a settled Firmino and an improving Divock Origi, our team has goals all over it. Centre-back Joel Matip even bags, so if Loris Karius and the Cameroonian can shore up the defence, we’ll be able to win matches.
Exciting times ahead.