In the absence of Philippe Coutinho, centre, Liverpool will still have match-winners in Mohamed Salah, left, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Phil Noble / Reuters
In the absence of Philippe Coutinho, centre, Liverpool will still have match-winners in Mohamed Salah, left, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Phil Noble / Reuters
In the absence of Philippe Coutinho, centre, Liverpool will still have match-winners in Mohamed Salah, left, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Phil Noble / Reuters
In the absence of Philippe Coutinho, centre, Liverpool will still have match-winners in Mohamed Salah, left, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Phil Noble / Reuters

Klopp's Liverpool should fill Coutinho-shaped hole collectively rather than with an individual


Richard Jolly
  • English
  • Arabic

The immediate temptation is to focus on the fee: some £142 million (Dh707m), the second biggest in footballing history.

If the feeling was that Liverpool would never again receive an offer like the £118m Barcelona were willing to pay last summer, that was wrong.

Philippe Coutinho has gone for still more.

Liverpool can argue they prospered by playing hardball. Coutinho excelled for half a season, while they proved they were no pushovers and banked a record sum. It amounts to a colossal return on a player who cost just £8.5m five years ago, at a time when it seemed manager Brendan Rodgers would have preferred to sign Thomas Ince.

If both his recruitment and the profit suggest Liverpool have belatedly got better at transfers, the more pertinent issue is what comes next.

The answer seems simpler at Barcelona.

Coutinho has long appeared Andres Iniesta’s long-term replacement, even if in the immediate future he could feature on the left of the front three, in Neymar’s old role, although a fit-again Ousmane Dembele is also an option.

As Coutinho is cup-tied in the Uefa Champions League and Barcelona appear destined to win the Primera Liga, a truer test of his impact should come next season.

Liverpool have more immediate issues, principally if Coutinho’s departure will cost them their top-four status. The numbers indicate not.

Liverpool’s points-per-game return is better this season without the Brazilian starting. It is only fractionally worse since his arrival five years ago. If those figures lend themselves to suggestions that Coutinho decorated games rather than decided them, that impression is incorrect.

If two factors account for Barcelona’s willingness to pay such an exorbitant sum, they may be the two that render Coutinho hardest to replace: his capacity to do the spectacular and his ability to excel in the biggest games.

A disproportionate number of Coutinho’s strikes are spectacular and unstoppable. While others are deemed flat-track bullies, he specialises in scoring in defining clashes.

Almost a third of his 54 Liverpool goals came against Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and the Manchester clubs. His brilliance helped account for Klopp’s fine record in such clashes.

His capacity to produce the dramatic from a station in a midfield trio, the role he has adopted of late, is especially rare. Liverpool have distanced themselves from suggestions that they will bid for Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez, but he needs a more advanced role anyway.

West Ham United’s Manuel Lanzini may be the closest available equivalent in the Premier League and tends to deliver in London derbies, but is yet to prove he is in Coutinho’s class.

Soccer Football - FA Cup Third Round - Liverpool vs Everton - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - January 5, 2018 Liverpool's Adam Lallana in action with Everton's Cuco Martina REUTERS/Phil Noble
Soccer Football - FA Cup Third Round - Liverpool vs Everton - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - January 5, 2018 Liverpool's Adam Lallana in action with Everton's Cuco Martina REUTERS/Phil Noble

In the short-term, they can rely on the remaining components of the Fab Four to operate as a front three. Certainly the arrival of the prolific, but very different, Mohamed Salah has reduced the reliance on Coutinho.

His midfield duties are likely to be shared by a fit-again Adam Lallana and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, the latter an example of forward planning: a successor of sorts signed before Coutinho was sold.

Each brings a physical edge: Lallana with pressing and Oxlade-Chamberlain with pace, but neither has quite Coutinho’s technical virtuosity, his incision or his invention.

But then perhaps Liverpool are better served by compensating collectively, which fits Klopp’s ethos, rather than giving one individual the unenviable task of duplicating Coutinho’s contribution.

______________

Read more

Andy Mitten: Barcelona set to continue where they left off as they await Philippe Coutinho arrival

January transfer window: Coutinho, Luiz, Mahrez and Barkley could be high-profile departures

Extra Time podcast: Real Madrid, Harry Kane, Mo Salah and other success stories of 2017

______________

A centre-back and a box-to-box midfielder represent very different talents, but his sale has funded the purchases of Virgil van Dijk, for an inflationary £75m, and the summer arrival Naby Keita.

They have further funds. Yet the past provides a warning and Liverpool regressed after the sales of Xabi Alonso and Luis Suarez.

Armed with a windfall, Liverpool must ensure history does not repeat itself.

LIVING IN...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Tamkeen's offering
  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
  • Option 2: 50% across three years
  • Option 3: 30% across five years 
'The Sky is Everywhere'

Director:Josephine Decker

Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon

Rating:2/5

How to keep control of your emotions

If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.

Greed

Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.

Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.

Fear

The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.

Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.

Hope

While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.

Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.

Frustration

Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.

Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.

Boredom

Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.

Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.

Rebel%20Moon%20%E2%80%93%20Part%20Two%3A%20The%20Scargiver%20review%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zack%20Snyder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sofia%20Boutella%2C%20Charlie%20Hunnam%2C%20Ed%20Skrein%2C%20Sir%20Anthony%20Hopkins%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The five pillars of Islam
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs

Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: nine-speed

Power: 542bhp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: Dh848,000

On sale: now

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:

Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE

Game is on BeIN Sports

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tips from the expert

Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.

  1. Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
  2. It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
  3. Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
  4. Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Enterprise-grade%20security%20and%20privacy%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Unlimited%20higher-speed%20GPT-4%20access%20with%20no%20caps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Longer%20context%20windows%20for%20processing%20longer%20inputs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Advanced%20data%20analysis%20capabilities%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customisation%20options%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shareable%20chat%20templates%20that%20companies%20can%20use%20to%20collaborate%20and%20build%20common%20workflows%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Analytics%20dashboard%20for%20usage%20insights%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Free%20credits%20to%20use%20OpenAI%20APIs%20to%20extend%20OpenAI%20into%20a%20fully-custom%20solution%20for%20enterprises%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ESSENTIALS

The flights 
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
 

The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.

MATCH INFO

Champions League quarter-final, first leg

Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)

Match on BeIN Sports

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

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The Africa Institute 101

Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction. 

Asia Cup Qualifier

Final
UAE v Hong Kong

TV:
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.

Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.

Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.

When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less

Get Out

Director: Jordan Peele

Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford

Four stars

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

INDIA'S%20TOP%20INFLUENCERS
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MATCH INFO

Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)

Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm

What drives subscription retailing?

Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.

The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.

The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.

The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.

UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.

That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.

Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.

The Voice of Hind Rajab

Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees

Director: Kaouther Ben Hania

Rating: 4/5