As you probably know, the Reds recently traded Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in one of the biggest player trades in football history. In fact, the move made Coutinho the third-most expensive player on record, securing him a £160million contract and a welcomed spot on the field in Camp Nou. On the other hand, the trade wasn't so welcomed by Liverpool fans initially, as Philippe has earned a reputation for being the leader of the team's famous “Fab Four” core that has faired so well in recent seasons.

Letting go of arguably your best player hardly seems to be a wise move, and many fans were concerned that the club wouldn't be able to find a suitable replacement for the sought after  midfielder. However, it seems that the squad's recent performance is lending credence to the theory that they don't really need to find any direct replacement for Coutinho because the team still has a tremendous amount of talent. In fact, some argue that the field chemistry is better now than it was before and Liverpool's Premier League betting odds on sites like BetVictor are only getting better (the odds of them winning any major trophy on BetVictor are currently 4/1).

To further examine the phenomena of the Red's heightened play and improved betting odds in absence of Coutinho, we've compiled the following list of 5 reasons why the Reds really have no need to replace the “Little Magician” anytime soon:

 

  • 1. Switching from “The Fab Four” to “The Big 3” Isn't So Bad

 

Philippe was not only considered an instrumental part but a leader of the “Fab Four” consisting of Coutinho, Firmino, Mane, and Salah. With only the latter three remaining, one might assume that the team is now worse off, but as we'll cover in our final point, it seems the club may have actually benefited from the trade. To break the topic down to a basic level, we pose the question: “Is three stars on the field a better approach than 4 in football?” To answer that, let's take a look at the tangible benefits the Reds gained by letting go of Coutinho:

 

  • More Resources for the Team – From administrate, budgeting, and resource allocation standpoints, the club would seem better off only having to pay three big salaries, versus the inclusion of a 4th. Plus, as mentioned Coutinho's price is the third highest of any player in history, so it’s not just any salary we're talking about.
  • Nominal Drop in Overall Talent Level - There are 11 players on the football field at any given time. Releasing 1 very expensive player so that the club will have plenty of resources left to accommodate the other 10 is perfectly logical, especially when you still have what amounts to a “Big 3” remaining on the roster.
  • Preventing Field Crowding and Facilitating Chemistry –  From a numbers perspective, one could argue that since 11 is an odd number and so is 3, it's better to have a trifecta of dominant forces to create a less crowded spread of dominance across the field at any given time.

 

  • Passing Priority and Teamwork Dynamics – Some would say that, regardless of how you spin it, the Reds having one less star means they're a worse team. However, you also have to consider the fact that every big name has an effect on the decisions made during play. For example, if a player is trying to decide which teammate to kick the ball to in the spur of the moment, and they're choosing between “unpopular player A” and the “mighty Coutinho” they may force the pass to Coutinho and ruin the play as a result.

Thus, since preferential passing and ratings-based prioritising does take place on the field, having one less big name to cloud the field is actually a better route to take when you're trying to achieve smooth team chemistry, without any specific players trying to enforce their will over the game. Luckily for Reds fans, the club still has three big names that have no problem making plays on their own.

 

  • 2. Roberto Firmino

 

Liverpool's other Brazilian attacker and scorer, Roberto Firmino, is another stand-alone reason why the Reds literally had no need for Coutinho on the roster. Firmino is from the same country, has a similar sounding name, and is arguably just as skilled as Philippe. To top it off, Firmino recently accomplished something that Coutinho never did – defeating Manchester City and ending their 30-match win streak with a goal that contributed to a glorious 4-3 victory after a treacherous match at Anfield. This epic goal combined with Firmino's overall performance and style of play means that, ironically enough, he might just be the best possible placement for Coutinho in the Premier League. It's well known that different players peak at different ages, and with Roberto being one year older than Philippe, now may be the perfect time for him to take the stage as the leader of Liverpool's Big 3.

 

  • 3. Sadio Mane

 

Sadio Mane is a force in his own right, also participating in the defeat of the then unstoppable Manchester City with a dagger that put the Reds up 3-1. Before suffering a hamstring injury in October, Mane had scored 3 goals out of 5 Premier League appearances in the 2017 season with the Reds. The recent exclamation point he added in the victory over Manchester City served as an emphatic revenge for the 3-game suspension he suffered during the embarrassing 5-0 loss the Reds took against Manchester City early in the season.

 

  • 4. Mohamed Salah

 

Mohamed Salah put on an incredible show during November 2017, scoring 2 goals per match in 3 out of 4 matches during the month. Perhaps more importantly, he holds the distinguished statistic of being involved in 14 of the team's goals this season, which means he has contributed to scoring more points than any other member of the roster. Mohamed's consistency and history of prolific scoring make him the third reason why Coutinho was only taking up space on the field.

 

  • 5. It Turns Out Liverpool is Doing Better Without Couthino

 

According to a review by SBNation, the performance of Liverpool in the past was actually better when Coutinho wasn't playing due to injuries. The club managed to win 7 out of 10 in Phil's absence, yet only won 2 out of 8 when he was playing. These stats were probably taken into consideration by 

Liverpool's management when deciding whether to let Coutinho go to Barcelona. Regardless of the perceived greatness of an individual player, if his presence on the field is correlated with losing more then it goes without saying that a change is in order.

 

  • Competing with Chelsea and Tottenham for 3rd

 

As Manchester City holds a comfortable 1st place lead with 20 wins, and Manchester United occupies 2nd place with 15 wins, 3rd place Liverpool (15 wins) is currently trying to fend off Chelsea (14 wins) and Tottenham (13 wins). The Reds will be playing against Manchester United on March 10th in what is starting to look like what will be one of the best matches of the season. Still, one can't help but feel that the standings don't tell the full story after Liverpool's inspiring victory over Manchester City in January.