An open letter to Philippe Coutinho

Add as preferred source on Google

Michael Baddeley pens an open letter to Philippe Coutinho after the Brazilian handed in a transfer request this summer, devastating many supporters.

Being Philippe Coutinho must be a depressing thing right now. I don’t know about the rest of the fans, but my heart really goes out to you at this tough stage in your life.

Imagine being a footballing superstar idolised by millions around the world, earning £150,000-a-week at one of the biggest clubs to ever grace the footballing world. It must be a hard life, eh?

Let’s be real here, Philippe. You’ve got it easy, very very easy.

There are millions and millions of people around the world who can only dream of being given the chance you’ve been gifted, and what’ve you done? You’re thrown a strop and literally started crying because you weren’t allowed to move to FC Barcelona.

Liverpool fans are some of the most loyal fans you will ever have the pleasure of playing for. If you have the privilege to wear that red shirt we will adore you from the word go. And if you have the ability, which you quite clearly have, and do the things you’ve done for us we will love you even more.

Before this whole debacle, you were by far the fan favourite, not a fan favourite, you were THE fan favourite. You were the golden boy of Liverpool FC. The fans sang your name on the concourses week in, week out and little boys and girls around the world worshipped you.

I can’t begin to imagine how amazing that must have been. The feeling to have the famous Anfield Kop singing your name repeatedly and have so many people loving you.

Now let’s compare these two situations. Think back to those times and then look at where you’re at now. Take a look a social media and see how many people have changed their tunes.

You’ve gone from being the darling boy who could do no wrong, to being called a snake and a rat, people not being bothered if you stay and thousands actually wanting you to go and to be perfectly honest, I completely agree with them.

You’ve been nothing but a spoilt little brat and you don’t deserve our love and affection. You don’t even deserve the chance to play for or represent Liverpool Football Club, yet luckily for you, you’ll still get that chance.

Let’s not forget Phil, you were just a young talented midfielder wasting away at Inter Milan until we came in for you. We made you who you are, if it wasn’t for Liverpool you’d be at some mid-table European side. Yet you still decided to turn your back on the club and betray the people who pay your wages and gave you their undying love.

Will Liverpool fans have your back and accept you again? It’s more than likely we will. We’ve welcomed back better players who have done this to us before and we will do it again with quality players in the future as well.

But you need to start grovelling and you need to do it fast. Do some of the talking with your feet, but before that open your mouth on the situation by admitting you were wrong and apologise.

Apologise for the transfer request, apologise for feigning an injury, apologise for telling the club you won’t play for them again, apologise for stabbing us fans in the back and being a disrespectful piece of shit, apologise for everything.

This is a club that is on the up, the sky is the limit for this side and you can be a key piece in restoring Liverpool back to their perch at the top of English football. You’ve been given the platform to become a club legend, Phil, not many people get that, but you’ve been blessed with the opportunity.

The chances of you becoming a legend are slim to none now and your move to Barca will probably happen next summer, that’s just the way it goes nowadays. Many people, myself included, didn’t have you down as the sort of player who would do what you’ve done this summer.

But you’ve proved us all wrong and turned out to be like all the other money grabbing mercenaries in modern football. No loyalty and respect.

I’d like to think that now you haven’t got the move the move you so desperately wanted that you’ll get your head down and play your best for the team, but I really don’t think that’ll be the case.

In fact, I’m 110% sure you’ll only be playing for self-gain. Any top performance will probably be to impress Barcelona, to aid your move next summer and land a spot in Brazil’s World Cup squad.

Unfortunately, you’re probably never going to see this letter and to be perfectly honest I don’t think you’d care anyway.

But if you do have any ounce of regret in your body then you need to rectify your actions and address the situation pronto. Apologise and I’m pretty certain we’d accept it.