Coutinho sheds light on Liverpool training drills

Joe Williams

Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho has provided an insight into the sort of training ground drills Jurgen Klopp is implementing to help fire them up the league table.

The Reds suffered a rare defeat on Sunday in an astonishing 4-3 loss to Bournemouth after being 3-1 up and seemingly coasting to victory.

However, it has been a great season so far for Liverpool and Coutinho – who is out until the New Year with an ankle injury – has been a key reason for their impressive start.

The Reds have been so good to watch this campaign and Coutinho has revealed the training ground techniques that is helping them to develop their style.

“We work really hard on our passing game, because our manager likes this type of playing style,” Coutinho told FourFourTwo.

“Something we practise a lot is playing three short passes and then switching the play with a longer pass. We often repeat that routine.

“One of the reasons we do this is so that the forwards can try to escape their markers and then open up spaces on the pitch very quickly.”

Coutinho says it is “confidence” and “happiness” combined that is seeing him become one of the best attacking midfielders in the world, having already scored five and set up five in 13 Premier League appearances this season.

“Confidence is a huge factor out on the pitch,” he said. “I think it comes through repeated quality training, which gives you belief in your ability as well as the confidence to transfer your work from the training ground onto the pitch.

“If we get only two or three chances in 90 minutes, you need to be confident that you will make the right decision in the final third and then put the ball in the back of the net.

“I don’t think there is a secret – you just have to practise making these decisions a lot.

“Attacking midfielders need to play with happiness. By that I mean dribbling at pace and making things happen. If you repeat that every day, then you will tap into the perfect mental state to be creative.”