Liverpool refusing to sell Coutinho

 Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool's owners will stand firm and refuse to sell Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona but admits any decision is not his to make.

The Reds are battling to keep Coutinho after rejecting a transfer request from the winger on Friday.

The 25-year-old sent the email only hours after Liverpool's owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) issued a statement saying the Brazil international would not be sold during the current transfer window.  The Reds looked as though they had put all speculation and uncertainty over Coutinho's future to one side to win their opening Premier League clash - only for Watford to score in the dying moments to seal a 3-3 draw.

Even after receiving Coutinho's request, Klopp does not think FSG will alter their stance.

Asked if the transfer request changed anything, Liverpool's German manager said: "You have to ask the club. I didn't see the club today - those people. You have to ask them. But I don't think so because I think it was pretty clear what the club, FSG, said about it. "I can say something that is maybe a more important thing," Klopp added. "As a manager of a football club I have bosses, and if bosses decide, for example, just in general, to sell a player or we don't sell him, then I have to accept it.
"If they don't sell him, then I'm not involved anymore. I'm responsible for all players, not just one, two or three.
"I cannot say anything about it. The only thing is I work with the players I have - that is what I'm always doing."
Stefano Okaka opened the scoring for Watford as he headed in from a corner with just eight minutes gone and Abdoulaye Doucoure re-established the Hornets' lead shortly after Sadio Mane had equalised.
Liverpool rallied and Roberto Firmino levelled from the penalty spot after debutant Mohamed Salah was fouled, with the Egypt international then edging the visitors ahead only for Miguel Britos to pounce from a late corner and give Marco Silva a positive first outing as Watford boss.
After seeing his side ship two goals from corners, Klopp said Liverpool will attempt to rectify the issue, even though he highlighted other problems he wants to address. "They didn't create too much with the ball but of course they scored two goals and in a specific situation where everyone will say, 'Oh, it was a set-piece'," Klopp said.

"We defended most of them really well, but at the end is it enough if we concede one goal? No. We have to work on it.

"But for us different things are important, the physicality in the beginning - not ready for these things. That can happen on the first match-day. No direction in the first half but much better in the second half. Playing football but it leads to nothing. There are a lot of things to work on."