Coutinho: Why it's vital we remain calm
Philippe Coutinho insists it is 'vital to stay calm' as Liverpool seek to recover from back-to-back defeats with the Brazilian in contention for selection again.
After helping the Reds start the season impressively with seven points out of nine, the No.10 received a red card during the 3-0 home defeat by West Ham United.
That meant a one-match suspension and he was forced to watch from the sidelines as Brendan Rodgers’ team were beaten at rivals Manchester United last Saturday.
But with Bordeaux next up in the Europa League and four consecutive Anfield games to follow, the manager can now restore Coutinho's creativity to his line-up.
The attacker is keen to make up for the lost time due to his dismissal but explained the importance of a measured response to how the campaign has begun.
“It is vital to stay calm, mainly because we are just at the beginning in all competitions,” the August Player of the Month told Liverpoolfc.com.
“We have a long season ahead and many things can happen. The Premier League is tough - all clubs have great teams - and we know twists and turns will happen.
“We have to not only remain calm but also to work hard to achieve what we want on the pitch.
“It feels bad to be out and not being available to be selected and help the team but we have to look ahead now and get over these two recent games we lost.
“There are lessons to be learned so we can move on and avoid making the same mistakes. We have a great team here and we know we can improve - and that's what we're trying to do right now.”
Liverpool depart for Bordeaux on Wednesday afternoon ahead of their Europa League meeting with the Ligue 1 outfit on Thursday evening.
A positive result in France would allow the Reds to establish an early foothold in a group that also includes Rubin Kazan and FC Sion.
Coutinho believes motivation levels that were already high ahead of the game have only been increased by the side's recent results.
He said: “It's a very important game as it's our first in the Europa League.
“We know how important it is to have a good start in a competition like this and everyone's focused on doing well in this game.
“After two consecutive defeats, we're conscious there's going to be more pressure from the outside - we have to do things right on the pitch so we can achieve good results.”