It’s easy to forget that Liverpool's ‘Fab Four’ was ripped apart in January.

Philippe Coutinho’s departure to Barcelona midway through the campaign threatened to derail Liverpool's season.

How would they cope without the Brazilian?

Were their top-four hopes now in danger? Did they have any chance of reaching the latter stages of the Champions League?

Well, it seems we’re very close to discovering those answers.

Liverpool are 10 points clear of Chelsea in fifth in their quest to finish in the top-four, while they’ve brushed aside Porto and are seemingly in the progress of doing the same to Manchester City in the Champions League.

Who’d have thought Liverpool would rally and actually improve after the departure of Coutinho?

BARTON'S PREDICTION AFTER COUTINHO'S SALE

Well, there’s one man that actually predicted it - Joey Barton.

While Liverpool fans were despairing at the departure of their star player, Barton was trying to convince them that they might be better off as a result.

"Klopp was having an issue, certainly in the Liverpool games I had seen, of getting Coutinho, Mane, Salah and Lallana all into the same side," Barton said on talkSPORT.

"It is going to be Mane and Salah either side of Firmino and now he has got only a smaller issue of does he play Wijnaldum or Lallana.

"THEY COULD END UP BEING A BETTER TEAM"

"I think it has actually helped Klopp out. He knew he had a player who wanted away, he was getting a load of money for him, he knew he would be able to reinvest in the side.

"It is going to sound bizarre to say this because Coutinho was mercurial for them at times but they could actually end up being a better team, a more cohesive team, without Coutinho.

"I don't think he is as good as Hazard. Salah has been more influential than him this season, certainly with his goals."

It turns out Barton might actually be onto something you know.

With the ‘Fab Four’ turning into the ‘Terrific Trio’ Liverpool appear to be a more balanced side with Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah supporting Roberto Firmino.

It allows a more solid midfield with the likes of James Milner, Gini Wijnaldum, Adam Lallana, Emre Can, Jordan Henderson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain competing for the three midfield positions.

Of course, some of the £142 million they received for Coutinho had already been spent on Virgil van Dijk - a signing that is already looking well worth the £75 million.