7 - Philippe Coutinho - V1

[gregorrin10]

He's actually a left hand version of Dybala. Wants to occupy the same space as Messi on the pitch, and thus looks really awkward when playing together. At least Dybala can possibly be molded into a (false) #9 attacker, Coutinho can't even do that. What he can do, is play AM, but in a Barca formation we know that's not entirely possible. So for him so succeed playing that Iniesta role, he would still need to improve massively on his ball retention and the timing of releasing his balls, and be willing to defend at least to some extent, playing an #8 and #10 role isn't the same at all, #10 has much more freedom and less defensive duties, which Coutinho needs to thrive, but like i said, that's just not possible in Barca. Cesc was the same, the only difference being that he actually contributed with goals and assists quite regularly, and we still got rid of him, because he simply didn't fit into our lineup anywhere. Cesc had prime Xavi and Iniesta before him, Coutinho will have Arthur and De Jong, plus Alena, and Puig emerging as well.

Might not be the worst idea to sell him in the summer, in current conditions I would let him go for 110M easy. Buy De Ligt and F. Mendy to really fix up the defense, even if Umtiti is done. And possibly even add another midfielder, if we sell Rakitic as well. But that would be almost too much already, truly a dream summer. Ndombele would really be perfect in that case, Aouar would be nice too, even though i fear he and Alena are too similar players.

 

[Trafalgar]

Sell him, get Hazard.

 

[Givenchy]

fuck it i'd take 80mil and the big fat L

theres no fight in him mentally or physically. i cant believe how weak he is, so many times hes barged off the ball and not busting your ass to get it back is criminal. he'll score the odd golazo here and there but thats about it.. Liverpool did us dirty

I know its just 1 game but look at Malcom.. barely played, thrown in vs Madrid, misses a 1on1 yet he keeps his head up and fights. he was fouling putting his weight around. Coutinho is like a school boy

 

[Messigician]

Its not the english farmer league anymore

 

[FCB1987]

Sell him, get Hazard.

👏👏👏👏👏

 

[God Serena]

Selling him would fund the signing of de Ligt... Interesting...

 

[Pepe Silvia]

He's been here for a year. Imo. he still has tine to turn it around. Think he has the quality and humility to work to make it happen.

Patience.

finally a sensible post

 

[Potroh]

I seriously think that Coutinho's situation in this team is truly oversimplified.
He has proven elsewhere that he is a rare talent, so no need to argue about his actual qualities.

When he arrived a year ago, he played quite well, despite that Valverde tried to play him on many posts, which in itself shows that the smile-less coach didn't and doesn't have an inner-vision, he has just been trying out the same players at different and unfamiliar posts. Anyone could do that... That's not "tactics", that's a version of Russian-roulette.

But the fact that the player seems to have lost his confidence and vigor shows that he doesn't know what to play and how, that cannot be anything else but a problem with the coach and his different methods and preferences.

When he is not playing relatively centrally, close to Messi, he usually suffers. Although I do agree that his defense contribution is relatively weak, still, playing him as a winger is a bad solution, so more centrally playing could probably be the sole solution for the player to play in this rather system-less system.

He is having a bad period or spell, no doubt, but when Messi's and by now Dembele's rare creativity and unpredictability is not there, the entire attacking system suffers.
Unfortunately this is mainly due to the fact that by now Suarez demobilizes himself most of the time, only when he is not offside or when he is not falling down into his own feet, that is.
So whereas Coutinho hardly fits into this nonexistent system, seemingly no attacker really does, apart from Messi, who is an alien or perhaps Dembele, who is the other one having the needed creativity.
Suarez also has it, he has proven it for years, but alas, his feet simply disobey his remaining creativity. That is the problem and I need to repeat that it is mainly, probably and belike due to the coach's lack of creative imagination...

 

[khaled_a_d]

I seriously think that Coutinho's situation in this team is truly oversimplified.

When he arrived a year ago, he played quite well, despite that Valverde tried to play him on many posts, which in itself shows that the smile-less coach didn't and doesn't have an inner-vision

Don't you think you are the one over simplifying things?

 

[1loliam]

Report suggests Jurgen Klopp was amazed that Barcelona were willing to offer €100 million for Coutinho

El Pais journalist Diego Torres has reported that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was 'amazed' and 'broke into hilarity' when he first heard that Barcelona were going to offer €100 million for former midfielder Philippe Coutinho.

Torres, who wrote The Special One: The Dark Side of Jose Mourinho, has been covering PSG forward Neymar extensively this season but he has now shifted his attention towards his international teammate Coutinho and his January move from Liverpool to Barcelona.

Torres suggests that Coutinho was never fit enough to operate under Klopp's pressing system of football and that leading goalscorer Mohamed Salah was brought in to compete with the Brazilian while Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino were deemed 'undroppable'.

Torres wrote:

“When the club raised the possibility of signing Mohammed Salah, the coach told the management that he thought it was fine but that the position should be played with Coutinho. Never with Mané or Firmino, whom he judged unquestionable.

"In Liverpool offices were not surprised to see that the leaders embraced as if they had won a title when on 6 January closed the transfer of Coutinho to Barca for 160 million euros, a record after Neymar and Mbappé. Never the sale of the third most expensive soccer player in history meant less sacrifice and more benefit for a major club.

"Explosive and decisive in short spaces, Coutinho lacked the heart and lungs to perform consistently in the great spaces of the midfield. In the physical tests that simulated situations of the game, after two sprints of 60 meters Coutinho could not recover without remaining half a minute completely stopped. Too much, given the tactical demands. With the emphasis on permanent dynamism, Klopp discarded Coutinho to integrate the midfield in 4-3-3. Even when he placed it as an end, he found that it disengaged in the folds. During several days he tried a 4-2-3-1 to place him behind the point, with a smaller radius of action to avoid suffering. If he played as a second point he could stay off the hook without generating serious imbalances, while the rest of the team was ordered 20 meters back. But the 4-2-3-1, in Klopp's opinion, did not allow the team to occupy the spaces in the most efficient way possible.

"Barça's first offer for Coutinho amounted to 60 million euros, about a year ago. Klopp's reaction was perplexing. He thought that Barcelona had the three attack squares covered with Messi, Suarez and Neymar.

"When they told him that [Josep] Bartomeu would sign [Ousmane] Dembelé to replace Neymar and offer more than 100 million for Coutinho to act as relay for [Andres] Iniesta, his amazement broke into hilarity. According to an employee of the English club, Klopp was blunt: "Coutinho is a fabulous forward but he will never feel comfortable in 4-3-3 as an inside; and much less if he has to play in the post of Iniesta in the 4-4-2 that [Ernesto] Valverde practices in the defensive phase, where the longer runs should be done by the wings. Iniesta is a long distance runner. Coutinho no. "

 

[MTL_Barca]

I like to talk shit about Valverde as much as everyone else but what Coutinho is showing isn't just the fault of the coach.

 

[Laplacian]

Am i being crazy here or not? The LW position at Barcelona does not require you to play as an actual winger because that's literally Alba's job. Sure in occasions you should stretch the defense using, but the majority of the time you'll operate as an inside forward or an attacking midfielder using the central half-spaces. That's literally how the Dembele plays in the left flank, and that's what Coutinho does too. I honestly don't get why people are saying he's not playing his position. Thanks to Alba he has the freedom to spray in passes, drift in centrally, and cut inside for his shots. He doesn't have to stay near the line and play as a pure winger.

Coutinho's problems have nothing to do with the roles given to him.

 

[FCBfan22]

Am i being crazy here or not? The LW position at Barcelona does not require you to play as an actual winger because that's literally Alba's job...

True and that's why I don't understand why we don't plop Suarez into LWF position, Leo in the centre (he plays there anyways) and Dembele on the right (multiple players would benefit from that).

 

[i_bleed_blaugrana]

True and that's why I don't understand why we don't plop Suarez into LWF position, Leo in the centre (he plays there anyways) and Dembele on the right (multiple players would benefit from that).

Formations aren’t static. Messi and Suarez interchange positions a lot so the usually end up like this on the pitch anyways, irrespective of what it says before the match.

With Coutinho, I don’t disagree with the sentiment of Valverde’s system doesn’t suit him and/or he should play as an interior. The problem I’m having with him and Valverde probably has with him is:

A) The last time he played there, against Levante in the CdR, he gave up a massive turnover trying a cute little flick that led to there 2nd goal and he hasn’t played there since. The ball just dies when it goes to him, he’s constantly turning the ball over right now and we cannot afford that in our tactical setup and how vulnerable our defense is at times. And honestly, his minutes should be going to Aleñá who doesn’t do these things and naturally understands the position.

B) He’s showing no imagination, no guile, no authority out there whatsoever, and that’s beyond worrying for me right now. He honestly doesn’t deserve to start right now. He should be desperate to prove something: tracking back, winning the ball, making things happen, making simple passes. Doing the small things right, looking for the ball and finding space, making runs and being in goal-scoring positions. I just see none of that, not one or two things that make this somewhat redeemable right now. Dembele was in a similar situation but his attitude on the pitch turned things around for him and look at him now. He did those small things and people laud and love him.

It really isn’t us this time, sometimes players just can’t handle it. I say bench him for a bit, try him in the interior and if he’s still turning the ball over doing backheels to no one in particular and being scared of his own shadow, take the L and sell him to fund de Ligt.

 

[putogusiluz8]

With his talent, If he had the fire that Malcom has, he'd be a force. I mean this guy has amazing capabilities but plays like he has nothing to fight for. Where's your spirit? Wake the fuck up. Fight.