Coutinho has never had what it takes to be a Barca midfielder. He's a dribbler at his core and his first instinct on the ball is always to initiate a 1v1. Head down all the time, not a pass and move player or good at linking up. Iniesta was a great pass and move player and excelled at incorporating several teammates into his plays. He was always on the move off the ball.
Coutinho is much more like a budget Neymar. Much slower, just as stubborn about getting stuck in useless circular dribbles, he even passes less than Neymar. Coutinho looks to shoot after his runs more than Neymar does. His vision is not great and he needs time/deliberation to set up his final balls like Fabregas rather than having a fluid passing game and 360 vision. You could also liken him to a worse Isco. Worse footwork/dribbling for sure, and Isco is a much better playmaker overall.
Can't spread the pitch with pace/elite wing play like Dembele, can't penetrate the middle like Messi, can't pass/move like Arthur or Frenkie. Can't do shit. He sucks, and he's better off playing under simpler coaches who can afford to build around his weaknesses.
