Can our Brazilian confirm the increasingly noisy reputation as the top flight’s best footballer?
Coutinho scored another excellent goal last night versus Blackburn, and it seems every time he bags at the moment, the internet starts discussing whether or not he’s already the top flight’s best player…
Here’s some of the reactions from Twitter, rounded up BBC Sport last night…
Kevin Rukundo: Coutinho puts an end to a miserable, forgetful week for the Reds. Wembley, here we come!
Liam Riley: Three huge saves from Mignolet kept Liverpool in that.
Jack Dulieu: Full credit to Blackburn, who took on a massive team which cost £100m+ to assemble, and pushed them all the way. Well played.
Daniel Kelly: We’re off to Wembley! Credit to Blackburn on the defending, but on the night Liverpool were the better team. Wembley, here we come!
Kevin Kanty: Coutinho is fast becoming the best player in the Premier League. Forget Gerrard, it’s Coutinho that’s going to take Liverpool to FA Cup glory.
We don’t think Coutinho is there just yet, as judged by his goal and assists return this term, but we’re pretty sure that if he improves these aspects of his game, he’ll be right up there with the world’s best.
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1) Become vocal. Demand the ball. Take games by the scruff of the neck.
Coutinho has enough natural ability that teammates should simply be forced into giving him the ball. When he’s on-song, Liverpool should consistently look to feed him the ball – but this will become easier as the Brazilian ‘accepts’ his position as one of the (if not, the very) best Liverpool player. At the moment, his humble attitude is endearing, but it won’t help him climb towards the echelons of the game. World-class players have a swagger, an arrogance, a knowledge that their better than their opposition and their peers, and it enables them to change games when it really matters, by demanding the ball and dictating matches through sheer footballing talent. Coutinho goes missing sometimes and hangs out on the wings, where he doesn’t seem to want the ball as much as he should. Improved knowledge of English and bravery of communication will help this, as will age and experience.
2) Arrive late in the penalty box.
Traditional Brazilian playmakers, or no.10s, are not necessarily expected to make tireless runs into the area. They prefer to hover on the edges, drifting around and controlling the game like a puppeteer. But in the Premier League, the best attacking midfielders score as many goals as they create. Think Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in their prime. Yes, they’re different, more physical players the Coutinho – but our no.10 has that burst of pace and impressive fitness to add the ‘late dart into the box’ into his game. Rarely do we see Coutinho arriving on the end of something. He should gamble more, ready himself for rebounds, and run beyond a centre-forward more often. At the moment, his goals are always beautiful. Let’s add some ugly ones.
3) Pick his final pass better.
This Premier League campaign, Jamie Vardy, Matty Phillips, Daryl Janmaat and Kieran Trippier have more assists than Coutinho – who’s racked up just four in 28 matches. For a player with his vision, wonderfully deft touch, and through-ball ability, this is simply nowhere near good enough. Every one of Coutinho’s assists are ‘beautiful’, and that’s an issue… He back-heels Sterling through on goal, he scoops the ball over the final defender for an onrushing attacker, or he weights a defence splitting through-ball perfectly. It earns plaudits – but in the long-run, it’s consistency of numbers that will see him become the top flight’s best player. Coutinho needs to do simple things better. Get himself in space in the final third, quickly pass the ball to a striker’s feet, before letting the fellow attacker shift his body and get a shot off on goal. We all know Coutinho has genius in his locker, but we need to see him do the less aesthetically pleasing things a little better, and a lot more often.
4) Play centrally.
This is, of course, not an improvement the player himself can make – rather a decision his manager can make to maximise Coutinho. Make no bones about it – the playmaker is best deployed centrally. From here, with pace on either side of him, and pace in front of him – his mesmeric ability will be best utilised. He can feed the wings, play through-balls, dribble through the middle, drop into midfield and intercept possession, become the focal point of counter-attacks and find space in between the opposition midfield and defence. Coutinho’s been excellent in the 3-4-3 this term, but this limits the number of players he really has to pass to – and also means he has defensive covering duties towards the left flank. Coutinho can become the best footballer in the Premier League if he’s given a free licence to perform in his best position. He’s so good, that it wouldn’t be entirely stupid to build the team around him once Steven Gerrard departs to LA Galaxy.
Using only players already in our squad, we’ve drafted a variety of the 4-3-3 (or is it a 4-2-3-1?) formation which best suits Coutinho’s strengths.